Mark Bittman is a bestselling cookbook author, journalist and television personality. His friendly, informal approach to home cooking has shown millions that fancy execution is no substitute for flavor and soul.

Why you should listen

Although Mark Bittman never formally trained as a chef, his pursuits as a curious and tenacious foodie have made him a casual culinary master. His weekly New York Times food column, The Minimalist, meshes accessible and inexpensive ingredients with "anyone-can" cooking techniques to produce exceedingly delicious dishes. Bittman's funny, friendly attitude and trademark informal approach to food-craft extend to his blockbuster TV programs (which retain delays and mishaps that other producers would edit out), his blog, Bitten, and ambitious cookbooks, like How to Cook Everything and The Best Recipes in the World.

After a decade as the "Minimalist," Bittman has emerged a respected spokesperson on all things edible: He's concerned about the ecological and health impacts of our modern diet, which he characterizes as overwhelmingly meat-centered and hooked on fast food. His criticism has the world listening: His revolutionary How to Cook Everything Vegetarian (sequel to How to Cook Everything), is a bestseller, and his memorable talk at the 2007 EG Conference (available now on TED.com) delivered a stinging condemnation of the way we eat now. A subsequent New York Times article pursued the same argument.

Bittman's newest book, Food Matters, explores the link between our eating habits and the environment, offering an accessible plan for a planet-friendly diet.

Mark Bittman’s TED talk

More news and ideas from Mark Bittman

Mark Bittman and Isaac Mizrahi on braised artichokes

January 12, 2009

This odd couple banters their way through a lesson on braising artichokes as part of Isaac Mizrahi’s (watch his 2008 TEDTalk) series of webisodes. The dish itself? Artichokes braised with pancetta in lemon juice and white wine — elegant yet simple, and in line with Bittman’s charge to eat more vegetables. These two don’t let […]

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A heavy education for New York City commuters

October 8, 2008

Many of us don’t know how to eat. (And it’s making us fat, sick and disconnected.) This poster and three more like it are turning up in New York subways, confronting us with the vagueness that goes into our food choices. If you really knew that a fast-food burrito meal was 1170 calories — more […]

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