As more and more countries have recently started the deconfinement processes, our lives are slowly getting back to normal. Some parks, restaurants, and bars will begin to open, and although we still should stay at home as much as possible, we hope we’ll all soon feel less stuck and have more activities than just cooking, watching TV, or reading. That’s why this “Slow Food Recommends” series will be the last one. However, we promise to bring you more exciting stories, recommendations, or books, and movie reviews on Fridays.
Without further ado, here you go: our top pics of books, movies, and podcasts for your another slow weekend.
BOOKS
Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig by Mark Essig
Unlike other barnyard animals, which pull plows, give eggs or milk, or grow wool, a pig produces only one thing: meat. Incredibly efficient at converting almost any organic matter into nourishing, delectable protein, swine are nothing short of a gastronomic godsend yet their flesh is banned in many cultures, and the animals themselves are maligned as filthy, lazy brutes. As historian Mark Essig reveals in “Lesser Beasts,” swine have such a bad reputation for precisely the same reasons they are so valuable as a source of food: they are intelligent, self-sufficient, and omnivorous. What’s more, he argues, we ignore our historic partnership with these astonishing animals.
An expansive, illuminating history of one of our most vital yet unsung food animals, “Lesser Beasts” turns a spotlight on the humble creature that, perhaps more than any other, has been a mainstay of civilization since its very beginnings whether we like it or not.
Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky
Cod is the biography of a single species of fish, but it may as well be a world history with this humble fish as its recurring main character. Cod, it turns out, is the reason Europeans set sail across the Atlantic, and it is the only reason they could. As the author describes our way through the centuries of cod history, he also shares delicious recipes, and the tragic story of environmental failure, of depleted fishing stocks where once their numbers were legendary. In this lovely, thoughtful history, Mark Kurlansky ponders the question: Is the fish that changed the world forever changed by the world’s folly?
MOVIES
Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent, available on Netflix
If you don’t consider yourself a foodie, you might not know who Jeremiah Tower is. Tower, an American chef, is credited with being one of the people to change how people view dining. Not only is he seen as one of the fathers of “California Cuisine,” but he has had an impact on food genres across the globe in his many decades of chef-dom.
A Plastic Ocean, available on Netflix
A Plastic Ocean is an adventure documentary shot on more than 20 locations over the past 4 years. Explorers Craig Leeson and Tanya Streeter and a team of international scientists reveal the causes and consequences of plastic pollution and share solutions. This documentary shows the gigantic accumulation of floating plastic debris in the oceans and highlights the consequences of this form of pollution on the marine environment.
PODCASTS
The Splendid Table
With award-winning food journalist Francis Lam at the helm, the Splendid Table Podcast is bringing forward surprising conversations at the intersection of food, people, and culture. One hour-long podcast offers a wide range of segments: interviews with experts, short stories, history lessons, opinion pieces, recipes and cooking tips, audience Q&As. Episodes dive into diverse topics from “food in the age of social media” and “the history of sauces” to “the art of the sandwich” and the “power of scent.”
Evolutionaries, a radio documentary series
Radio documentary series look at the stories behind the stories of individuals who defied conventions and shaped our food landscape. It lets food celebrities and restaurateurs share what events shaped their careers in food and their outlook on the industry.
OTHERS
Learn how to make Sourdough Starter
All your friends are sharing their pictures of freshly baked sourdough bread on social media or you have no idea from where to start?
Check out this easy beginner’s recipe and make your own sourdough starter and later – delicious bread.
Enjoy!
Stay safe, #stayslowstayhome, and keep going!