Hillman Center for Performing Arts
May 10
7:30 p.m.
From seed to table, contemporary food(ie) guru Michael Pollan has examined everything from the industrial food complex and local farming to co-evolution. Now, the best-selling author and activist brings his passionate vision about food culture to The Hillman Center for Performing Arts‘ stage. Pollan will be interviewed by chef Bill Fuller, of Pittsburgh’s own Big Burrito Group, followed by a book signing.
Before the event, Pollan will curate a VIP farm-to-table reception (sold-out), along with five top Pittsburgh chefs: Bill Fuller (Big Burrito), Kevin Sousa (Union Pig and Chicken/Station Street), Justin Severino (Cure), Trevett Hooper (Legume) and Brian Pekarcik (Spoon/Grit & Grace). Each chef will demonstrate a culinary philosophy that exemplifies one of Pollan’s books. Participating local beverage purveyors include Wigle Whiskey, Enginehouse 25 Winery, Church Brew Works and Commonplace Coffee.
Currently the John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley, Pollan’s most recent book, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, is organized into four sections corresponding to the elements of fire (cooking with heat), water (braising and boiling with pots), air (breadmaking) and earth (fermenting), as an exploration of how cooks “mediate between nature and culture.”
For more than two decades, Pollan has been writing books and articles about the intersection of nature and culture—from gardens and grocery stores, to plates and farms. Named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2010, Pollan lectures widely on food, agriculture, health and the environment. His additional books include New York Times best-sellers In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto; The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World.