Book Review: Sustainable Kitchen

Sustainable Kitchen: Projects, tips and advice to shop, cook and eat in a more eco-conscious way by Sadhbh Moore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This combination DIY guide and cookbook is broken into practical categories: “Sustainable Food” talks about what sustainability actually is, its impact, what’s going on with the carbon and water in our food, how to shop, alternatives to shopping—I’m a forager, so I’m very happy to see that option included—and teaches us the terminology needed to navigate sustainable resources. In other words, this section gives you a crash-course in sustainability to get you up to speed. Then, it’s time to dig in.

In “Creating a Sustainable Kitchen”, we learn how to make the busiest room in our homes more sustainable. This includes equipment recommendations, best practices for storage containers (making your own bowl covers will leave any bread maker squealing happily), smart use of energy and water, and more. I’ll be giving the garlic soap pesticide a try as bugs are a constant battle around here. This might be my favorite section, as I’m always looking for ways to make my country kitchen a smarter place to work.

The next two sections take us into preparing our food. “Cooking Foundations” teaches efficient ways to make better use of the food you have. There’s a few recipes to get you started in sprouting, preserving and krauting, as well as things to do with the bits and pieces of veg that you’ve been throwing away. And then finally, we get to the recipes! “Cooking” is filled with simple, wholesome, appetizing recipes accompanied by fresh and clean, simplistic photography.

After we enjoy our meal, it’s time to tidy up. “Clean Down” is just what you might think. You’ll learn about eco-friendly cleaning products and practices, and alternative ideas for what to do with your waste.

If what you’ve read so far has you excited about introducing positive changes into your lifestyle, there’s no need for you to feel alone in your endeavors. “Seeking a Sustainable Community” is filled with resources to help you get involved with others.

I recommend this cookbook or anyone who’s looking for practical ways to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Home gardeners will love the recipes, kids can have fun making ecobricks, and new cooks can form healthy habits right from the start. The book’s beautiful enough to make a lovely gift. Buy two so you can keep one for yourself. And now I’m off to see about making a Spring Greens and Quinoa Stew.

My thanks to authors Sadhbh Moore and Abi Aspen Glencross, Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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