Eating Animals

Just before I started my vegan week I finished reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, which is all about factory farming and whether its right to eat meat. Like most people I distance myself from what actually happens to animals and factory farming, so was a bit hard to read at times. But I don't want to dwell on that, as the main point I took away from the book was about how important food is and how it evokes certain memories. I love his style of writing, the first book I read of his was Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close which completely draws you in and shows a different way of thinking (I urge anyone reading this to read it!). Even though this book was more factual, he still manages to bring you in to the story by talking about his Jewish family and their food. If you've ever watched any of Heston Blumenthal's shows you'll see that he really tries to evoke memories with his food using sound, smell and taste. I read a review of his tasting menu from The Fat Duck and as the reviewer was presented with the Sounds of the Sea dish he was taken back to an old memory 'Suddenly my mouth was full of the flavour of the sea and I was transported back to the Leigh Cockle Sheds where I used to go with my parents and grandparents when I was a young boy about 35 years or more ago. It was amazing, and a lump came to my throat as the memories came flooding back. I have never had a reaction like that to any food before – it was quite unexpected'. There are so many foods for me that bring back memories foe me, pizza makes me think of using my nan's wooden stairs like tables with my brothers, vegetable pie reminds me of sleep overs with Emma and Phoebe, toad in the hole reminds me of the first meal my boyfriend and I cooked together and most importantly my mums vegetable bake and my dads bean soup make me feel at home! It made me really think about why I love food so much, and happy that I have so many nice memories attached to the foods I still eat.

Posted in: Cook Books