Monthly Archive for September, 2011

Book Club Discussion – The Botany Of Desire

I’ve read quite of Michael Pollan’s books. I loved Food Rules, and In Defense Of Food, and The Omnivore’s Dilemma. I did not love The Botany Of Desire. The book is broken into four sections, on apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes. By the time I finished the first section, apples, I never wanted to eat another apple again. While much of the information provided in the chapter is very interesting, Pollan’s writing style really gets in the way.

I didn’t have a problem with his writing style in any of his other books. For some reason, this book is written in a particularly flowery prose which spends much of it’s time winding around the point instead of making it.

For the most part, the content is interesting. I especially enjoyed the section on tulips (in part, because I’m living right in the middle of where tulipmania occurred) and the section on marijuana (for the obvious reason). I felt the apple section dragged on and on about Johnny Appleseed. The potato section was more in line with Pollan’s previous work, discussing the impact of agribusiness on the plant.

Overall, the topics the books covers are interesting but the prose makes the content difficult to access.

Check out GDNAL’s review.

Published on September 30, 2011 in Book Club. 0 Comments

Book Club Review – Botany Of Desire – GDNAL

From GDNAL:

I haven’t written that many reviews about books I wasn’t crazy about.  It’s too bad that this is one of those reviews and frankly quite surprising, given how highly my friends recommended the book.
The idea that plants are passively manipulating us in their quest for propagation is a compelling argument.  That we might be no more conscious of it than the bees who carry pollen is a fascinating idea.

I enjoyed lots of the botanical history while Pollen develops his story about how plants might fulfil the desires of man, manipulating us to aid their propagation and development.  Yet I felt badly that the book’s quality is uneven.  Even within chapters, the writing style is in turns captivating, and a monotonous drone.  Perhaps it is the “too much” flowering (flowery?) language?  And though I tend to like stories that weave together many ideas, anecdotes, and themes together, this left me weary from its choppiness.  I might lose interest somewhere in trailing the shadow of Johnny Appleseed and fail to pick it up again until we’d moved on to a new plant.  Weed? Oh, that could be a good story.

But what of the main storyline–the plants whose passive-aggressiveness manipulates us in providing unwitting aid?  I came away a little disappointed, aware that the frustration was probably self-inflicted, not realizing that the tale of passivity is a necessarily tough one to tell.  He’s successful in getting me to buy his thesis–it’s plausible that plants adjust to improve their symbiotic relationship.

For all my bitching about the writing style, the book makes me want to grow things; to overcome my fear of a non-green thumb.  Will I manage to kill the next thing I try to keep alive?  I hope not.  I’ve got this little bonsai tree in my office and have gone to the extraordinary step (for me) of getting it a little lamp.  I’ve not left it to dry out.   So far, so good.  But it’s only been a month; I don’t think the plant has had long enough to manipulate me into tendering better care.

Check out my review and the discussion.

Published on September 30, 2011 in Book Club. 0 Comments

Food For Thought – Burrito Bowls

“I met a sheik from Mozambique who led me to the Congo. He dreamed to go to Mexico and sample a burrito.” -ZZ Top

This recipe is my take on Chipotle’s burrito bowls. There’s lots of room for creativity in this dish and it is a good way to use up leftovers hanging around your fridge.

Ingredients

  • 1 large white onion
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 1 can (12 oz) black beans
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • Olive oil

Toppings

  • Corn and Tomato Salsa
  • Blue Cheese Guacamole
  • ¼ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • ¼ cup greek yogurt
  • 1 cup Romaine lettuce, chopped
  • Tortilla chips

Directions

Julienne the onion and slice the peppers into thin strips. Combine peppers, onion, ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper and set aside.

In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute pepper and onion mixture until peppers become soft. Simultaneously, mix beans with ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper. Heat beans on a low heat until they thicken. Serve peppers and beans hot.

In a bowl, combine a serving of peppers, beans, and toppings.

Options

Saute chicken strips in a fajita seasoning and add, if you want a non-veg version.

Rice cooked in vegetable stock with cilantro can be added if you’re looking for some carbs in this dish.

If you make the guacamole without the cheese, this can be a vegan dish.

Published on September 28, 2011 in Food For Thought. 5 Comments

Emoticons And Dating

“Children entering school today without basic reading knowledge are at risk of long term failure.” -Carmelita Williams (President of the International Reading Association)

“Hi
You have various taste on music, nina simone and lady gaga… I guess you are really “up for any kind of fun person” :)) thats a great thing thou”

I could ignore the grammar, spelling, punctuation, lack of capitalization, but I can’t ignore someone who can’t properly formulate a smiley face.

Who makes a smiley face like this: :)) ? Is that a smiley face with a double chin? A smiley face with a neck tattoo?

Published on September 25, 2011 in Bad Romance. 6 Comments

Book Club Reminder

Come talk about The Botany Of Desire on Sept. 30th.
Published on September 23, 2011 in Book Club. 0 Comments
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