Cooked

A Natural History of Transformation

By: Michael Pollan

Narrated by: Michael Pollan

Michael Pollan, the best-selling author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, Food Rules, and How to Change Your Mind, explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen in Cooked.

Cooked is now a Netflix docuseries based on the book that focuses on the four kinds of "transformations" that occur in cooking. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney and starring Michael Pollan, Cooked teases out the links between science, culture and the flavors we love.

In Cooked, Pollan discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements - fire, water, air, and earth - to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink. Apprenticing himself to a succession of culinary masters, Pollan learns how to grill with fire, cook with liquid, bake bread, and ferment everything from cheese to beer.

Each section of Cooked tracks Pollan’s effort to master a single classic recipe using one of the four elements. A North Carolina barbecue pit master tutors him in the primal magic of fire; a Chez Panisse-trained cook schools him in the art of braising; a celebrated baker teaches him how air transforms grain and water into a fragrant loaf of bread; and finally, several mad-genius “fermentos” (a tribe that includes brewers, cheese makers, and all kinds of picklers) reveal how fungi and bacteria can perform the most amazing alchemies of all. The listener learns alongside Pollan, but the lessons move beyond the practical to become an investigation of how cooking involves us in a web of social and ecological relationships. Cooking, above all, connects us.

The effects of not cooking are similarly far reaching. Relying upon corporations to process our food means we consume large quantities of fat, sugar, and salt; disrupt an essential link to the natural world; and weaken our relationships with family and friends. In fact, Cooked argues, taking back control of cooking may be the single most important step anyone can take to help make the American food system healthier and more sustainable. Reclaiming cooking as an act of enjoyment and self-reliance, learning to perform the magic of these everyday transformations, opens the door to a more nourishing life.

©2013 Michael Pollan (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Pollan narrates his book in a conversational style filled with conviction and eagerness that drive the listener to join his evolutionary quest." (AudioFile)

Pollan does it again! Brilliant and compelling

If you could sum up Cooked in three words, what would they be?

Only Michael Pollan can take the idea of how we cook our food and make that most basic of activities relate to who we are and how we came to be human.

What did you like best about this story?

I was intrigued by the idea that we are the only animals who cook our food...and that may be what, in fact, what allowed our brains to get enough energy-dense meals fast enough to allow our energy-hog brains to develop. Fire also took us from solitary hunter/gatherers to social beings. The last chapter, about fermentation, was absolutely fascinating. What we have done to damage the microflora we need in our co-evolution with the microbial world is the information we need to make better decisions as a society.

Have you listened to any of Michael Pollan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've never heard Michael Pollan read before, and, of course, he is the perfect voice for his words. He is a charming and engaging reader. (In a tiny comment, he do wish he say genu-in rather then genu-wine.)

Any additional comments?

I am an unabashed fan of this writer whose brilliance and intriguing topics touch all of us in such fundamental ways!

A good "read"

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Anyone who is interested in learning a little more about the basic fundamentals of cookig will enjoy this book.

Earth, air, fire, water - how they change food

A look at learning how the four "ancient" elements change food, and how these changes have changed us as humans. I was skeptical after seeing a brief interview, but after listening to the book, getting the whole explanation instead of the 15-second sound bite, I have recommended this book to co-workers, family, and friends. Pollan does not write from a clinically detached place, he actually learned to bake bread from his own natural starter culture, braise with the best of them, brew at home, pickle and ferment veggies, make cheese, and barbeque. He shares the triumphs of the processes, as well as the failures, and his encounters with the true artists he met along the way. He has learned that cooking can bring the family together, especially when the interest and passion is shared with the other members of the family. I think the fact that he still continues to make bread, braise, and brew occasionally speaks volumes to the satisfaction that can come from food lovingly and artfully produced and appreciated. When you learn to appreciate the art and effort that go into the preparation, you are much more conscious and conscientious in the eating and drinking!

I would not listen to this in one marathon evening or even weekend, but it is worth the time to change your understanding and appreciation of cooking.

How cooking is culturally developed and ultilized.

The story of how cooking defines culture and what allows humans to be nourished. Grains especially need to be cooked with implications across the food chain.

Another Great Pollan Book

I am already a fan of his previous books so it wasn't much of a surprise to like this one too. Always insightful and well-researched, the information leaves me feeling like listening to this book was time well spent.

This is an amazing book

As a horticulturist, gardener and cook this book was amazing! Written only the way Michael Pollan writes!! Every moment was delightful, educational and dare I say transformational. All I can say is Thank you!

Great Author

This was another great book by an incredible author. I thoroughly enjoy his perspective and writing style. He did a great job of articulating this topic and holding my interest.

Great book.

I absolutely enjoyed Mr. Pollan love for food. This book makes me want to be a better cook and amplify my experiences in the kitchen.

Another branch on Pollan's Phylogenetic Foodie Tree

I actually listened to this last year, but am only now getting around to reviewing it. So, let's just say I was letting this review pickle.

In Cooked Michael Pollan stays close to his food roots. Similar in theme to: Omnivore's Dilema (Four Meals), In Defense of Food (Food Manifesto), Botany of Desire (Four Plants), Food Rules (Owner's Manual for Food), and Second Nature (Growing Food).

Cooked is just another branch on the Phylogenetic food tree for the Pollan's Omnivore, me thinks. Unless, of course, Pollan is going to delve into the proper way to digest, poop, or compost your waste. And... he might just.

I am neither a Pollan lover or hater. I've read a bunch of his stuff because it is fast and rather tasty. The problem with Pollan is reading too much of him. His books are a bit full of roughage and eventually too much of his raw idealism or fiber-rich localism gets to you.

I think that is the problem with idealists and their genius (genus?). No one can quite live upto the expectations. There just isn't that many locally grown mushrooms, or farmer's markets, or grass-fed organic beef. But education about farming, feasting, and cooking gives us a better sense of both the idea and the real. As long as we are aware of the costs of the way we eat and the way we cook, we are better than we started. The probelm comes in when we believe ALL the hype. As long as you can remain pragmatic about food and Pollan, reading him is a good thing.

Excellent

Any additional comments?

I found this book to be fascinating. Masterfully blending biology, chemistry, politics, history, health and culture (pun intended) Micheal Pollan bakes an airy loaf of wisdom that's also entertaining. Cooked is about how we humans interact with our food. It's something we all do but unless you're a professional foodie something we seldom think about. I highly recommend this read and especially this audio version read by Pollan.