#3. December Book Review – Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life

Grade : A

– and I’m not talkin’ about the USDA standard, but much higher.

I have a confession.

Prior to reading this book, I ate:

Lean-Cuisines, Smart Ones, etc.

Break-n-bake cookies  (or refrigerated roll-kind)

American cheese slices

Tomatoes in December

Bread from a plastic bag

Biscuits from a can (sometimes)

Eggs from a carton

Chicken/Meat from ???

Now, I may not have consumed all of these items all the time, or even during the same grocery trip – but decidedly, I think each item could be described as a “normal” for the average American household.

After reading this book, I have changed my mind about food.

Here’s the gist:

Barbara Kingsolver splendidly describes the idea that she and her family were going to only eat locally grown, organic foods that either they produced themselves – or received from like-minded neighbors in rural Virginia. The story bobs between memoir and research paper – though eloquently, and fully captured my attention.

She continuously describes vegetable gardening, and cooking dinner – following the calendar year – and makes it all sound so appealing and wonderful, I can’t imagine setting foot in my grocery store ever again. There are additional excerpts from her husband Steven, and daughter Camille – with their points of view on the subject of “real” food including facts regarding government policy, factory farming, gardening techniques, and recipes. It’s literally a smorgasbord of the virtues of eating fresh, local foods vs. the tragedies of any other food sources…and it’s compelling.

I can’t imagine a more appropriate book to read at the end of the year - when most of us are turning our thoughts to “renewal” …starting a new year, with new ambitions, new disciplines, and new strength. This book recovered something else in my own soul – I have a natural connection to the earth, and I want to eat better. My ancestors were farmers. Really. Bona fide farmers, and I agree with Kingsolver that these genes and the bounty of harvest is within our innermost core of human satisfaction. The most important thing to our bodies…is food. So why shouldn’t it be the best, most pure available?

Here’s a little taste:

www.animalvegetablemiracle.com

Enjoy,

GT40