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[Divvy]

[Obligatory food porn image]

So this documentary by Award winning food writer Michael Pollan and executive producer Alex Gibney (Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine) came out recently and it's a very great watch. It's split into four episodes, Fire, Water, Air and Earth, which correspond to cooking meat with heat, pot cooking, making bread, and fermentation.

It's essentially about the history of cooking, what it meant for us developing as a civilization and the modern culture around cooking. It's also essentially about the death of home cooking and as a result, the loss of connection between what we eat and how it's made, and furthermore, how that's affecting our health. Each episode takes some personal looks into people's lives and comes to some interesting conclusions about issues like the modern gluten free craze and processed foods.

Anyways, it's another great documentary from Netflix. Anyone else enjoy it as much as me?

 

[Herbs]

definitely gonna check this out. thanks for the heads up

 

[joe2187]

Interesting.

This looks like something right down my alley. I'll be giving this a watch later today.

 

[InfiniteBento]

Didn't know this existed. Definitely going to check it out.

I've been studying Modernist Cuisine lately since I work FOH and BOH in a restaurant. If you want to get really into it with food/cooking culture, they are definitely worth a read.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

Pollan is just a step removed from Foodbabe style fearmongering ("if it's a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don't." “Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.” etc) , but I'll give this a look.

 

[Stinkles]

It's pretty good. I read the book it's based on - which I enjoyed, because it answers a lot of questions I've wondered about food over the decades - "How did they figure out coffee?" and so on. And unlike the book, there's very little room for long winded prose-intensive meandering off-topic and wooly philosophizing. Dude LOVES the sound of his own voice.

Also, Aboriginal aunties don't give a shit. They will burn down an acre of land just to smash a smoke-addled Iguana's head in. "Thees lizard's arse tastes of shit, mum."

 

[Divvy]

It makes some points that seem pretty obvious, but I had never really considered before. Like, how we like to demonize specific maconutrients as the reason people are obese, but really, the modern convenience of easily accessible calorie dense food is probably a bigger contributor. If we had to make every cake, or tub of ice cream before we ate it, we'd be a lot less fat. We've basically fallen into the hands of the food corps who have a vested interest in having us cook at home less as a society.

 

[Spitz]

Binged all 4 Episodes last weekend amazing Documentary with great pictures.

 

[butalala]

Pollon is just a step removed from Foodbabe style fearmongering, but I'll give this a look.

How do you get that idea? I've always thought he was pretty reasonable. EDIT: ok now i've seen your edit and I still don't think it makes sense. Foodbabe is the one that randomly decides that certain chemicals in bread is bad because "chemicals," Right? How is telling people to eat more veggies anything like that?


Also, wasn't this series originally on PBS?

 

[jmdajr]

I've been trying to eat less added sugars and what you find out is you basically have to cook so many things close from scratch. There is so much bullshit in pre-packaged foods.

 

[Squalor]

I've been trying to eat less added sugars and what you find out is you basically have to cook so many things close from scratch. There is so much bullshit in pre-packaged foods.

Not if you shop at a natural foods store.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

I've been trying to eat less added sugars and what you find out is you basically have to cook so many things close from scratch. There is so much bullshit in pre-packaged foods.

Yeah, it's gotten to the point now where my wife and I make 80% of our food from scratch. Everything, from our own bread, to our own potato chips. We only but prepackaged when it's impossible to make ourselves and then we try to avoid HFCS and high salt.

I had a TV dinner recently out of pure curiosity and it made me sick. Far too much salt.

Making food from scratch has improved our health so much. We control how much salt and sugar is in everything.

 

[Rockandrollclown]

Are people really cooking less these days? I kinda figured with how popular food tv has gotten people would be cooking more.

 

[Divvy]

How do you get that idea? I've always thought he was pretty reasonable. EDIT: ok now i've seen your edit and I still don't think it makes sense. Foodbabe is the one that randomly decides that certain chemicals in bread is bad because "chemicals," Right? How is telling people to eat more veggies anything like that?


Also, wasn't this series originally on PBS?

I don't think this series has anything to do with PBS

And yeah, I dislike foodbabe greatly, and I don't think any of the points Pollan makes comes anywhere close to her fanaticism.

Are people really cooking less these days? I kinda figured with how popular food tv has gotten people would be cooking more.

