Suffering through 16 hours without power during hurricane Irene did have its more positive aspects… Namely, I was able to catch up on my reading, making a significant dent in Gina Mallet’s excellent book Last Chance to Eat; The Fate of Taste in a Fast Food World.
Ms. Mallet, a Toronto-based food writer, has penned a fascinating study that is part personal memoir of her English childhood, part lament over the loss of the wonderful tastes and textures of our modern foodstuffs, and part investigation into the myths and realities of food safety.
She traces the history and modern predicament of five of our most popular foods: How the egg was brought to the brink of extinction by science and a pathogen; how the war against bacteria is endangering raw milk cheese; how beef, the great American staple, has been humbled by disease; the losses in our gardens (tomato and apple); and how and why fish are vanishing from our seas.
This is a wonderful read and is highly recommended on all counts. It is available online at Amazon.com ($25.95 hardcover; $9.00 paperback) and at your local bookstore.
Bon Appétit!
TAD
{ 0 comments… add one now }