Book Review – The Green Teen Cook Book: Recipes for All Seasons Written By Teens

The Green Teen Cook Book: Recipes for All Seasons
Written by Teens, for Teens
Edited by Laurane Marchive & Pam McElroy
Release Date: July 29, 2014
Publisher: Zest Books
Genre: Cooking
ISBN: 978-1-936976-58-4
Source: Received from Publisher
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Going green is hard to do especially when it comes to food. There are acronyms to learn, labels to decipher, seasons to accommodate, and grocery stores to navigateand that’s before you even turn on the stove! The Green Teen Cookbook cuts through the chaos and shows teens how to shop smarter, cook more consciously, and eat a healthier diet. And in addition to the 70+ incredible recipes (created by teens, for teens), the book also includes:

* Illuminating essays about freeganism, flexitarians, vegetarianism, and more
* Tips about how to shop on a budget and get the most out of what you already have in your pantry
* A seasonal key that ensures the freshness of the recipes (and a minimal carbon footprint)
* Photos for each of the 70+ recipes

As someone who loves food and is always striving to eat healthier, The Green Teen Cook Book was right up my alley. This cook book is a great cook book to have in your collection no matter your age or experience. My teen years were not that long ago and my cooking experience is about the same as back then ha ha, so this was also a great encouragement to appreciate every step while preparing what I eat.

The Green Teen Cook Book starts off with an introduction from the editor and a brief note on kitchen safety before getting into six essays on a variety of matters. I appreciated the essay on buying fruits and vegetables seasonally but I wish there was also a guide showing when these fruits and vegetables are in season. On the other hand, I appreciated the essay on buying locally (at farmer’s markets for instance) and having a resource guide in the back of the book of a few farmer’s markets to get people in certain cities started.

What I really appreciated though was the emphasis all throughout the book really of being conscious of what you’re eating. This is so important and for me the big takeaway because it’s what I really need to focus on this year moving forward. So this really was at the front of my mind the entire time that I was reading the book.

Of course there are a ton of recipes (including breakfast, main entrees, snacks, desserts, and more). Some recipes that stood out to me include the Yogurt Muesli, Vegetable Couscous, Green Pesto Tagliatelle, and Apple Chips. I could go on but some others (like French Toast) are classics and some others (not to be named) are fun recipes I want you to stumble upon yourself. Every recipe comes with a photo which is SO important in cook books. I don’t own cook books without photos. I just don’t. So photos were a must!

A plus though were the tips on each page, one for each recipe. That was clever. But we can’t have a green cook book (or any good cook book for that matter) without an awesome line up of kitchen staples. These came before the recipes and the two that stood out to me were the vinaigrette dressing and the vegetable stock. I don’t know why but I’ve always wanted to know how to make vegetable stock and now I know.

Anyway, I loved the layout and structure of this cook book, the photos, and the fact that this cook book is a collection of recipes from teens. That is so cool! I wish I had this cook book when I was a teenager. It’s things like this that are such a great encouragement when you’re a teenager. It’s still encouraging now but it’s not the same. So if you’re a teenager now with this cook book in your possession or the ability to have it in your possession, be sure to get it and have a blast making these recipes!

The Green Teen Cook Book: Recipes for All Seasons Written by Teens, for Teens Edited by Laurane Marchive & Pam McElroy releases July 29, 2014.