Superfoods

April 4, 2005
Part cookbook, part philosophy tract, part grocery list, this volume preaches the virtues of beef, guava, nutmeg, liver and virtually any other foodstuff a person could think of. Full of chipper wisdom about drinking enough water and feel-good inanities ("If every shopper switched to wholemeal bread today, the health of the nation would start improving tomorrow") this book doesn't share anything that a relatively health-conscious cook wouldn't already know. Is organic food "worth it?" Yes! Should people eat too many sweets? No! The recipes are separated into chapters like, "Low Carb," and "Cleansing," and while none of them are particularly interesting, some, like Lamb with Anchovies and Spinach Chowder, have appeal. Finally, this book, originally published in England, was obviously not intended for an American audience: It includes an analysis of the typical UK diet, uses terminology uncommon in this country ("rocket" for arugula, "pudding" for dessert) and, most disappointingly, includes a paragraph comparing pregnant women from "London's wealthy suburb of Hampstead," to "working-class mothers from Hackney." "The working-class mothers," the author laments, "spent their food-money very badly: on take-away meals (and) convenience foods, and little in the way of fresh fruit." Without any discussion of the sociology of eating, this kind of condemnation seems unnecessary.