THE MINDFUL KITCHEN

Heather Thomas

Quarto Group UK, $45

“We did not weave the web of life, we are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.” A century and a half before Greta Thunberg, North American tribal leader Chief Seattle warned that we scorn Mother Nature at our peril. Chief Seattle’s quote opens the intro to this book, in which Heather Thomas suggests ways to create sustainable change through food. Reading her manifesto is like nibbling on a sizable portion of hope. She points to research that shows the more we begin to identify as being part of nature, the greater our well-being, in all senses. Her aim is to help us reconnect with the natural world by eating locally, seasonally and organically, and by changing our eating goals. Five sections titled Eating for Vitality, for Comfort, Creativity, Connection and Celebration contain tasty, wholesome recipes, with mini-reflections on our relationship with food and the world that produces it. This is a lovely book with heart – not to mention easy dishes – that shows we can each make a difference, one forkful at a time.