Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen

I saw Anna in Asheville and thought her presentation was excellent -- thorough, compelling and hopeful. Finally I have a perfect word for healthy, high quality -- GOOD -- food for ALL. It's GRUB! As a registered dietitian, I wholeheartedly embrace Grub. It's informative, useful and easy to read. It's a jam-packed, how-to primer for a new way of eating and belongs on our kitchen table for insightful inspiration and recipes. I'm buying Grub for my 20-something children who have influence over their friends and tremendous buying power to influence their future food system. Anna is a synergistic brilliant blend of her famous mother AND father -- Grub, in fact, is dedicated to the latter. Make no mistake though, Anna independently flies on her own -- as Grub proves -- in her vision and drive to correct the industrial, corporate food injustices in the world. "Local, just and fair" -- that's GRUB. Get it and make a difference. Melinda Hemmelgarn, M.S., R.D. Food Sleuth, LLC

I have to say I was extremely surprised to see this book deemed "superficial" by reviewer "the librarian" below. Grub is anything but. Specifically, "the abundantly documented health and environmental ills of the the meat and dairy industry and the massive disinformation campaigns of those industries" are indeed highlighted in Grub, in which Lappe outlines six illusions of our modern day food supply. A whole chapter on health delves into many of the health ramifications of industrial food. I'm guessing the reviewer "librarian" hasn't read the book? One of the things I really appreciate about Grub, is the non-dogmatic way it goes about informing the reader about good food. Yes, there are clear lines at times between good and bad food. For example, it is very easy to make the distinction between a generic label milk product bought from Wal-Mart produced by a cow pumped with hormones and antibiotics, and fed GM soy and corn in a closed feedlot & a small organic dairy farm 30 miles from your home that you buy milk from on a weekly basis at the farmer's market. Easy distinction. But when it comes to many of our food choices, there are grey areas, that need to be looked at on a case-by-case basis. For example, would you choose certified organic broccoli (grown in California) OR whatever locally-grown green vegetable you can find, that may not be organic? Support a far-away farmer that upholds the organic standards and practices sound ecological methods, or support a close-to-home farmer that has not yet phased out all chemicals from production? It's a tough call from an environmental and health standpoint, and I don't pretend to have the answer. Perhaps this is what the author means about it not being so clear and easy to write off some foods as good and others as bad. With her well-informed analysis in Grub and previous excellence in Hope's Edge, I'm certainly inclined to think so. Librarian in Asheville, I encourage you to give this book a closer look.

As someone who reads and reviews dozens of books on food and farming each year, I highly recommend Grub. Where else can you find a great read, cookbook, and party planer, all rolled into one? Very rarely does a book as complete and engaging as Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen, make it to the mainstream. Grub, as defined by the authors, Anna Lapp? and Bryan Terry, is "healthy, local, sustainable food for all... food that supports community, justice, and sustainability." Blending a healthy mix of information, analysis, and scrumptious recipes, Grub is the ideal kitchen, classroom, or bedside companion for all things food. Part 1 is a well-written expos? of the industrial food complex, replete with revealing graphics and information. Part 2 features a diverse cookbook that champions seasonal and whole foods, from vegan to carnivorous options. The most exciting part Grub is its underlying objective: to build community around a just and sustainable food system. Grub provides a guide to throwing "Grub Parties," complete with recipes and discussion guides, making this book not only a fantastic catalyst to taking the next step in rescuing our food system. If you are going to buy one book on food or farming this year, Grub is the one to get. Ryan Zinn Organic Consumers Association

There are a lot of things that I love about this book. First, the authors use humor to present some really serious news, simplifying a set of complex factors that have led to our very broken food "industry". Second, they artfully show the intersection of the health, environmental and social justice issues that play out in food production and food choices. Third, they remind us that eating healthfully doesn't mean we're limited to tofu veggie stir fries and rice cakes every day of the week. Finally, Grub is really accessible, and is a perfect tool for educating friends and family members about these issues without worrying about offending anyone by saying the wrong thing at the wrong moment. I already consider myself a healthy eater - but after reading Grub, I feel so much more inspired to make thoughtful choices, buy from my local farmers market and have more fun creating beautiful, delicious and healthy meals. Just in time for summer!

I just picked this book up and i love it! When was the last time you read a cookbook that was also an activist tool or vice versa? I love that Lappe and Terry provide a wider context for understanding our food supply and several tools to make a difference, especially on the local front. And the super yummy and creative recipes (along with poems and soundtracks) just can't be beat. I have already started shopping for my grub kitchen and planning a grub party. In other words, I plan to get my grub on!