Michael Pollan - Cooked; a Natural History of Transformation.
Michael Pollan’s new book - Cooked - considers with care the process of transformation of different food stuffs through transformative and elemental processes; fire, water air and earth.
It is the Air and to a degree the Earth chapters which I think may be of great interest and enjoyment to this forum.
Using the notion of air, Pollan explores the nature of bread from a variety of cultural, biological and commercial perspectives. He does not ignore the great sensual and creative pleasures that making bread can offer; tactile, olfactory, visual and aural. You feel his developing pleasure and it is a joy to share.
He offers an insightful exploration into sourdough and its health benefits as well as a persuasive argument and playful discussion around the use of whole wheat. I found myself savoring this chapter and enjoyed the delightful coincidence of reading it as a passenger at forty five thousand feet above sea level.