The Food Matters Cookbook – Review and Contest
If you came here to learn about the contest, scroll past the dashed line for more details.
I am a fan of Mark Bittman. He changed my kitchen by introducing me to No Knead Bread (instructions here), and How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian are staples in my kitchen. Of course he is also a practical, humorous and intelligent food writer for the New York Times (his column, The Minimalist, is one of my all-time faves).
Bittman writes recipes for people like me – people who don’t follow recipes. Many of his recipes are logical, step-by-step and then complimented with ideas on how you can change them, mix them up and be creative (and adaptable based on what is in your cupboard). It is ironic that because he is willing to give me many options to change the dish as I want that I find myself following some of his recipes to the letter to see his personal take on them to contrast with my own.
The two books above will not only teach you how to cook a few great dishes, they will teach you to become a better cook. The books make conventional cookbooks look like the “Dummies” series of books which force you to memorize steps and strict measures (the HOWs of cooking) without explaining the WHYs. Bittman focuses on the WHYs and gives you and optional HOW with encouragement to figure out your own way. As a passionate adult educator, I maintain that most cookbooks will save your hide when you are cooking for a dinner party but their sustained effect on the rest of your cooking is generally limited. Bittman doesn’t necessarily provide such instant gratification (though knead bread is a definitive exception) but his sustained impact on your cooking will have an incremental impact on your culinary skills over time.
His recent book cookbook, The Food Matters Cookbook is a follow-up to his text named “The Food Matters“. The latter was a study of our patterns of food consumption, how they are effecting our planet and a plan on how to work around busy schedules, lifestyles, and individual “real” lives. As opposed to focussing exclusively on problems facing our food system, Bittman provides a potential solution that is flexible and adaptable. The culmination of the book is a sample meal plan that stretches a month of eating that is gentler to the planet and the person consuming it.
The Food Matters Cookbook launches where the text left us. Bittman champions a conscious approach to eating and cooking and provides more than 500 practical recipes that can be made for 4 hungry adults. Bittman introduces his philosophy (without banging it aggressively into your head) and explains that each dish can be paired with a simple side (like a salad or steamed vegetable) to make a complete meal.
The cookbook, like his proposed solution to industrial food consumption, is organized differently than typical cookbooks which center around a protein. Meat (and meat products) are optional and provided as ingredients to dishes rather than whole dishes unto themselves (a Chinese friend of mine pointed out that meat as an ingredient as opposed to a course is a long-standing tradition in many food cultures including his own). Bittman instead organizes his approach to food in 9 categories:
- Appetizers and Snacks
- Soups
- Salads and Dressings
- Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings
- Rice and Grains
- Beans
- Vegetables
- Bread, Pizza, Sandwiches and Wraps
- Desserts and Sweet Snacks
There are few illustrations or photos, the thin paper and ink reflect the values the author portrays.
We don’t always make the best choices and we don’t live to Mr Bittman’s Plan. We do try to constantly improve in the choices we make and we spend a lot of time thinking about why and what we are eating – both when we make the right and wrong decisions.
We’re proud to announce a contest to give away a copy of the book that was donated to us by the publisher (more info below).
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Contest Details
Mark Bittman is a champion of conscious food. Although I’m sure our definitions of the term would differ, I like to think that WellPreserved is also about conscious food. There is a lot on preserving but we try to preserve more than ingredients – food, food culture, things like hunting, great people and memories associated with the food we consume. I’ve often kidded Dana that it’s all simply “thinking about what we eat” or, as a cliché, “Food for Thought, Thought for Food.”
Bittman is not anti-meat (he still consumes it) though he is a proponent of decreasing the amount we consume and eliminating the horrors of factory farming. I’m not sure his stance on hunting and I’m certain there would be food issues we disagree on. But I do believe there is a common thread that remains – a passion for dialogue between people to explore our relationship to food, to what we are truly eating, supporting and our impact on the world around us. There is not a single person in the world with all of the answers – but through logical and open dialogue with open minds, hearts and ears, we can learn off of each other.
Tomorrow is the start of our annual hunting series – I will be publishing the 9 days of my journal from the woods to share what the hunting experience is like. Every comment that adds to the discussion (i.e. is more than a few words and hasn’t crossed the line from defending a stance to attacking a person, regardless of their view) will count as an entry into our draw for a copy of The Food Matters Cookbook (described above). You must have a valid email address to be considered. We will randomly choose a winner by November 10th at the latest (entry for the contest will end at 11:59:59 PM EST on the night of Saturday, November 6.
We hope that there will be increased discussion around hunting as a partial approach to local food. We do not need to agree with each other but we must respect each other – if I feel a comment is potentially overtly offensive (I know that’s subjective but it’s my kitchen after all 
), I will not publish it. Open-minded debate is wonderful but there’s enough fighting in the world that I don’t want to turn a tough subject into a virtual screaming match.
Participants can enter as often as they comment on the hunting series (there will be no in-your-face graphic photos) which begins tomorrow. Questions are welcome in addition to any of your own additions to the topic. We will send the book anywhere in the world (within reason; the Survivors on LOST would be on their own). I hope we have a fascinating multi-way dialogue in the coming days – best of luck to all of you.
As is our policy, I must let you know that the book was a gift from Simon and Schuster and that they agreed to our terms – we would not write about it unless we loved it. They were totally supportive and we, indeed, love it.
Comments
I love when he does the “101″ colums for the NY Times. Different ideas for simple foods-summer dinners, soups, weeknight meals. I frequently print at least parts of them and stick them to the refrigerator.
[...] people aren’t eligible) will count as a ballot in our Food Matters Contest (full rules and explanation here). We hope to create dialogue over hunting and consciousness of what we eat and will listen to all [...]
[...] short or ‘attack’ people aren’t eligible) will count as a ballot in our Food Matters Contest (full rules and explanation here). We hope to create dialogue over hunting and consciousness of what we eat and will listen to all [...]
[...] short or ‘attack’ people aren’t eligible) will count as a ballot in our Food Matters Contest (full rules and explanation here). We hope to create dialogue over hunting and consciousness of what we eat and will listen to all [...]
[...] short or ‘attack’ people aren’t eligible) will count as a ballot in our Food Matters Contest (full rules and explanation here). We hope to create dialogue over hunting and consciousness of what we eat and will listen to all [...]
[...] short or ‘attack’ people aren’t eligible) will count as a ballot in our Food Matters Contest (full rules and explanation here). We hope to create dialogue over hunting and consciousness of what we eat and will listen to all [...]
[...] short or ‘attack’ people aren’t eligible) will count as a ballot in our Food Matters Contest (full rules and explanation here). We hope to create dialogue over hunting and consciousness of what we eat and will listen to all [...]
Thank you for your willingness to share these experiences. Yes, sometimes I do cheer for the moose and yet, I understand that you will harvest an animal to feed families. Taking a life is a sobering event, not easy to explain. Your posts are heart-warming and provocative. I cheer for all, the hunters and the hunted!
[...] short or ‘attack’ people aren’t eligible) will count as a ballot in our Food Matters Contest (full rules and explanation here). We hope to create dialogue over hunting and consciousness of what we eat and will listen to all [...]
[...] short or ‘attack’ people aren’t eligible) will count as a ballot in our Food Matters Contest (full rules and explanation here). We hope to create dialogue over hunting and consciousness of what we eat and will listen to all [...]
[...] short or ‘attack’ people aren’t eligible) will count as a ballot in our Food Matters Contest (full rules and explanation here). We hope to create dialogue over hunting and consciousness of what we eat and will listen to all [...]