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The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food
The Third Plate Field Notes on the Future of Food Author:Dan Barber An award-winning chef moves beyond 'farm-to-table' to offer a revolutionary new way of eating — The Third Plate is chef Dan Barber?s extraordinary�vision for a new future of American eating. After�more than a decade spent investigating farming�communities around the world in pursuit of�singular flavor, Barber finally concluded that�for�the sake o... more »f our food, our health, and the future�of the land�America?s cuisine required a radical�transformation.
The revelations Barber shares in The Third Plate�took root in his restaurant?s kitchen. But his process�of discovery took him far afield�to alternative�systems of food production and cooking that�maximize sustainability, nutrition, and flavor. Barber�explores the traditional farming practices of the�Spanish dehesa, a uniquely vibrant landscape that has�been fine-tuned to produce the famed jam�n ib�rico.�Along the Atlantic coast, he investigates the future�of seafood through a revolutionary aquaculture�operation and an ancient tuna fishing tradition. In�upstate New York, Barber learns from a flourishing�mixed-crop farm whose innovative organic practices�have revived the land and resurrected an industry.�And in Washington State he works with cuttingedge�seedsmen developing new varieties of grain in�collaboration with local bakers, millers, and malters.�Drawing on the wisdom and experience of chefs and�farmers from around the world, Barber proposes�a new definition for ethical and delicious eating�destined to refashion Americans? deepest beliefs�about food.
Traditionally, Americans have dined on the��first plate,? a classic meal centered on meat with�few vegetables. Thanks to the burgeoning farm-to-table�movement, many people have begun eating�from the �second plate,? the new ideal of organic,�grass-fed meats and local vegetables. But neither�model, Barber shows, supports the long-term�productivity of the land. Instead, he calls for a �third�plate,? a new pattern of eating rooted in cooking�with and celebrating the whole farm�an integrated�system of vegetable, grain, and livestock production.
The Third Plate is truly a publishing event: a�monumental work of personal insight and global�analysis that definitively remakes the understanding�of nutrition, agriculture, and taste for the twenty-first�century. Barber charts a bright path forward for�eaters and chefs alike, daring everyone to imagine a�future for our national cuisine that is as sustainable�as it is delicious.