Cooking

How do we achieve a deeper understanding of nature and the unique role of our species within it in our daily lives? According to Michael Pollan, the best way to do this is simply to head to the kitchen. In his new, exciting book "Cooked," he explores the terrain of the kitchen in an unconventional way. Pollan delves into the four classical elements - fire, water, air, and earth - that transform what nature provides into delicious food and drink, and he goes back to school himself: he learns the magic of fire from a barbecue master; a Chez Panisse chef teaches him the art of braising; a baker shows him how flour and water become fragrant bread through air; and the Fermentos, a group of quirky geniuses that includes a brewer and a cheesemaker, reveal how fungi and bacteria create astonishing transformations.