HELLO MR. BITTMAN!!!

My family (husband, nine year old boy, seven year old girl, 15 mos boy) is huge fan! Ever since you published the 101 quick summer meals, followed by 10 more, you have been a dinner time staple. We had an anti-Super Bowl dinner with friends that was entirely “Mr. Bittman’s”, as you are referred to in our house, roast lamb, glazed onions (which were unanimously adored), no knead bread, and grated zucchini. We rose a glass to you and your cookbook, How to Cook Everything.

If I had one question it would be, do you enjoy dining out? Or is it difficult when you think you could do something better, do you have the urge to write a note to the chef suggesting a different technique? Julia Alling
Groton, MA

(Note: I’m a WBUR frequent volunteer and serious foodie.)

First, I absolutely love watching “Bitty”, as I see he’s being called on his Spanish adventures with Maria Batalli and Gwyneth Paltrow. And he is looking fit and trim which, one presumes, is attributable to his new diet.

Question:
There are many ongoing conversations and warnings about what fish we can and cannot eat–and how much. While I understand that for Bitty, an “all oyster diet” would be superb–and why not?– what other fish does he eat regularly and what does he REALLY think we should stay away from.Can we really only eat anchovies, and other fishy-fish?

What about things like: shrimp? bluefish? tuna? yellowtail? sushi in general?

Thanks, in advance, for addressing this topic.

Sue C. Kelman
Waltham, MA
781.642.7848

How is your book different from Michael Pollan’s books-In Defense of Food & The Omnivore’s Dilema.
Thank you.

What about cheese and eggs? Are they really that bad?
Andover, MA

I agree with Mr. Bittman’s philosophy and as proof I submit the evidence of my grandmother’s long and relatively healthy life. She grew up in south Arkansas and lived to be 98. She raised most of her own food for most of her life. As a result, she was diligent in eating her “dinner” at noon time with copious amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, and maybe some sort of meat. At supper (her 5 o’clock) meal was lighter also consisting of fruits and veggies. Eating out or eating processed food was not a part of my grandparent’s lifestyle, but healthy, well balanced locally produced food was. I look to her as an inspiration in feeding my own family.
I look forward to reading Mr. Bittman’s book!
Thank you.

Do you have any provisions in your recipes for Gluten Free cooking? What would you suggest as substitutes for wheat flour in your recipes?

Dear Mark & Tom: I am a lacto-ovo-vegitarian. This works well for my body. I am getting enough protein, and my cholesterol is not bad.

After returning to the US after several years of living abroad, I am keenly aware of the lack of “raw food” we as Americans eat. Everyone eats food from a package!! When visiting my family always raves at the cooking my husband and I do, and it is always simple, unprocessed ingredients. Yet, if they had a potato or a bunch of parsley in their hand they would not know what to do with it. It is as though our natural instincts to eat with the seasons and simple ways to prepare the most basic foods have disappeared with the onslaught of prepared foods available.

It’s very important to note that not all meat production is equal. One should adopt Mark Bittman’s suggestion to eat more fruits and veggies and limit you your meat intake. But if you want to be doing both the more environmental and healthy thing, try to consume local grass-fed beef and free-range chicken and eggs (hormone/antibiotic-free) and local, organic cheese. This will do more to lessen your environmental footprint than just limiting your consumption of meat, in general.

Mr. Bittman,
I’m a small scale farmer in Hinesburg, Vermont. I want to make the point that all animal products are created equal. Our cows are grass fed and produce very lean beef and fantastically healthy raw milk, cheese and butter rich in enzymes and omega 3 fatty acids. Why should I substitute a salad grown thousands of miles away with Rio Grande water, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers when I can have a cheeseburger grown and raised on grass from my back yard?
Thank you.

It is important to make the distinction between sustainably raised meat and vegetables and what is generally available in American supermarkets. I contend that eating grass-fed locally raised beef rather is certainly better for the environment (and perhaps your health in certain circumstances) than high-input conventionally grown vegetables.

