I’ve been quietly ruminating over my impressions of Food Inc. for a little while now.
The more I try to collect my thoughts, the angrier I find myself getting. Actually, perhaps that’s not quite the right word. Indignant is probably closer to the mark.
The movie itself is brilliantly made, and walks the fine line between eye-opening/educational and graphic/sensationalism rather successfully. It’s an important movie, and one that I hope will get a more widespread release, because I think it’s something that people need to see. Here in Canada, (according to tribute.ca) it is only being screened at 2 theatres; one in Toronto and one in Montreal. I’m somewhat surprised that nobody bothered to get it into a major urban market like Vancouver, but maybe the powers that be think (like I sometimes do) that they’re a bit ahead of the curve when it comes to getting back to “real” food, anyway.
In light of that, I thought this would be the perfect platform to discuss what I consider to be essential reading/viewing material for those interested in the SOLE food movement. Some of these may not exclusively focus on SOLE, but in the instances where the overall message meshes nicely with those ideals, I have chosen to include them on the list, anyway.
So without further adieu…
1 – The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan - When I first picked up a copy of Michael Pollan’s seminal work, I thought it was quite a novel idea. The thought of tracing one’s food back to it’s source was entertaining, in a wouldn’t that be nice to know kind of way. I was never a big fast food/junk food supporter in the first place, but after reading this book, I found my opinions changed in ways I hadn’t expected, specifically pertaining to organics and the skewed view we all have of them. I’ve yet to meet a person who’s read the book and not had their food philosophy altered. If you’re interested in re-evaluating your relationship with food, this book is a great place to start.
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Tags: Alisa Smith, Animal Vegetable Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver, Books, Carlo Petrini, Death On A Factory Farm, Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation, Food Inc., Food Matters, In Defense Of Food, JB Mackinnon, Lists, Lori Stahlbrand, Marion Nestle, Mark Bittman, Michael Pollan, Morgan Spurlock, Paul Roberts, Real Food For A Change, Rod Macrae, Slow Food Revolution, SOLE, Supersize Me, The 100 Mile Diet, The End Of Food, The Foodie 13, The Omnivore's Dilemma, Wayne Roberts, What To Eat
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It’s about that time again… Well, actually it’s a little overdue for that time, but I’ve been madly twirling lately, so you’ll have to forgive me for the slight delay. On deck this week is a dissertation on the 13 non fiction (food-based) stories I can’t live without. So, without further adieu, on with the show…
I should probably preface this by admitting that I have a monstrous collection of food-based volumes. I’m a pretty voracious reader and every time I go to Chapters I invariably end up with a stack of food books I had no intention of purchasing when I walked in. My addiction has gotten so bad that we’ve had to purchase additional bookshelves just to store all my crap. Given that, I’m sure you can appreciate why I spend a portion of every day wishing that the stupid Amazon Kindle would come to Canada already. My list is devoted to those particular books that followed me home and found a permanent place in my heart.
1- My Life In France by Julia Child and Alex Prud’homme – Julia Child was such an incredible culinary force. If you’ve ever watched her on TV, then you know she was larger than life (though in real life she was quite Amazonian, too). This book is her story as told to and through her nephew Alex Prud’homme. While at times it is sad (there were a few spots that caused me to cry) it’s primarily a jubilant tale of a woman who truly lived and loved life with all that she had wherever that might be. On top of that, it allows the reader a unique perspective into the creation of her 2 most famous publications (Mastering The Art Of French Cooking Vols. 1 and 2).
2- Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell - Yes, another book that involves Julia Child! As I’ve mentioned before, I feel a certain kinship with this tale. The first time I read it, it really spoke to me because I’ve also felt stuck in a dead-end job wasting my god-given talents. That the spasmodic Julie Powell is a part of the story is almost irrelevant; the moral to be taken away is that sometimes the best way to get out of your rut is to continually challenge yourself. As is the case with just about any half decent book these days, they’ve made this one into a movie – one I will most likely not see unless it’s on a flight or some other captive audience situation. Nonetheless, the essence of the tale unites and inspires.
3- The Omnivore’s Dilemma/In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan - I’ve listed both because one is really just an extension of the other. I consider both to be essential reads for anyone claiming to be concerned about the state of our food supply and the ethical, local, organic sustainable movement. Captivating, well written and thought provoking, they are proof positive that Michael Pollan should probably be running the US Department of Agriculture and saving us all from ourselves.
4- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver - I was initially drawn to this book because of it’s beautiful, homespun dust jacket, but once I explored the content within, I was completely and totally entranced. I credit Barbara Kingsolver and the impact this book had on me with shoving me wholeheartedly into growing my own rooftop garden last year. This is an amazing tale that represents just how much heart, soul, time and love really need to go into nourishing oneself and your family. It goes on to show that a little effort and toil is always worthwhile.
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Tags: Alex Prud'homme, Alisa Smith, Amazon Kindle, Animal Vegetable Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver, Bill Buford, Books, Chapters, Comfort Me With Apples, Everything But The Squeal, Garlic And Sapphires, Heat, In Defense Of Food, It Must've Been Something I Ate, Jay Rayner, JB Mackinnon, Jeffrey Steingarten, Julia Child, Julie and Julia, Julie Powell, Kathleen Flinn, Lists, Marion Nestle, Michael Pollan, Michael Ruhlman, My Life In France, Phoebe Damrosch, Ruth Reichl, Service Included, Steve Dublanica, Tender At The Bone, The 100 Mile Diet, The Foodie 13, The Making Of A Chef, The Man Who Ate Everything, The Man Who Ate The World, The Omnivore's Dilemma, The Reach Of A Chef, The Sharper Your Knife The Less You Cry, The Soul Of A Chef, Waiter Rant, What To Eat
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