A review by hurricanejoe
Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson

3.0

Consider the Fork explores how cooking has evolved through the centuries. From our primitive beginnings cooking outdoors to the advent of ovens and gas burners, society has gradually improved the devices that it uses to cook. Despite good intentions, some of these innovations have been met with resistance. While the invention of pots and pans helped us realize a new way of cooking food that eventually lead to braising, the same cannot necessarily be said for say, new appliances that take all the guess-work out of the creation process by any aspiring chef. And while innovations like Sous-Vide cooking can produce a finished product unmatched in flavor and taste by ordinary means, there is a loss in the absence of using your senses to determine when the product is finished. In many cases, each progression has left us with additional useless instruments that do not necessarily produce better food to eat.

It took awhile for this book to draw me in to be honest. It wasn't until the last couple chapters that I felt I was starting to see a clearer picture form. I believe the author is much more agnostic and curious about some of the innovations than I am. Personally, the last chapter around kitchens was the most thoughtful for me. Embracing a minimalist kitchen that captures both the new and old ways of cooking that captures the essence of hard work and creation really resonated with me. For me, it is in direct opposition to say remodeling your space to create some "utopian" kitchen with all the luxuries of modern cooking convenience.