For starters I have say I am a fan of Mr. Bittman. We are what we eat! I have been a vegetarian for 11 yrs. now and have not regretted it. I do agree that many vegetarians eat more carbs, cheese and eggs to fill in the void. I am not vegan, but working on it. It’s tough in this country that’s based on fast food. Keep up the great work!

Thank you for talking about this important subject today. I’m one year and two months “no flesh” and an on-again, off-again vegan. It takes something to truly eat no dairy products. My son says it’s like being a part-time crack addict, you either ARE or you AREN’T …lol. But it isn’t so black and white — many, many shades of grey and I thank Mr. Bittman for writing this book — I’m going to buy it today and most likely buy copies for all my friends. THANK YOU MR. BITTMAN!

Don’t forget, Pollen said to eat what your great-great grandmother did! (I had blood sausage and coffee for breakfast, with OJ and cod liver oil!)

And another thing your grandmother said: “Don’t live to eat” (that might be harder for food writers).

-Great show, I love the Bitt’ Man!

It’s interesting to hear this conversation. We have been thrust into the world of eating different (and healthier) things due to my 5 year old’s multiple severe food allergies. However, being allergic to eggs, milk (dairy), nuts and wheat, we eat a lot of chicken, turkey, meat to give her adequate protein. (We have cooked with Quinoa on occasion, but she’s 5, and picky to boot!) When you live in our shoes, we eat what won’t make her go into anaphylactic shock.

If you need help taking on more veggies, read “The China Study” – I’m a pretty skinny/healthy guy, but the book changed at how I look at food.

On Point is my introduction to Mr. Bittman, but I look forward to looking into his books. Thanks for the interesting spot on On Point.

I provide my children with what I call “porridge sundaes” every morning. I make a big pot of either oatmeal or Bob’s Red Mill cereal. Then I set out jars with various kinds of nuts and dried fruit, a pitcher of maple syrup, and milk. They make up their bowls in whatever way they want. It’s fun and they like it!

I stopped at a store in Acton that has wonderful fruits and vegetables, and bought some things. I got home, and the grapes were full of flavor, large, wonderful. I can’t say I always get good fruits at the large groceries. As a result, I think I don’t get excited about fruits and veggies. but having stopped at this store, and listening to your show, I think I will just try to find stores with high quality fruits and veggies, and possibly end up eatig less. (I spoke with a person from Europe one time who said that she thought that Americans eat so much, because what they eat doesn’t have enough nutritian in it to satisfy them. I’m beginning to see what she means.

Regarding eating meat, if it’s that detrimental for both our health and that of the environment, how about some government intervention. A sin tax similar to that on alchhol, tobacco etc

I am truly enjoying this show and I wish everyone can follow this simple and easy way toward good health esp. going the ‘no meat’ route.
But I wish your guest would talk about the use of ginger because beans and legumes put people off because of the after effects. But ginger is a carminative and takes care of the after effects including heartburns.
Thanks you so much. Love your shows. – bina

Hello,
I’d like to make the suggestion of eating everything in MODERATION, food is wonderful, it is how we survive and an art of endless creativity. However, i do believe that the majority of what you eat should be locally raised and processed. Whether a ribeye or tempeh, apples or salad greens, it is how the foods you are eating are grown. Same with imported foods, it is a social responsibility of the consumer to know what they are supporting with their purchases. From wine, coffee and tropical fruits to the maple syrup and lamb in our VT backyards….perhaps the main issue is education on local, organic and fair trade options.

I like your ideas and approach. Making small changes that make a big impact is so appealing, and I really appreciate your point that not all vegetarians eat a healthy diet. In particular, I worry about the many young (pre-teen, teen) vegetarians that I know who often eat a pizza, burrito, nacho dominated diet —YIKES!

For me, the biggest barrier to being vegan until 6pm would be giving up milk in my coffee or latte. I’ve tried soy milk and it just isn’t the same. A cafe latte is one of my greatest food pleasures.

