Daveypdx: you're right, that is a glaring oversight by Pollan. We eat crockpot beans three times a week in our house, and we use recipes from around the world. Right now I'm cooking up Peruona beans with vegan chorizo, onions, corn, and chipolte peppers. Beans are where it's at: delicious, healthy, and inexpensive.

And of course, they're good for your heart...

Hi,

I just got Michael Pollan's new book. Don't buy it!

Unfortunately in the section on "eating plants", very little is mentioned about beans. One minor item index reference in the book on beans/legumes. Does this man not know about beans and legumes and that these are whole foods?

I had this book on hold at the library; but my partner insisted on buying it at Borders today since it was 30% off. Bleh! Check it out at the library, but don't buy it!

When I was in Thailand I discovered durians. Though I never got used to their horrible smell, eventually I came to actually like their flavor, though I much prefer a good apple instead. I just came up with the name "DurianJoe" on a lark, amongst other screen names, and for some reason chose it for my Salon handle. (My real name is RambutanFrank).

Anyway, guess what? I did some Googling a little while earlier and lo and behold, there is a Chinese restaurant in Rockville, MD that sells Stinky Tofu! That's about 30 minutes from where I live. I just need to make sure that they make their's without fermented/rotting fish, since I'm a vegan. Otherwise, as with much else, I'll just try to make it myself.

Incidentally, some of the best meat analogs for sale in the USA are made by Buddhists in Taiwan.

To DurianJoe,

Do you actually like durians? If you do then stinky, or as they say in Chinese "cho" (which means stinky), tofu would probably be right up your alley. I spent two years living in Taiwan and while driving my scooter around, there were always two things one was guaranteed to smell: durian and stinky tofu. I'm not a fan of the durian myself (definitely the scariest looking and most potent smelling of fruits), but after a fair bit of trepidation I tried the stinky tofu and found it to be suprisingly good. I've yet to see it anywhere in N. America, but it is worth trying if you ever get the chance. In soup it's not so good, but grilled with pickled vegetables on the side it's really quite tasty.

As for weight-loss, I had gained a 15-20 pounds while living in Taiwan, but came back to Canada in June and went tree planting for a month and a half. Even though I was eating huge breakfasts, two sandwiches plus high-protein and sugar snacks for lunch, and then a huge dinner I unintentionally lost 15-20 pounds in that time. All I did was work for 10 hours outside planting 2,000-3,000 trees most days. Amazing what serious physical labor will do for someone...

When you are young and healthy. You'll learn all you need to know to prepare and cook simple basic meals quickly and efficiently. You'll also have a greater appreciation for restaurant workers (and workers of all stripes).

Personally, I lost nearly 20 pounds during a two-month stay in Ukraine last year.

I'm not much of a world traveler. When I mentioned this to my workout partner, who travels the globe extensively, he said a large part of it is that people in other countries aren't as preservative-happy as we are here.

He believes those preservatives are a big part of health issues, including obesity, that we suffer with in America. Given that he's a 46-year-old man with a physique and conditioning that would put most 20-year-olds to shame, I have to defer to him.

I also have to say that the cold cuts and yogurt I had there was some of the best anywhere.

(I had an amazing chicken adobo from a Filipino friend at a potluck I went to a few weeks ago, and in exchange brought spicy Moroccan beef stew which went over like gangbusters)

And in case anyone was interested:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/230639

I make it without the raisins. Also If boneless short ribs are on sale, I'll chop them up into stew-sized chunks instead of the chuck the recipe calls for. Its perfect for cold weather.

All of the corn-laden, hydrogenated junk like Pringles etc. --those are nice and conveniently located in the center aisles for you. The items that you purchase are scattered to the 4 corners of the store for your inconvenience. These are not accidents.

I wouldn't get too conspiratorial about that. Things that require refrigeration (fruit and vegetables) or quick access to work tables and storage units (fish, meats) are going to have to be on the outer edges of the floor, where cooling pipes, HVAC units, walk-ins, and workstations (for the butchers or fishmongers) can be set up out of the line of traffic, and where refuse can be disposed of quickly (imagine walking through a supermarket and having the butcher's assistant wheeling a cart full of trimmings dripping "meat juice" across the middle of the floor to get to the Dumpster? Blech.)

Interestingly, of the five supermarkets in walking (or hiking in one case) distance from my house, four of them push patrons through the produce department, and then to either the dairy, bakery, or seafood departments before they get to the packaged foods.

they are union busters and don't pay their employees fairly. Tax payers subsidize them with health insurance, welfare etc. In a nutshell.

All of the corn-laden, hydrogenated junk like Pringles etc. --those are nice and conveniently located in the center aisles for you. The items that you purchase are scattered to the 4 corners of the store for your inconvenience. These are not accidents.

I can't think of a worse buzz-kill than slicing into a loaf of fake artisan bread.

You can all join CSAs--buying clubs and please do support your farmers' markets. Yes, be social with your food!

Also, I notice there are things I can cut from my shopping budget each month that leaves me more money to buy food. It seems my neuroses come out when I shop for clothes. My solution: cut back. I'd rather shop for the makings of a healthy stir fry than ponder what the latest pair of jeans are doing for my self-esteem or butt size.