The Organic Cook's Bible: How to Select and Cook the Best Ingredients on the Market

by Jeff Cox

Overview

As more and more cooks look to organic foods for their flavor and health benefits, The Organic Cook's Bible is a much-needed resource that demystifies the array of organic ingredients available and details how to choose, store, and prepare them. An indispensable reference for home cooks, gardeners, and chefs, this book is much more than a produce guide; it also covers meat and poultry, dairy and eggs, beans and grains, herbs and spices, and more—organized alphabetically within each section for easy reference.

Although organic foods are more readily available than they were just a few years ago, it takes a little effort to go organic in today's processed world. This book makes it easier, with in-depth descriptions of over 150 organic foods. It explains what makes these foods more flavorful and nutritious than their nonorganic equivalents and gives information on nutrition, seasonality, what to look for, storage and preparation, and uses. More than 250 recipes capture the great taste of organic ingredients and add variety to everyday meals, with dishes like Winter Squash Soup with Pumpkin Seeds, Hazelnut- Crusted Pork Loin, and Rhubarb-Huckleberry Pie—many contributed by leading organic chefs. There's even a special Top Varieties section that lists over 900 of the best varieties of organic and heirloom produce available in the United States. The Organic Cook's Bible also includes:

• More than 150 color photos that help cooks identify exotic as well as classic varieties
• Tips for organic gardeners, nutrition charts, and profiles on organic growers
• Rules of thumb to help cooks choose the best, freshest organic foods
• Keep an Eye Out for . . . notes about extra-special delicacies, such as Snow Queen nectarines, Navajo-Churro lamb, and black walnuts
• A sources section listing organic food suppliers, farming organizations, and web sites

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780471445784
Publisher:	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date:	04/17/2006
Pages:	560
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.70(d)

About the Author

Jeff Cox was an editor of Organic Gardening throughout the 1970s, when that magazine led the fledgling organic movement from a fringe idea to a mainstream lifestyle choice with a following of millions. He’s written seventeen books and countless magazine articles about organic produce, gardening, and wine, and serves as a national judge for the James Beard Foundation’s annual awards. He has hosted public television’s Your Organic Garden and Grow It! On HGTV. He lives in Santa Rosa, California.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements.

Introduction.

How This Book is Organized.

Discovering Organic Food.

Why Go Organic?

Talking with Farmers.

Vegetables.

Fruits.

Nuts, Seeds, Beans, and Grains.

Herbs and Spices.

Meats, Dairy, and Eggs.

Kitchen Staples.

Top Varieties of Organic Produce.

Recipes by Category. 

Sources.

Bibliography.

Index.

Editorial Reviews

"One of my most treasured wedding gifts was a copy of the Columbia Encyclopedia. I would put 'The Organic Cook's Bible' in that same category, as an all-purpose reference." (New York Times, June 7, 2007)

Cox (Cellaring Wine), a veteran organic gardener, provides an encyclopedic guide to organic ingredients from fruits and vegetables to meats and dairy products, plus "kitchen staples" like coffee, bouillon and flour. Unlike most reference books, his is filled with personal touches: sidebars like "My Favorite Cherries" and "Keep an Eye Out for Black Walnuts" tell about Cox's encounters with foods, and even within the technical portions of the entries—which give information on nutrition, seasonality, storage, preparation and so on, as well as brief, fascinating histories of a food's cultivation—Cox often takes a personal approach. There are recipes using nearly every ingredient, most prepared simply to highlight a particular flavor, as in potent Rosemary Pesto, but others incorporate a food into heartier fare, like Caraway-Infused Pork. Though Cox's frequent pauses to extol organic food's virtues are of the preaching-to-the-choir variety, his abundant, knowledgeable advice on how to find and use the best products, and his presentation of special varieties of the ingredients make this a helpful resource for shoppers who are both bewildered and excited by the offerings in an ever-expanding field. Color photos not seen by PW. (Apr.) (Publishers Weekly, January 30, 2006)

From the Publisher

Cox (Cellaring Wine), a veteran organic gardener, provides an encyclopedic guide to organic ingredients from fruits and vegetables to meats and dairy products, plus "kitchen staples" like coffee, bouillon and flour. Unlike most reference books, his is filled with personal touches: sidebars like "My Favorite Cherries" and "Keep an Eye Out for Black Walnuts" tell about Cox's encounters with foods, and even within the technical portions of the entries-which give information on nutrition, seasonality, storage, preparation and so on, as well as brief, fascinating histories of a food's cultivation-Cox often takes a personal approach. There are recipes using nearly every ingredient, most prepared simply to highlight a particular flavor, as in potent Rosemary Pesto, but others incorporate a food into heartier fare, like Caraway-Infused Pork. Though Cox's frequent pauses to extol organic food's virtues are of the preaching-to-the-choir variety, his abundant, knowledgeable advice on how to find and use the best products, and his presentation of special varieties of the ingredients make this a helpful resource for shoppers who are both bewildered and excited by the offerings in an ever-expanding field. Color photos not seen by PW. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Cox (Your Organic Garden) has authored numerous books on organic foods, hosted two television shows, and is a member of and competition judge for the James Beard Foundation. In this excellent illustrated resource for novice and more advanced cooks, he covers fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, edible flowers, grains, herbs, spices, meat, dairy, and eggs. There are more than 250 well-developed and delicious recipes (e.g., Orange Salad, Penne with Broccoli and Fava Beans), detailed information on 150 alphabetically organized foods, and a "Top Varieties" section listing nearly 1000 of the best produce varieties available in the United States. Cox's belief in healthier living is seen throughout the book not only in his passion for organics but also through his wise food choices. He helps educate and inspire all to live a better life by going organic. Recommended for all libraries.-Jennifer A. Wickes, Food Pursuit, Pine Beach, NJ Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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