His approach to cooking is straightforward and enthusiastic, which makes it really accessible. In his words,
I have no interest in helping people becoming chefs. I have an interest in 50 percent of the people in America knowing how to cook. And whether they cook like chefs or not, I don’t care. It’s probably better if they don’t.So his cookbook is really less a collection of recipes as it is an explanation of techniques. It's full of options, suggestions, and encouragement, which has made it the go-to cookbook in our kitchen. To top things off, he's become a sharp commentator on not only how to cook but also how we eat. His latest book, Food Matters, is a sort of Omnivore's Dilemma, but with recipes.
All of which brings me to his latest article, explaining how the organic label is not the ultimate standard of mindful eating. In his words:
Today, most farmers who practice truly sustainable farming, or what you might call “organic in spirit,” operate on small scale, some so small they can’t afford the requirements to be certified organic by the government. Others say that certification isn’t meaningful enough to bother. These farmers argue that, “When you buy organic you don’t just buy a product, you buy a way of life that is committed to not exploiting the planet,” says Ed Maltby, executive director of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance.We're often asked the question, especially at the farmers' market, "Are you organic?" It takes some finesse to answer it, since, due to the regulations, we can't legally use the word organic, apart from our one certified greenhouse. Even the term organic in spirit seems a little dicey to me. The truth is, while the whole farm could be certified, there's really no need, and for just the reasons Mr. Bittman presents. What's more, our relationship with the farm's shareholders is its own certification. You can come out to the farm, see our practices, and decide for yourself.
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