We finally got the chance to watch Cooked the four part docu-series on Netflix that people have been raving about!
What did we think? Impressive. Inspiring. Intelligent. I could keep going. I have only good things to say about this series and I want more. Thankfully there is a book!
The series takes a close look at how cooking has changed throughout history, and the key role that the elements; air, water, fire and Earth play in food preparation. The message is simple. We need to spend more time cooking for ourselves, or we’ll continue to face more food related health problems.
“Cooked argues, taking back control of cooking may be the single most important step anyone can take to help make the American food system healthier and more sustainable. Reclaiming cooking as an act of enjoyment and self-reliance, learning to perform the magic of these everyday transformations, opens the door to a more nourishing life.
The messages in this series resonated with us deeply. Our lifestyle is centered around food. We cook a lot, typically from scratch. We grow as much as we can in our garden, we raised a few pigs for meat, we preserve, we ferment and experiment. This series articulates what we believe in, and how we are trying to live, in such an elegant and powerful way. It bolstered my confidence and took me down a peg or two as well. I think for those of us trying to achieve this lifestyle, Pollans words connect us, firm up our resolve somehow.
The “Air” episode humbled me. I am quite proud of my bread baking abilities, but watching this episode swiftly took me down from my perch. I must thank Michael Pollan. I woke up today inspired to start making our bread without yeast and my started is busy fermenting as I write this.
Our connection with food, or lack thereof is a big question for us all. We have allowed corporations to insert themselves where they don’t belong. A few small steps by each of us is all it takes for change. The farmers, the animals, the land, the air and the children who are our future. They are depending on it.