Great show, perfect timing as I am going back to healthy eating after regaining some lost pounds!! Just looked at recipes online from your book and disappointed that nutritional value (basics of calories, fat, etc.) are not included,

thanks,
tj

I’ve been vegan for 2-3 years now and it’s not that hard. If you think deeply about the unbearable suffering of animals raised for food and their incredible exploitation, going vegan is the only human choice. Of course, we are all free to decide for ourselves, but know that if you eat meat, dairy or eggs, you are benefiting from the suffering of others.

What about the pesticides that are essentially unregulated on our (non-organic) vegetables, beans, etc? Ref: Bill Moyers’ “In Our Children’s Food”

I always come back to the connection between eating better and economics. I think the price of good food is a very big barrier for people. I find that if you begin this change in lifstyle (example:eating less meat) then it is easier to eat better quality food (example: grass-fed beef). Although grass-fed is more expensive, you are buying less of it, so you have a balance. I understand that many will need to be very budget concious. We have found that we DO need to make sacrifices in order to eat the local, fresh food we love, but when that means, in our case, giving up cable TV, in the end we see that that is not a very big “sacrifice”.

I’ve been a vegetarian for 44 years and a vegan for about 30. I am healthy and fit. It kills me that even as people talk about “conscious eating,” people can still say, “I’m not a vegetarian.” True, reducing consumption of animal products helps, but why not advocate going all the way? The ethical aspect is a great motivator.

If people were truly conscious about the way that calves are ripped away from their mothers so that humans can drink their milk, if people witnessed the brutal dehorning, debeaking, tail-docking, if they saw how used-up dairy cows and male calves are trucked off to auction and slaughter, enduring fear and trauma and reek of blood… they might reconfigure their eating habits.

I used to think that everyone was “like me”- that they cooked dinner at night, tried to make healthy food and know where our food came from, etc. I’m amazed at that calorie chart- 7% of calories from SODA???

One thing I’m trying to do more of is vegetarian meals- both for health and for the earth. Hard to do with 2 young children. Are there any menus in your new book that will help with this? BTW- they already like quinoa- so maybe we don’t have THAT far to go. But one of my kids goes into a swoon when anything green is placed on his plate. Suggestions?

I had my kids in the late 60’s early 70’s, definitely a hippy. We traveled lots and I carried a variety of whole grains in the trunk plus a grinder and a little stove. They loved the pancakes and crackers we made. As they grew they went through times when they would have killed for hamburger and white bread.
As adults they evolved through several sorts of eating and ended up where I hoped. Both of my kids don’t eat much of anything that won’t spoil on a shelf. They both do eat a small amount of chicken and both love Quinoa

i’m a big fan of mark bittman. i agree w/ him on all counts about what we should be eating or not eating. i’m a member of a CSA at a local farm and they sell organic meats, as well. my favorite appliance is the freezer. i cook and freeze and have lots of soups, vegt. and sauces for the winter. even my local king kullen is starting to buy local produce. i also have what i call a smorgasbord in my refrigerator. i keep small containers of veggies and pick and choose each night from these for my dinner.
thanks for your books and your style of writing. i appreciate the way you make room for substitutions and alternative takes in your recipes.

I’m a long time fan of Mark’s from CT where he started.
As both an enthusiastic lover of food and cooking who is married to a cardiologist, I wanted to pass on what has worked for us and our family. We agreed almost 10 years ago to stop eating mammals for health, the environment and animal welfare. We eat chicken with no hormones, etc almost once a week, we eat one cage free egg with omega 3 nearly every day; we eat soy sausages and tofu, and certainly lots of vegies, fruits, nuts and whole grains. We eat wild fish and those lower on the food chain. We use olive and canola oils; we have wine and dark chocolate almost everyday. This diet allows us to go out to eat, to dine at others homes, and to really enjoy the pleasures of eating and good health.
Thanks, Mark for your latest book.