I think food tv has only really gotten people to eat out more

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

How do you get that idea? I've always thought he was pretty reasonable. EDIT: ok now i've seen your edit and I still don't think it makes sense. Foodbabe is the one that randomly decides that certain chemicals in bread is bad because "chemicals," Right? How is telling people to eat more veggies anything like that?


Also, wasn't this series originally on PBS?

Pandering to the same affluent audience, shaming GM technology, and other modes of production, does a lot of chemphobia.

 

[Always-honest]

Will check. Thanx!

We almost always cook ourselves though.
Nearly 0 processed shit.

 

[Spinluck]

Such a shame.

 

[tim.mbp]

Also, wasn't this series originally on PBS?

PBS did a Botany of Desire series a while back. Maybe your thinking of that.

 

[jmdajr]

Not if you shop at a natural foods store.

I guess. Except you'd go poor buying it.

It's better just buying produce,oils, grains, meat, dairy, spices, etc...and just make whatever you want. Granted some stuff is a pain in the ass.

I tried to make pasta sauce from scratch. What a disaster. Seeding tomatoes? Never again. I'll just get the fucking can of plain tomato sauce and move to the next step.

 

[Divvy]

Pandering to the same affluent audience, shaming GM technology, and other modes of production, does a lot of chemphobia.

Well I haven't read everything Pollan has said, but that's pretty much the opposite of what the documentary is saying. It's pretty much spends an episode on how the poor are getting fucked over by how cheap garbage food is, and talking about how home cooking needs to be affordable to everyone.

 

[jmdajr]

Well I haven't read everything Pollan has said, but that's pretty much the opposite of what the documentary is saying. It's pretty much spends an episode on how the poor are getting fucked over by how cheap garbage food is, and talking about how home cooking needs to be affordable to everyone.

Whole paycheck!

Yeah hipster stores will gouge you.

 

[Zyzyxxz]

Pollan is just a step removed from Foodbabe style fearmongering ("if it's a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don't." “Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.” etc) , but I'll give this a look.

That's how I felt about about Pollan too that he was too fear mongering but after watching this he seems pretty genuine about food. This documentary isn't so much as a pro-organic propaganda but just a observation of our history with our relation with eating and cooking. I think I took away something from this in a good way.

 

[Tabris]

I don't know how to cook and a decent amount of my girlfriends didn't know how to cook either - not that I would expect them to, just mean the traditional old school home dynamics is changing.

 

[ReAxion]

I'll check this out but I hope it's no so heavy on the health stuff, I don't have time for any more of that.

 

[Squalor]

I guess. Except you'd go poor buying it.

It's better just buying produce,oils, grains, meat, dairy, spices, etc...and just make whatever you want. Granted some stuff is a pain in the ass.

I tried to make pasta sauce from scratch. What a disaster. Seeding tomatoes? Never again. I'll just get the fucking can of plain tomato sauce and move to the next step.

Not even. Go shop at a Trader Joe's, for instance.

I'm not saying buy everything, but they'll have plenty of healthy, quick-to-prepare food.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

That's how I felt about about Pollan too that he was too fear mongering but after watching this he seems pretty genuine about food. This documentary isn't so much as a pro-organic propaganda but just a observation of our history with our relation with eating and cooking. I think I took away something from this in a good way.

Ah. Very cool. Looking at the producers it does him that they didn't let editorialize too much.

 

[Draft]

Who needs food when you've got Soylent?

 

[jmdajr]

Not even. Go shop at a Trader Joe's, for instance.

I'm not saying buy everything, but they'll have plenty of healthy, quick-to-prepare food.

LOL.

I guess.

I can buy just as healthy at HEB really. Cook some chicken. Steam some veggies. Boil a sweet potato. Not too exciting but cheaper for sure.

 

[Divvy]

I'll check this out but I hope it's no so heavy on the health stuff, I don't have time for any more of that.

It's not really heavy on the personal health stuff, more about societal aspects surrounding cooking.

 

[RedNumberFive]

Whole paycheck!

Yeah hipster stores will gouge you.

Whole Paycheck (Foods) will seem like an Aldi if you ever visit Standard Market.

Good selection of microbrews though.

 

[snacknuts]

I've watched the first three episodes and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I already really enjoy cooking and do as much as I can myself, but it's very interesting to see how and why we've gotten to where we are as a society of food consumers and not food producers.

 

[Skellig Gra]

I saw this come up on Netflix last night. Definitely going to watch it.

