1st Edition
Plant-Forward Cuisine Basic Concepts and Practical Applications
Plant-forward Cuisine is a beautifully illustrated book that promotes the environmental and health benefits of a plant-forward diet and will inspire readers with a range of exciting recipes.
The book addresses the urgent need to make changes to those culinary cultures where animal-sourced proteins play a central role. To ensure that there is enough food for a growing world population, to lessen the burden on the environment, and to promote healthier, sustainable eating patterns, it is crucial to transition to a diet that focuses primarily on plants as the key ingredients. Yet, many people dislike the taste of plants because of their texture and lack of sweetness and umami. Luckily, the book provides a solution to these challenges. It offers key scientific descriptions of the physical characteristics of plants, mushrooms, algae, and fungi and their nutritional components, along with information about creation of texture and flavour. Armed with this knowledge, the recipes then provide tips and tricks for transforming plants into delicious meals with pleasing textures and flavours. The authors stress that it is not necessary to embrace a fully vegetarian or vegan diet. Rather, they suggest that taking a flexitarian approach, which incorporates small quantities of animal products to elicit umami, may be a more viable and lasting solution for people at large. Throughout the text readers will find interesting narratives about various aspects of green-food gastronomy around the world. The book concludes with two helpful reference sections: a glossary of main ingredients used in the recipes and a compilation of ingredients that can be used to add taste and aroma.
This book will be of great interest to those concerned with building a sustainable food system, and it will serve as a practical guide for those seeking to transition to plant-rich diets without compromising their taste experience and enjoyment of food.
1. Green Cuisine 1
2. Toward a plant-foward diet
3. Toward a planet-friedly diet
4. The building blocks of green cuisine
5. Understanding the taste experience
6. Green cuisine comes in many colours
7. Adding taste and texture
8. The nutritional underpinnings of green cuisine
9. Organic and conventional farming
10. Final Words
11. A glossary of the main plant ingredients from A to Z
12. The Flavour Accelerators
13. Recipes
Biography
Ole G. Mouritsen is a research scientist and Emeritus Professor of gastrophysics and culinary food innovation at University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is the President of the Danish Gastronomical Academy and Founder and past Director of the National Danish Taste Centre, Taste for Life.
Klavs Styrbæk is a professional chef who owns and operates STYRBÆKS. He is the author of the award-winning cookbook Mormors Mad (Grandmother’s Food, 2006). He has twice been awarded an honours diploma for excellence in the culinary arts by the Danish Gastronomical Academy.
Mariela Johansen, who has Danish roots and an international background, lives in Canada. She has worked
with Ole and Klavs to translate and adapt several of their books for an English language readership, two of which have won regional Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in the translation category.
“Ole and Klaus—a scientist and a chef—have beautifully combined their years of expertise to show how this amazing fusion of knowledge can help us to face the future by looking to tradition. This is a book to think about, to feel, to taste, and to enjoy...”
Juan Carlos Arboleya, Professor at the Basque Culinary Institute“Ole has done it again! A visionary book that re-imagines the future of sustainable food by centering on deliciousness. A recipe for a better, more pleasurable future. Read it. Share it. Read it again.”
Rob Dunn, Professor and Author of Delicious“Ole’s team challenge us to use umami, mouthfeel and our five senses to increase the variety of plant-based foods consumed, inspiring scientists, chefs and the curious home cook to reduce environmental impact.”
Sally Gras, Professor and Deputy director of Plants4Space, Australia“Another outstanding collaboration from physicist-gourmand Ole Mouritsen and chef Klavs Styrbaek, Plant-forward Cuisine is a richly detailed guide to good eating in the 21st century: good for our own well being, and for the planet’s.”
Harold McGee, Author of On Food and Cooking and Nose Dive“In this book Ole and Klavs, with each their respective areas of expertise, give a necessary boost to some of the more overlooked members of the plant kingdom. Everything is underscored by solid research and a deep understanding of the science behind flavours, aromas, and textures. A wonderful read for chefs and amateur cooks alike.”
Rasmus Munk, Head Chef and Co-Owner, Restaurant Alchemist**“A fascinating, bold, and beautiful journey into the science and deliciousness of plants.”
Amy Rowat, Professor and Founder of Science & Food, UCLA“I can’t decide what’s more thrilling, Ole Mouritsen’s astonishing depth of knowledge or Klavs Styrbæk’s wildly creative recipes. Plant-forward Cuisine is as delightful to read as it is beautiful to look at.”
Mark Schatzker, Author of The Dorito Effect and The End of Craving“At last, an inspiring book, written by a chef and a scientist, on the future of eating that addresses the solution as well as the problem of how to eat healthily and sustainably for pleasure and for the planet.”
Barry Smith, Professor and Director of the U-London Center for the Study of the Senses“Plant-forward Cuisine is a culinary adventure for your taste buds and your mind. The dazzling photos and mouthwatering recipes will tempt you to get cooking and learning about the science of flavour, texture, and a sustainable future for our planet.”
Pia Sörensen, Co-author of Science & Cooking, Harvard University