This has been a very interesting discussion. I’d like to add two points. I am not a vegetarian, and I don’t think the world will turn vegetarian anytime soon, so although I absolutely advocate eating less meat, as long as animals are raised for milk (and butter and cheese) there are going to be lots of male animals that are worthless in that process. They can be eaten. Second, I think that we could spend less money on food and get meals that are as tasty and nutritous if we would give up “snack food”, like chips, and all manner of processed foods that are just as easy to prepare fresh.

Thanks for a very enlightening program on the way Americans eat. I happen to be allergic to wheat gluten and have had to cut out all fast junk and most processed foods.

First of all, it’s enormously expensive and time consuming to stay on a strict gluten-free diet. The highly pressured American lifestyle leaves little time for cooking fresh food and one person, living alone (like me), is not very likely to cook every single meal for one’s self. Secondly, if I stopped eating meat (which I only consume very sparingly, already) it could lead to serious protein and amino acid deficiencies.

It is very difficult to eat anything off-the-shelf at all, in this country, when one cannot tolerate wheat. It’s in virtually EVERYTHING in the form of “modified food starch.” Those brightly packaged frozen entrees (Smart Ones? NOT!) hold tremendous allure for busy, single people but I have realized that they are never anything like the picture on the box. Read the ingredient lists. Consumers are buying the photos on the packages and not the so-called “food” within. This is simply just another example of cynical corporate manipulation of a captive market.

Our health is at stake here. Mr. Bittman is right on the mark. We must come up with creative solutions to healthier eating. I’d like to see the return of community pot-luck suppers where each person brings one home-cooked, veggie based entree to share. We are all so divided at this point. Let’s not allow the big-food/fast-food players conquer us, individually, and destroy our collective good health.

must point out that there are no vegan societies in the long history of humanity. although some individuals may be well suited to a 100% plant diet, on a large scale this would be a massive experiment.

on the other side of that coin, there have been no processed industrial food societies in the long history of humanity either…until now. and very few that consumed the amount of meat and poultry that our does.

balance and moderation are definitely the way to go. take a look at the zeitgeist and get with the bi-partisan worldview…

excellent advice about cooking your own food btw…it’s actually easy and cheap to eat all organic if you are cooking from staples, fresh fruit and vegetables, and modest animal foods.

I really enjoyed the show today and am glad someone is speaking out about the effects of meat eating on the enviroment and our health. I have been a vegetarian for a long time and, as Mark said, you do have to cook. I rely on beans and lentils for many meals and think it’s unfortunate that people avoid these foods. Beans and lentils are very inexpensive even the organic kind from Whole Foods, they are tasty, filling, low calorie, and easy to prepare. Lentils won’t give you gas and beans, if cooked properly, won’t either. Instead of soaking the beans overnight, do a quick boil, then skim the foam off, and leave them in the pot for an hour. Skimming the foam removes the stuff that causes gas. Then cook and skim again until the beans are as soft as you like. Cook a large quantity and freeze. Then make chilis, stews, and soups to eat for lunch or dinner instead of junk food. You can also prepare the meals in a crockpot. This will give you lots of fiber, vitamins, and will really stick to your ribs. You won’t be hungry for snacks a few hours later.

Let’s not forget, buy a smaller package of meat instead of the biggest one. Slice your meats before serving them; that will make a big difference in how far they go. Eat on smaller plates, they save room in your dishwasher, too for energy savings.

Also, most stoves have a vent hole in the right rear burner which comes from the oven. So, keep a pot of water on the right rear burner at all times. It will be preheated hot water, available whenever you use the oven. And it captures the wasted oven heat for slow release and humidifying your house.

One more attribute of successful home cooking not mentioned by “Bitty” is planning. Most folks who use prepared foods or buy “take out” do not seem to plan dinners and suppers ahead of time. Part of the fun of cooking from scratch is using up the odds and ends of left-overs in the frig for future meals. There is no excuse for not doing this in today’s world with internet recipes available in mini-seconds.
Just google two or more left-over vegetables or other ingredient on hand and
in a flash one can receive dozens of recipes incorporating those food items. So easy!

This was a great show and I am big fan of Mark Bittman.
I have cooked many of his recipes from the NY Times.