 

[John Rabbit]

wife and I enjoyed the whole series, wish it was more than just 4 episodes. it gets a little randomly preachy in parts, but the main aspect of relating the development of cooking techniques to our global heritage/history was really great. the bread/air episode was our favorite (she's an aspiring pastry chef). i'd like to see more in this vein.

 

[jmdajr]

Bread makes you fat though.

 

[Divvy]

wife and I enjoyed the whole series, wish it was more than just 4 episodes. it gets a little randomly preachy in parts, but the main aspect of relating the development of cooking techniques to our global heritage/history was really great. the bread/air episode was our favorite (she's an aspiring pastry chef). i'd like to see more in this vein.

Yeah after that episode, I have this sudden urge to bake my own sourdough bread

I enjoyed the crazy sounding ex-microsoft bread scientist

 

[partyphone]

Bread makes you fat though.

eating too much makes you fat

 

[tim.mbp]

Bread makes you fat though.

 

[Hoo-doo]

Is this focused on the US alone?

Because home cooking is alive and well in most of Europe from what I've experienced.

 

[Llyranor]

I tried to make pasta sauce from scratch. What a disaster. Seeding tomatoes? Never again. I'll just get the fucking can of plain tomato sauce and move to the next step.

You don't need to remove the seeds to make tomato sauce. Basic pasta sauce is very simple.

 

[snacknuts]

Are people really cooking less these days? I kinda figured with how popular food tv has gotten people would be cooking more.

They specifically touch on this in the first episode. The short answer is that people spend more time watching people cook than they cook themselves.

 

[Snkfanatic]

Thanks for the reminder, need to add this to my list and watch it. Mind of a Chef is another great series that they have on Netflix as well.

 

[entremet]

Is this focused on the US alone?

Because home cooking is alive and well in most of Europe from what I've experienced.

Cooking is alive here too. Eating out all meals is still pretty expensive.

Pollan is talking about trends.

 

[Haly]

I tried watching Chef's Table on Netflix and had a hard time sticking with it because of all the over-indulgent naval gazing.

This looks more appealing. Will give a spin.

 

[tearsintherain]

gonna watch it this weekend, added to my Netflix q. thanks!!

 

[entremet]

I tried watching Chef's Table on Netflix and had a hard time sticking with it because of all the over-indulgent naval gazing.

This looks more appealing. Will give a spin.

Yeah. I love this stuff but it was too stiff.

 

[Morts]

We watched the first episode of this last night and it was really engaging. I can't say I disagree with the sentiment that we're disconnected from where our food comes from and that people who eat meat should consider hunting (though I'm not sure I'll take that advice myself). He also says though he doesn't think it would be a good thing if the whole world were vegetarian, so it's not coming at it from that angle.

My iguana was laying next to me when those native Australians clubbed that big lizard over the head though. Was a little awkward.

 

[Divvy]

Is this focused on the US alone?

Because home cooking is alive and well in most of Europe from what I've experienced.

No, it goes all over the world. One episode focuses a lot on India's trend towards eating out

 

[entremet]

Ah. Very cool. Looking at the producers it does him that they didn't let editorialize too much.

Pollan is actually the opposite of your fears.

He uses those heuristics--eat food, not too much, and mostly plants. Where he uses the grandma rule for defining food because there is so much conflicting nutritional information.

It's a very simple rule and avoids fads and fear mongering about foods.

Most people aren't reading studies. His message is for them.

 

[Squalor]

LOL.

I guess.

I can buy just as healthy at HEB really. Cook some chicken. Steam some veggies. Boil a sweet potato. Not too exciting but cheaper for sure.

You think Trader Joe's is expensive?

Wow, okay.

Bread makes you fat though.

All food makes you fat (if you eat too much).

 

[jmdajr]

Yeah, it's gotten to the point now where my wife and I make 80% of our food from scratch. Everything, from our own bread, to our own potato chips. We only but prepackaged when it's impossible to make ourselves and then we try to avoid HFCS and high salt.

I had a TV dinner recently out of pure curiosity and it made me sick. Far too much salt.

Making food from scratch has improved our health so much. We control how much salt and sugar is in everything.

I don't know about making our own bread, but I hear ya. I actually made beans from scratch. Had to buy a pressure cooker cause other wise it takes FOREVER.

A bag costs pretty much nothing.