I have just started reading Cooked, Michael Pollan's newest book and even though I am just barely into it it is resonating in a big way. The importance of good food and actually cooking it yourself even when it is time consuming and much easier to buy it prepared is something I harp about all the time. I can already recommend this book to anyone that cares about the food they eat and cook.
It doesn't hurt that the first section is about fire and he starts out in Ayden, North Carolina at the Skylight which is ground zero for the Eastern Carolina BBQ tradition of cooking whole hogs very slowly over nothing but oak and hickory coals. If you have been around here for any length of time you already know I consider Eastern Carolina BBQ the pinnacle of the art and all the rest from Texas to Kansas to Memphis, while good, still 2nd tier. I'll probably get a little push back from that last statement but I have the satisfaction of knowing that Mr. Pollan agrees with me.
