'The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food' by Dan Barber

Finished on 10/14/18 at at 9:28 PM

Look -- I love books about food. Food and cuisine are something that are universal to the human experience, shape who we are as people and how we interact with each other and the world at large.

Few writers have been able to tackle the enormity of such a subject in a way that creates a lasting impact -- Dan Barber has achieved just that with 'The Third Plate'.

Simply put -- it's a fantastic book. Focusing on creating a new cusine that is shaped by sustainability, Barber explores how taste and the environment strengthen each other, and how they can not only co-exist but thrive. He discovers non-force fed Foie Gras, aquaculture that enhances the natural world around it instead of depleting it and (most interestingly to me) about the fascinating world of wheat breeding.

It's easy to compare any book about food to Michael Pollan's work (which is great). However, while they're in the same 'genre', Barber takes a very unique approach -- how can what we eat not only taste better, but actually enhance the world we live in? What does food look like in a future where there are more people fighting over less natural resources? Why is going organic so important, in terms of our soil health? Importantly (but often overlooked in 'health' food), how does this all square with the pursuit of a better tasting dish?

'The Third Plate' is already changing my behavior -- it's long focus on wheat has inspried me to start milling my own flour (as crazy as that sounds) in pursuit of both sustainability and flavor. Organic now means much more to me than individual health -- it has to do with soil health, and therefore the health of our communities and people. I am exploring adding more rotational crops into my eating habits.

All in all, I loved this book and very much expect to be thinking about it for some time to come.