Michael Pollan book giveaway
Thank. God. For. Michael Pollan. The gospel of common sense is here and, yes, I’m singing (along with everyone else.)
So, maybe you’ve been meaning to pick up the Omnivore’s Dilemma again and finally slog through the rest of the Corn section (and you will be rewarded for that, trust me). Or maybe you’ve seen Food, Inc. or Netflix’ed the PBS version of The Botany of Desire.
Whatever your relationship with the prolific ‘real food’ proponent, here’s an opportunity to snag his newest, shortest book to date: Food Rules: an eater’s manual.
You do have time to read it; I owe three chapters in four days, yet I read the book in its entirety while waiting for the bus and subway in one afternoon’s journey to Park Slope. [Brooklyn wasn’t designed for inter-borough travel.]
My mom read the opening pages after a long travel day, just intending to scope it out, and accidentally read the whole thing that night. She called me the next day and let me know she’s on board with the real food movement, and that she ordered The Omnivore’s Dilemma (a book I’d been chirping about for months, hoping to convince her to read) that morning.
I know what the other half of you are thinking; it’s probably similar to why I didn’t rush out to buy this book when it came out. Go ahead and enter. Even if you’re already “the choir” and you win, nonchalantly pass it along to your most skeptical (or busy) friend or relative. Who knows, you might just end up with a whole lot more to talk about.
He’s funny:
Rule #8: Avoid food products that make health claims. […] Don’t take the silence of the yams as a sign they have nothing valuable to say about your health.
He’s right:
Taken together, these rules comprise a kind of choral voice of popular food wisdom. My job has been not to create that wisdom so much as to curate it and vet it. My wager is that that voice has much or more to teach us, and to help us right our relationship to food, than the voices of science and industry and government.
You can’t not stop to think after blazing through this book. To see more about this book, check out the interview with Pollan on the NYT Well blog.
Enter by leaving a comment below by midnight on Sun, August 1 answering this question: What’s a rule of food that you swear by (learned from moms, grandmas, Italians, whomever)? **Don’t forget to leave your email address in the appropriate box on the comment form (or you can’t win because I can’t reach you.)
I’ll start: Salad after the meal means you can eat whatever you please.
Kate
AAAAAaaand the winner is: Lucky number 6.
Congratulations Jennelle! Thanks everyone for all the food wisdom. You all are so smart.
Giveaways, Healthy Living
Reader Comments (50)
Always eat some fruit with breakfast.
My most important food rule is that if I'm craving something, I should eat it! Usually for me, it's a sign that I need some nutrients in that specific food.
My mom said never eat processed foods.
Michael Pollan has definitely revolutionized the way we think about and look at food.
our house rule is "if it has more than 10 ingredients in it, and you're reading the side of a box, put the box back on the shelf."
and, by extension, if we can make it ourselves, let's give it a try!
everything tastes better with ketchup.
madamerkf at aol dot com
Bratwurst must be parboiled in beer before grilling.
If you don't indulge a little now, you will indulge a lot later!
My food rule is that you can eat anything you want, and there's always a healthier way to eat it! For example, french fries are my downfall. But I'm not going to overload myself with fat, calories, and sodium by hitting the drive thru. Instead, I slice up a couple of potatoes, drizzle a bit of olive oil on top, and season with garlic powder. They are so much better for me--and, honestly, taste 100 times better than the crap you get at a fast food joint!
My rule for food is that you never use the marinade that your food was soaking in to reapply when on the grill.
jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com
my mother always said to have a rainbow of colors on your plate. this has been a helpful one to pass on to my children as well.
Aunt Mary always said ( mind you she was the ultimate Italian spinster aunt) get up an walk around the table, the food will go to your legs and then you will able to eat dessert. Not so sure it is the healthiest of advice but she had a good heart.
Eat a rainbow! It looks more appealing and is good for you!
If your grandparents wouldn't recogize it as food, DON'T EAT IT!
Wash if not soak all fresh produce in water with salt.
The idea is that with enough salt in the water (think: the ocean) one will be able to berid of any bacteria on the surface of the produce.
Don't eat things made from ingredients you cannot pronounce.
Collards MUST be boiled for at least an hour (2 is better). This is true. Also, there is nothing to be done about the way they make the house smell. If you stay in the kitchen you don't notice it so much.
On the other hand, my mother told us that bay leaves were deadly poison and must be removed from sauce before serving. I thought my host family was trying to kill me when I went abroad. Turns out they're just a choking hazard.
Hi Hip Girl... great give away!!!
Here are my rules...
The more (natural) colors you have on your plate the more likely you are getting all of your needed vitamins and minerals. - words of wisdom from my mom
Be extra careful not to cut yourself while opening or working with dairy foods as it will render them unkosher :-p - words from my paternal (very Jewish) grandmother.
Thanks!
Talya
My mom taught me that if you eat ice cream with a fork the calories fall through. I add my own twist and keep the ice cream simple and homemade so I know what goes into it!
Vegetables are always good for you...even if the authorities haven't figured out why yet about a certain one.
It's OK to pay more money for the freshest ingredients you can buy -- quality ingredients equal simple-yet delicious dishes
My grandmother always said: you have to cook with heart, put your love into your food and it will nourish those who eat it.
Have fun trying and eating new things. My family is definitely a food family. One of the first questions we ask when someone comes back from a trip is, "What did you eat?"
Eat dinner on the early side of the evening and afterward take a short brisk walk when possible...
compose your plate thusly: 50% veg, 25% protein and 25% starch (let's go with whole grains on that one)