A review by megancrews
Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson
3.0
This book is really well researched and written, but I still zoned out for large chunks of it. Wilson makes some great observations about society, technology, humanity and food. I would tell anyone to read the Introduction as well as the chapter on the fork and refrigeration.
I thought it was a good point that with new technology something is gained but something is lost. It was exciting when we got to eat tomatoes all year round, but it doesn't mean they are worth eating all year round.
The chapter on the refrigerator is short but great. Wilson states that the idea of the refrigeration this method of cooling food is so deeply American, which I had not thought about before. I love her bit about how we constantly open the refrigerator door and stare in for some kind of answer about what we should be doing at that moment or maybe even with our lives.
There were plenty of historical factoids that absolutely blew my mind, like the amount of time the average American woman is spending in the kitchen has not changed since the 1920s?! How is this possible?!
Overall, it is worth skimming.
I thought it was a good point that with new technology something is gained but something is lost. It was exciting when we got to eat tomatoes all year round, but it doesn't mean they are worth eating all year round.
The chapter on the refrigerator is short but great. Wilson states that the idea of the refrigeration this method of cooling food is so deeply American, which I had not thought about before. I love her bit about how we constantly open the refrigerator door and stare in for some kind of answer about what we should be doing at that moment or maybe even with our lives.
There were plenty of historical factoids that absolutely blew my mind, like the amount of time the average American woman is spending in the kitchen has not changed since the 1920s?! How is this possible?!
Overall, it is worth skimming.