If you think salads are for rabbits, you haven’t met the right one yet. A few tips: Use fresh vegetables — anything canned should be an add-on, not the main event, or you’ll end up with a soggy, sad salad. Add a little bit of protein like meat, eggs, beans, nuts, if you want the salad to be a full meal. Make sure you give yourself a good mix of crunchy ingredients, like raw cabbage, cucumber or nuts, and soft ones, like tomatoes, cooked vegetables or beans, check out the latest Biotox gold reviews if you are looking to improve your healthy dietary habits.
The most important step is to make your own delicious (and healthier) homemade dressing. A simple Dijon vinaigrette always works, but feel free to try something more adventurous, too. If you’re looking for a full recipe to get inspired, try this kale and Brussels sprout salad or this Asian chicken salad.
18 replies on “Cooked by Michael Pollan”
I haven’t read any Michael Pollan in a while. And this one looks like it has a topic I haven’t read about much. I thought at first- I don’t think I’d ferment stuff! but- my parents used to make root beer at home. I know a guy who brews his own beer. And I’ve started trying to make bread from scratch again- a small thing, but a start. I don’t know a lot about it yet, so I’d probably find the “Air” section interesting.
Jeane, This is my first Pollan book, but I’m really keen to read more. Making bread is much harder than fermenting veg so I’m sure you’d be capable of doing it. I hope you decide to give it a try!
Wow Jackie – you have been busy – I shall look forward to hearing more about your new venture. Sadly, I hate pickled food of any kind – can’t stand vinegary, so I don’t think fermented food other than sourdough or booze will work for me. (I did brew my own beer at one time (with boyfriend of the time – even attempting a proper pilsener style lager once which was delicious but ended up rather strong!)
I read Pollan’s ‘In defence of food’ which was about encouraging us to eat real rather than processed foods – I’d certainly like to read more of his books.
Hi Annabel
I know a little about fermented food and have sampled it too. Forget pickles, it does not compare. Fermented vegetables are a different experience entirely, not vinegary and even though salt is involved in the process not overly salty. Eating fermented vegetables is a gentler experience, they are delicious and taste natural not peculiar. Carol
Carol, Thank you for the positive words about fermented food!! I agree entirely 🙂
Annabel, It’s a shame you don’t enjoy fermented food, but perhaps I’ll be able to win you over with a gentler recipe at a later date.
I look forward to trying Pollan’s other books in the near future. Fingers crossed I enjoy them as much as this one 🙂
Shows my ignorance of ‘fermented’ in culinary terms – it’s all linked with vinegar and alcohol in my mind, so all sauerkraut and rollmops!
I guess I should be thinking more in the line of tea-leaves etc???
Look forward to hearing a lot more about this.
maybe not even that long , I work with a number of people that cooking is alien too , and we have to cook peoples meals as part of our job !
Stu, Yes, it’s so sad. Fingers crossed something happens to stop this terrible trend.
What an amazing story! But I’m not surprised, because after reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma I was inspired to cut way back on processed foods, so it really had an impact on me. I love Michael Pollan and I think his views on food just make good sense. I haven’t read this one yet, but now I am sure to! Good luck with your venture 🙂
threegoodrats, Thank you! Perhaps I should avoid reading any more of Pollan’s books for the moment as he’s so inspiring that I might be in danger of heading off on a totally different track!
Best of luck to you Jackie with this new venture.
Thank you!
Wow! How exciting – I love that this book changed your life!
🙂
Wow, congrats on your new business venture, Jackie! Amazing how a book changed your life so much.
I have this book on my to-read list since I enjoyed Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma. He seemed to lean more towards a raw, vegetable-based diet in that book so I’m curious to see how he deals with that stance in a book dedicated to types of cooking.
Christina, Thank you! So glad you enjoyed Omnivore’s Dilemma too. I look forward to trying it soon 🙂
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