Post #2: Prepare a Meal & Summary of Pollan Chap.7

Welcome back to my Life Science Blog ladies and gentlemen. Today, I will describe how to prepare one of my personal and family favorites- southern style fried chicken. Passed down from generation to generation, the recipe for the "Feaster Fried Chicken" was taught to me when I started to cook at the age of 10. Frying chicken is quite simple and I will reveal the process in several steps. First, you must gather the ingredients such as flour, pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, vegetable oil, and a package of chicken (preferably chicken legs). Second, you must rinse the chicken in cold then hot water to eliminate the possibility of salmonella and other germs. Next, dry the chicken with paper towels. Meanwhile, fill a cast iron skillet about 1/3 full with vegetable oil and preheat the oil to 375 degrees. While the oil is heating, find a container to mix all of the dry ingredients (flour, pepper, salt, etc.) together. Next, you take each piece of chicken and place it into the flour mixture, making sure each piece is completely coated. When the oil has reached the optimal temperature, gently place several pieces of the coated chicken into the hot oil. If you drop the chicken in and create a splash, you will burn yourself. Next, cover the pan and let the chicken fry for about 8 minutes. When the chicken has browned, carefully flip it over and let it fry for another 10 minutes. After, the chicken has been cooked, place all of it in some paper towels to remove some of the grease. In order to complete the meal, you can cook some vegetables and some mashed potatoes. Then pour a nice tall glass of lemonade to wash it all down. After you have finished, properly dispose of the grease by pouring it into your grease can. Then take paper towels to wipe the excess grease off of the pan before washing it out with soap and water. Also, after washing all of the dishes, make sure that you wipe off the counter and stove. Leaving grease on the stove is unsanitary and simply unclean. Even though you believe that you kept the flour mixture in the container, you most likely spilled some. You don't have to mop, but I would definitely wipe the floor down with sometime of cleaner. Overall, the preparation and clean up takes a while, but the taste and full stomach is completely worth the work.

After reading pages 54 and 55 of Pollan's In Defense of Food, I agree that Americans have a problem taking pleasure in eating. Americans have definitely preferred to eat and run rather than actually sit down and savor their food. The innovations such as low-fat processed food have prevented Americans to care about what they are actually putting in their bodies. Processed, cheap foods have flooded our diets simply because American society is fast paced, meaning we don't have time to take the time to eat slowly. The meal that I prepared completely defies the fast-paced characteristics. I took the time to prepare my food, rather than go buy a meal from KFC. Eating processed food does not define the idea of "nutritionism." In this article, the author supports Pollan's argument that we need to slow down and appreciate the food the we eat instead of trying to alleviate our hunger with unhealthy, processed foods. If we cook with healthy, fresh ingredients, our diets will naturally lead to a healthier lifestyle.