Sustained by Eating, Consumed by Eating Right: Reflections, Rhymes, Rants, and Recipes

When Eric L. Ball returned to his hometown in northern New York after a fifteen-year absence that included time in Greece, he began building his version of the good life, largely revolving around growing, foraging, and cooking safe and wholesome foods. Yet, surrounded by family and old memories, he found himself grappling with the loss of his unlikely Mediterranean past and struggling to navigate the interplay of intellectual convictions and emotional needs as he strived to construct a fulfilling ethical life in the unsustainable modern world. In Sustained by Eating, Consumed by Eating Right, Ball shares his experiences and explores questions about food and drink, including the relationship between recipes and learning, the significance of the Mediterranean diet, how to cook authentic Greek foods in the United States, and how to obtain safe and healthy food in a toxic world. Ultimately, Ball considers broader questions about the evolving significance of family, the nature of freedom, the future of the environment, and thinking that one can change the world. The result is a bittersweet story that ponders questions about living a decent and fulfilling life when it comes to food and family.