Reading Michael Pollan

I feel a little late to the game as I make my way through Michael Pollan's, "The Omnivore's Dilemma." The book has been in print long enough to be discounted in paperback at Barnes and Noble and I have to wonder why I didn't pick it up sooner.

I find Michael's writing very thought provoking and information dense. It isn't that he speeds through issues, more the scope of his arguments merits conversation and when you're alone in your bed with a book there just isn't much talking.

I work as a cook in a popular Manhattan kitchen. I was drawn to this particular kitchen because of it's focus on using carefully chosen, sustainable produce and meat. In the kitchen we often refer to the dining room as the beast. We, as cooks, need to feed the beast and the beast is always hungry. It's a bit mind boggling how much food we make every day. This is carefully constructed, thoughtful food, and the plates come back empty.

I've been thinking about meat a lot lately. How it relates to my health, the health of my community, the health of our global community. This topic comes up in many ways throughput my day:

We get whole pigs, half cows, legs and saddle of venison, chickens, lamb shoulders, and tons of fish in everyday. This meat comes, from many different sources, telling many different stories. Some of it I feel pretty good about. I know the farmers who've grown it. I've been to their farm. I don't feel great about everything.

The thing is, working with whole animals is tough. At least, large whole animals like cows and pigs. I'm slowly gaining a new found love for chicken. Ours are sourced from a great local farm that chooses the breed carefully and raises them humanely without the use of growth hormones or antibiotics. When you get in a whole chicken, none of the animal is waste. We use the breast and thigh on our chicken dish, The wings and legs go to feed the staff, the liver go to mousse, the bones to stock, it's a pretty beautiful thing.

The other great thing about chicken is that as they grow they are consuming far fewer calories in the form of corn or other foods as they come up to slaughter weight. What I am realizing lately is: Meat is a luxury. I find myself often wondering not how can it cost so much, but how can it cost so little. For each calorie that goes into feeding a chicken could, in reality, go, much for efficiently toward feeding a person. Eating meat means is the privilege of the wealthy.

I have a lot more to say on this topic but time for more coffee and a little bit more NYT.