Samuel Fromartz

This book focused primarily on the culture and personalities of the people that made organic food trendy in the 1970s, but was light on the science separating organic food from non-organic. I was less interested in the characters and specific company names than in the broad trends in what we eat. Is our diet getting better or are there misteps in the food supply that are contributing to the massive shift to an unhealthy populace that is currently proceeding? I didn't expect this book to answer that question in it's totality, but I was hoping for a bit more insight specifically into the organic vs. conventional aspect. Instead, I got an exhaustive coverage of the tension between the ideological but inefficient small farmer and the efficient but agnostic large-scale organic farm.… (més)

An autobiographical journey into the history and development of the perfect baguette. An amusing take on being a home baker, not a professional. A few niggles about the author's facts (e.g. wheat does not contain more protein than meat). Otherwise, the narrative was very insightful in demonstrating that bread-making is an art as much as a science and very similar to the process in creating an outstanding vintage wine. Not so much a recipe book (although there are some), as insights into making bread more traditionally and what will ruin or enhance the genuine taste of homemade breads.… (més)