The effects of “Cooked”

I mentioned in an earlier post that I read Michael Pollan’s Cooked.

 

local honey, biscuit made from scratch, warm and good, even with fake butter

local honey, biscuit made from scratch, yummy and warm and good, even with fake butter

The book has caused me to consider cooked food more. I can’t say that I have changed the frequency of my cooking, but I’m rethinking the items that I do not cook. Even though I ended up buying the book The Homemade Pantry (reviewed for Examiner here), I don’t use the recipes in it often.

With the additional information in the Pollan book — did you know that whole grain fiber in store bread often comes from soybeans rather than wheat? — I feel called to be a better homemaker. Pollan’s life was changed positively in this area as well. I think I’ll begin to examine my grocery list and decide whether it’s something I can make at home or find a “real food” that I can purchase. I knew years ago that cold breakfast cereal will always be on my grocery list, but I do make an excellent crispy granola. I don’t buy many crackers, but I know that I have a killer cheese cracker recipe. But the staple items will need some more thought.

I also started reading Salt, Sugar, Fat, and again, I feel that voting with my dollars is the best way to tell the world how I feel about our food. What is one food that you insist on making yourself?