Grub: ideas for an urban organic kitchen, by Anna Lappe and Bryant Terry, is in many ways similar to Mark Bittman's Food Matters, recently reviewed here. Grub is divided into two main parts: a discussion of organic food and how it relates to our health, diet, environment and the American food industries, and a selection of "Grub"-style menus with recipes and wine suggestions. Essentially, Lappe and Terry are outlining a new dietary plan involving organic and whole grain food, and focusing on home-cooking.
Part 1 is written by Lappe, highlighting the reasons for supporting the organic movement, and debunking many of the arguments against organic farming, such as efficiency, cost, and lack of product choice. She makes a strong argument for why you, the reader, should adopt the authors' plan (called Grub), and outlines how to prepare your kitchen and pantry for this new style of eating.
One small section I found very helpful was the Cheat Sheet for a Cocktail Party, consisting of the "top 10 reasons why eating grub is a very good idea". These are short elevator speeches you can use at parties or when you end up in a discussion with someone skeptical of the organic movement (if you, yourself are a supporter of course).
The second part of the book, written by Terry, is full of Grub recipes, divided by theme and season. Many of the recipes sound very good, and he incorporates Tina-approved ingredients, such as whole wheat pasta and other whole grains. I did think some of the meals had too many elements, calling for a substantial amount of time in the kitchen and the creation of a lot of dishes. This is something I try to take into consideration, especially when cooking during the week. Perhaps those menus could be saved for a special occasion.
Check out the Grub website for more information on the recipes and shopping lists.
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