Cooked: Michael Pollan's new Netflix series explores the history of cooking
Michael Pollan has written four聽New York Times听产别蝉迟蝉别濒濒别谤蝉:听Food Rules: An Eater鈥檚 Manual(2010);听In Defense of Food: An Eater鈥檚 Manifesto听(2008);听The Omnivore鈥檚 Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals聽(2006); and聽The Botany of Desire: A Plant鈥檚-Eye View of the World(2001). His most recent book,听Cooked,听聽how cooking 鈥渋nvolves us in a web of social and ecological relationships: with plants and animals, the soil, farmers, our history and culture, and, of course, the people our cooking nourishes and delights.鈥� And now, Pollan has teamed up with American documentary film producer and director Alex Gibney to create a four-part Netflix series that debuted this month, called "Cooked." Check out the trailer聽.
鈥淲hen we learned to cook is when we became truly human. But we鈥檝e lost touch, I think, with how that food got to our plates,鈥� says Pollan. 聽
"Cooked" investigates how the four natural elements鈥攆ire, water, air, and earth鈥攖ransform聽raw ingredients into food.聽It gives the viewer an 鈥渆nlightening and compelling look at the evolution of what food means to us through the history of food preparation and its universal ability to connect us,鈥� says Pollan on his website.
Each of the four episodes in the series focuses on one of the natural elements: "Fire" (barbecue); "Water" (braising); "Air" (bread making); and "Earth" (fermentation). In 鈥淔ire,鈥� Pollan learns from Australian Aboriginal hunters and a barbecue pit master. In 鈥淲ater,鈥� he looks to the kitchens of India to learn the value of pot cooking, exploring the consequences of highly processed foods in the diet.聽The third episode, 鈥淎ir,鈥� takes the viewer to Moroccan fields and food labs to learn about bread making. In the last episode, 鈥淓arth,鈥� Pollan investigates how microbes help create delicacies like chocolate and cheese. All four episodes are now available to view on Netflix.
Stephanie Van Dyke works in sustainable agriculture and local food policy in Minneapolis, MN. Stephanie completed her undergraduate degree at St. Olaf College, where she received a BA in Economics and Psychology and gained a particular interest in social entrepreneurship and increasing healthy food access. Her lifelong interests in wellness and gardening inspire her career focus on protecting the environment and improving the food system.
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