Review: The Ethical Gourmet

The Ethical Gourmet: How to Enjoy Great Food that is Humanely Raised, Sustainable, Nonendangered, and that Replenishes the Earth
by Jay Weinstein
£9.25 from Amazon

A political cookbook that offers up web sites from which to order the goods it promotes, The Ethical Gourmet has a lot to offer, and for the price, it's a good deal.  However, it seems undecided about what its purpose is.  The recipes have too many high-end ingredients for such a low-priced book, and won't make ethical eating more accessible to anybody who can't already afford it.  As Phil said earlier this evening, "as a middle class American, I know there's only so much I can do.  I eat organic because I can afford to, but it doesn't make enough of a difference for the people who can't afford to."  That sums up a lot about how I feel on this book: it's speaking to people who already have said enough on the subject.  If Weinstein wants to make a difference, his second edition should be The Affordable Ethical Gourmet.  But okay.  Let's talk about what it actually does well, and the areas where it actually does make some excellent points on making better food affordable.

The political content is quite interesting, and covers some ground that is well worth re-covering: the importance of buying local goods and the affordability of same.  He makes a great example about how in New York, during peach season, imported peaches often go for around $3 a pound while local ones go for $1.50 a pound (pardon my archaic measurements), but the imported ones get way more shelf space 'cause they're, er, prettier.  Local fruit tends to not be quite so picture perfect, even though it tastes better.  The issue of people choosing food that looks nice over food that tastes nice is one that needs to be raised again and again and again until people quit being so dopey.  If you have a friend who isn't terribly well informed on this area, The Ethical Gourmet is recommended as an intro - you can stealth it in as a yuppie cookbook and pretend they're not actually supposed to learn a blessed thing. [GT]