His ideas on diet are really the way people eat in the Mediterranean in a lot of ways. I also think that the French have it right as well, small portions of excellent ingredients. Our problem is we don’t have a lot of markets anymore.

I think our problem in this country is we want everything to be real cheap and to have a lot of it.
We also have made farming into a corporate entity that will only change by buying local and trying to grow our own food. To that end I am ripping up the last of my lawn this spring to plant more vegetables which I think all those who can should. Just as they did during WW2 with the victory gardens. Instead of planting grass on the mall they should plant food and get the kids from the area to help grow it and share in the bounty.
Hows that for a stimulus package.

My only negative comment is that awful show he does with Maria Batalli, Gwyneth Paltrow and… sorry but I can’t remember the Spanish actress’ name. The show is kind of boring an bit pretentious unlike all his other shows which are fantastic. I’m not sure what it is about it, my wife who is an avid foodie really hates it. Two old guys and two young women in 40k cars riding around Spain… snooze…

It seems the upside of the tanking economy is that more people will eat beans and rice and save the planet…who knew?

Everything in moderation….

Mark,

I bought your book over the new year and ate loosely on it the past month. I’ve been circling around that ‘philosophy’ and ‘diet’ for a while but used your book to motivate me to get a bit healthier and conscious about the food supply. I went from animal protein in every meal to very sparse with the meat (except when I go out). Lost about 5 pounds, saved a ton of money by cooking at home, and was suprised, because I bought the most expensive of organic produce. Ok, back to my home made brown rice veggie stir fry.

Thanks,

J

This is an important conversation. we must keep the focus on the unhealthy mega-factory-food industries that produce food that is in essence unfit to eat and lacks the nutrition we need. Factory foods are rife with toxins, chemicals, hormones, vaccines (six vaccines per chicken…yuck) chemical fertilizers, a plethora of antibiotics and other drugs, pesticide residues, and more. I am very impressed with the holistic and research minded Weston Price Foundation (on the web) and hope that you can research and explore their research and ideas. What this country needs are more small family farms that use natural, free-range & organic methods that provide foods that are healthy and offer more concentrated nutrition. The reliance on grains (which often cause inflammation, allergies and use way to many resources to grow) are not the answer. Fruit, veges, raw seeds, nuts. legumes, pasture raised eggs, meats, raw dairy and wild-caught low on the food chain fish actually are very healthy. By the way, best research on soy products show that they are NOT health promoting foods, but are usually very processed, hard to digest and disrupt human hormone levels.

The sad truth is that factory-farmed meats and dairy are NOT grown efficiently. Factory foods are creatively subsidized by tax payers and by government tax breaks, subsides, and other advantages that small organic and pasture fed farmers cannot get. Factory farms produce tons of toxic waste by-products, the animals are not healthy and are dosed with huge amounts of pharmaceuticals, rendering these product unhealthy to consume. Toxic manure is laden with drugs, pesticides and antibiotics that end up in the ground water and pollute our environment. What is efficient here? The cities and populations down stream who end up with cancer or other ailments from this type of irresponsible mega-production would likely not think this mess is efficient. Factory farms produce cheap food but these products help do not promote health and add to the overall burden of a vast network of other systems from health care and water treatment to the environment and the costs are simply passed along to the taxpayers, meanwhile people are remind how ‘efficient’ factory farms are. They really are expensive when you look at the big picture, Mark.

Why hasn’t this interview posted as a podcast? I was not able to listen to this live and was hoping to get the podcast to listen at my convenience. Please post this one. Thank you.

I was 210 pounds at age 13, and lost 70 pounds over 18 months. I have managed to keep the weight off, but I remain vigilant about calorie intake. This is crucial in maintaining weight loss regardless of the type of foods you eat. Even if you eat carrots all day and exceed daily calories you will gain weight. If you err on the side of too many calories, make them good calories with high nutrition density. Also it is helpful if you are counting calories if you count calories-per-week rather than calories-per-day, as it gives you more wiggle room in your daily eating habits.

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