Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic: Cook Well, Eat Well, Live Well [Paperback]

I really liked this cookbook from the first read. The primer on organic cooking isn't too long but get's in all the main points I think should be there. The recipes are not terribly cohesive, but they sound delicious and they are not over-worked. Most of them have nicely pared down ingredient lists that won't have you buying obscure spices you never use again (with the exception of some obscure salts, that I replace with, well, salt). I've tried five of them so far and they've been pretty much spot on.

The photography is great. I shouldn't care, but frankly an enticing picture of the finished product is a good motivator for me to try something new. Not every recipe is illustrated but it seemed like the majority had pictures.

The only drawback I can offer you is that the recipes, while actually pretty easy, feel a little on the gourmet side for "weekday dinner" use. This where it becomes apparent that this book was written by an heiress in the Getty family. To some degree that was really a problem in my head I had to get past. At first couldn't see serving "Arugula and strawberry salad with pumpkin seeds" to my pre-school aged kids, but then I realized I've always got strawberries around for them to eat, I can buy pumpkin seeds in bulk, and once I replaced the arugula with something a little less bitter I had a really easy salad my kids devour. Once you get past titles that sound like they would be complicated you get down to a really good "idea" cookbook that can stretch your cooking out a little.

It's hard not to give this cookbook five stars, Getty has managed to bridge a lot of tricky gaps (organic primer + gourmet + practical daily cooking + creative recipes) in a book that's just easy to cook with. Well worth buying.

I read through Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic book and then read through a few of the reviews. It seemed like the reviews were pretty bipolar, but I guess that's to be expected when the book title seems to suggest that it is a guide for both eating and living "green". This book is 80% cookbook, and I think if left with just that, it would easily score a full five stars. However the title suggests that it should be more than just a cookbook but rather a cookbook guiding you to going green.

<--As a Cookbook-->

For those looking for a good cookbook, Easy/Green/Organic is a good and safe bet. The instructions are clear and most (not all) of the recipes have a picture of the finished product so you get an idea of what you're striving for. I would consider the recipes in this book very California cuisine oriented. Lots of fresh veggies, fruits, olive oil with a meat-included dish every five to ten recipes. This is not what I would consider a "Beginner" level book. If you need to know how to slice, chop, mince or have your hand held every step of the way, this book is not quite at that level. If you can understand and accomplish: "Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, scallions and peas and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, being careful not to burn the shallots. Add the pea tendrils and cook until soft, about 4 minutes" then you'll be fine.

Most of the recipes are vegetarian friendly but not all. There are quite a few calling for meat (chicken/shrimp/beef/scallops) as well as a meat based stock. That being said, for those who are not interested in vegetarian meals, it should be noted that the majority of the recipes are meat-free (not that this is a bad thing, just an FYI).

<--Going Green-->

My biggest issue with this book is the very light and yet simultaneously heavy-handed approach that the book uses to impart information on "Going Green." Of the nearly 240 pages which make up this book, only about 35 of those pages are devoted specifically to tips on going green. A few more pages can be compiled and added to that 35 count by way of the little "Did you know?" and "Green tip" factual tidbits sprinkled throughout the book.

Now if the book had simply offered suggestions and tips for going green that would be one thing, but the author goes the extra step of attempting to convince you with reasons on why you should go Green/Organic/Sustainable. Unfortunately many of the reasons aren't really substantiated with facts, but rather a "Non-organic foods have pesticides. Pesticides are bad," sort of argument. So as soon as someone asks you to explain why pesticides are bad when we've been using them for decades, well you're at a loss because that information wasn't really provided. As an example, the entire argument against using Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's) is that "...others (including myself) argue that there are unknown health effects as well as potential environmental hazards in the proliferation of GMO crops." The tips on getting new gadgets for the kitchen amounts to: Make sure you really need it, and if you do, look for an Energy Star label.

<--Conclusion-->

If you like Californian cuisine, purchase this book. The recipes are nice, fresh and formatted in a easy to digest fashion. While none of the recipes are extremely awe-inspiring, it does contain a good cross-section of items to get you started in figuring out what part of the cuisine you want to hone in on. Again, this book is vegetarian "friendly," not "exclusive". Other Californian cuisine books I would recommend are: Live, Love, Eat!: The Best of Wolfgang Puck and The French Laundry Cookbook. If you want to go the complete opposite direction, I suggest The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl.

If you were interested in buying this book as a resource on going green or organic (and not so much for the cooking), I would suggest passing in favor of a more robust offering. The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, Organic, Inc.: Natural Foods and How They Grew and To Buy or Not to Buy Organic: What You Need to Know to Choose the Healthiest, Safest, Most Earth-Friendly Food are all books I recommend on the subject.

Excellent book! Far superior than any other organic cookbook I own. This one is truly "easy green organic". Anna Getty not only gives us a cookbook with 100 outstandingly simple, tasty and organic recipes, she devotes much of the book to environmental safe foods, products, cleaning and excellent tips and hints to becoming greener and healthier for ourselves and our environment. The recipes are amazing...clean, fresh, tasty and gorgeous. Her Double Lemon Chicken Breasts with Fresh Tomato Basil Salsa is outstanding...Simple, tasty and gorgeous. Her Belgian Endive and Fennel Gratin is a new staple dish in my home now. It is replacing mashed potatos in our house! It is so easy..creamy, cheesy..YUM!
Belgia Endive and Fennel Gratin:
6 Belgian endive
3 Fennel Bulbs
1 C Chicken Stock
2 Tbs Salted Butter
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Tbs. Sugar
2 Tbs. Heavy Cream
1 C finely grated Swiss Cheese
1/2 C Plain Dry Bread Crumbs.
SO Good!
From starters like German Potato Pancakes to desserts like Amy B's Espresso Chocolate Pudding Cake this book has it all and it is all organic! Wish it had a sprial bound binding, but other than that, no complaints about this book!

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