COOKED A Natural History of Transformation

Cooking and eating food may seem like mundane activities, but they’re responsible for humanity's intelligence. The double meaning of Pollan’s title becomes apparent as he unveils the anthropological process and primal magic that transformed raw items into cooked food. Pollan narrates his book in a conversational style filled with conviction and eagerness that drive the listener to join his evolutionary quest. He enthusiastically explores the culinary power of harnessing fire, water, air and earth. "Cooking is baked into our biologies," he states. Pollan brings the listener along on his visits to a North Carolina pit master, a Chez Panisse braising expert, a master bread baker, brewers, and "fermentos." Society, he warns, needs nourishment to be found not in corporate food preparation but in what connects us—meal creation together. A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2013]