Most cookbooks exist to fulfill a very simple mission: To provide the inspiration and instructions to create food. The best cookbooks go further, using food as the vehicle to tell stories. It’s a subject that touches every facet of life, so to address it in a vacuum without those establishing details creates an unmet hunger. For anyone else that sees beyond the ingredients to how they were grown and who grew them, the treatment of animals, issues of food justice and equality, I’ve got a book for you.
Groundbakers by mother and daughter team Kathy and Mackenzie Feldman addresses our food system as a whole while providing the tools to start fixing it, piece by piece. It starts with education from esteemed experts in the field, also known as groundbakers.
Hemp Granola
What is a “groundbaker” and who are they?
GROUNDBAKER (ground-bay-ker) – Noun: An individual who is an originator, innovator, or pioneer in the transformation toward a just and regenerative food system.
Chickpea “Crab” Cakes
The list of contributors reads like a who’s who of culinary visionaries:
- Alieen Suzara
- Alice Waters
- Anna Lappé
- Bob Moore
- Bryant Terry
- Daphne Miller
- Dean Wilhelm
- Gail Myers
- José Andrés
- Leah Penniman
- Liz Carlisle
- Malia Smith
- Maricela Vega
- Michel Nischan
- Sean Sherman
- Steven Lawenda
Matt’s Loco Moco
With those insights come over 60 recipes to make some tough messages more palatable. There really is something in here for everyone- Vegan, gluten-free, and everything in between. I know firsthand that these dishes are every bit as compelling as the writing because I was lucky enough to create the photos.
Southwestern Salad
Over the course of five years, I got to capture the culmination of those stories, which always end in a good meal. You’ll find all your favorite classic comfort foods here, like sloppy Joe’s, mac and cheese, bagels with “lox,” hearty chili, and so much more. These are everyday staples that will quickly become indispensable for anyone that likes to cook, host, or eat.
Salted Tahini Banana Bread
Groundbakers In Real Life
Another commonality between the best cookbooks is they’re even better when shared. Who do you think qualifies as a groundbaker in your life, or which one of the groundbakers in this book is most inspirational?