Our Favorite New Books For Climate-Friendly Cooking and Life
Every spring and fall, the BA office gets buried with advance copies of the season’s newest cookbooks. It’s always fun to trend-spot (remember bowl food?), and this spring’s theme was particularly obvious: the climate. Vegan cookbooks and guides to low-waste living piled on our desks pre-lockdown (a bit of an irony considering the trees they were printed on, but, hey, e-books are always an option). Not all the new offerings caught our attention, but these four stood out. From the cookbook providing some plant-based kitchen inspiration to the manual that decodes confusing food labels once and for all, these books are helping us go greener for Earth Day and beyond.
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Photo by Laura Murray1/4Vegetable Kingdom
What you’ll find: Author Bryant Terry’s latest lauded vegan cookbook is catnip for farmers’ market fanatics. Each chapter explores the abundance of plants by focusing on a different category of vegetables—like seeds (beans, peas, and sweet corn) and stems (asparagus, celery, kohlrabi)—with fiercely flavorful recipes influenced by Asia and the African diaspora. Terry knows how to make vegetables taste like the most vibrant, delicious versions of themselves, and he’s also committed to maximizing plant parts normally destined for compost (or trash) with recipes for corn cob stock, sautéed kale stems, and braised leek tops.
What to check out first: Panko-crusted cauliflower and coconut curry, butternut squash and sesame seed hand pies, gumbo des herbes with red beans and tempeh.
Buy it: Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes, $20
Photo by Laura Murray2/4La Vida Verde
What you’ll find: Jocelyn Ramirez has refined the art of vegan tacos through her beloved L.A. catering business and pop-up Todo Verde—and now she’s sharing her recipes. Ramirez draws from traditional techniques and pre-colonial indigenous ingredients like squash and corn, plus a few smart swaps like cashew-based queso fresco, to create plant-based riffs on the dishes she grew up making alongside her abuela. Her tamales, gorditas, and nachos are vetted by her family—an “angry audience who felt threatened by the idea of changing their beloved cheese sauce for a plant-based version”—and they’re exactly what we want to eat right now.
What to check out first Ceviche de palmitas (heart of palm ceviche), tostadas de yaca en chile verde (jackfruit green chile tostadas), and horchata negra con chia (black rice horchata with chia).
Buy it: La Vida Verde: Plant-Based Mexican Cooking with Authentic Flavor, $16
Photo by Laura Murray3/4How to Be a Conscious Eater
What you’ll find: If you’ve ever stalled out in the refrigerated aisle debating the environmental merits of oat vs. almond milk, add this book to your bedside table. Sophie Egan provides clear, non-judgmental information: What is the difference between free range vs. pasture raised? The truth about sell-by dates? You (mostly) don’t need to follow them. It’s a practical guide that empowers readers to understand the plethora of labels and claims out there and make informed food choices every time you go to the store.
What to check out first: A primer on sustainable seafood, a chart comparing the amount of water needed to produce different proteins, how to read the front of a food package.
Buy it: How to Be a Conscious Eater: Making Food Choices That Are Good for You, Others, and the Planet, $13
Photo by Laura Murray4/4Simply Living Well
What you’ll find: Julia Watkins provides techniques for transitioning to a lower-waste lifestyle by using what’s already on hand instead of heading to the store to stock up on muslin and mason jars. Each chapter is a blueprint for self-reliance, from DIY dishwasher detergent to backyard composting basics, with plenty of accessible advice for those of us without herb gardens or sewing machines.
What to check out first: Exhaustive tips on storing fruits and vegetables, patterns for turning old bedding into reusable drawstring bags, and a recipe for apple-core cider vinegar.
Buy it: Simply Living Well: A Guide to Creating a Natural, Low-Waste Home, $22
