Review
jae offers practical advice and truly delicious recipes in her friendly, never-judgmental voice. This book is a breath of fresh, yummy air.
-Jessica Porter, author of The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics ― Jessica Porter
jae's debut book is an inspiring read. As an avid cook and foodie with an extremely nomadic lifestyle, finding balance through nutrition has been a challenge over the years, so I appreciate the depth of encyclopedic information this cookbook provides. Get It Ripe is a friendly nudge not only toward eating well and leading healthy lives, but also to supporting local farmers and being more responsible for the way we consume. Thanks for the book, jae! And for all the delicious treats you've graced our hungry dressing rooms with over the years.
-Sarah Neufeld, of the Arcade Fire and the Bell Orchestre ― Sarah Neufeld, of the Arcade Fire and the Bell Orchestre
Gutsy, intimate, refreshing, informative, nutritious and delicious--in Get It Ripe, jae has written the cookbook I have been wanting to recommend to patients for more than a decade. Thank you for compiling, with so much care and enthusiasm, an eating guide for a lifetime of good health--for us and for the planet.
-Sat Dharam Kaur, ND, author of The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Breast Cancer and The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Women's Health ― Sat Dharam Kaur
Get It Ripe is awesome! Here is a book that tells us how eating luscious foods will make us healthy. jae pays homage to Eastern traditional understandings of the body and the most recent findings of Western nutritional science. Her enthusiasm for healthy eating is contagious. With her simple-to-follow and uncomplicated recipes, she creates dishes that will tempt vegans and omnivores alike. In this book, packed full of culinary tips for beginners and seasoned chefs, jae has gone well beyond the basics of vegan eating, affirming that we vegans never have to compromise on taste.
-Ruth Tal, owner of Fresh restaurants (Toronto), and author of Juice for Life, Fresh at Home, and reFresh ― Ruth Tal, owner of Fresh
Get It Ripe is full of thought-provoking info on sustainable food, decoding grocery store labels, and holistic ideas on how to heal and balance our bodies through what we put in our mouths. Not to mention all the mouth-watering recipes that will make you want to jump in your kitchen and start cooking up a storm! The book is not just for vegans, it's for anyone who wants to treat their body, the planet, and their taste buds good.
- Adria Vasil, author of Ecoholic ― Adria Vasil
jae's inviting approach to whole foods is both pragmatic and uplifting. Get It Ripe offers big-picture broad stokes and meaningful details for delicious, nutritious food every day (regardless of one's dietary denomination!). If you love your body and the planet, this book is a sure thing.
- Renee Loux, author of EasyGreen Living, The Balanced Plate, and Living Cuisine ― Renee Loux
Much more than a vegan recipe book or lifestyle guide, Get It Ripe is a well-balanced healthy eating manual, hands-on cooking lesson, and cookbook all rolled into one.... Setting all preachiness aside, jae presents a fluid dietary model that takes inspiration from a wide breadth of approaches, providing straight-ahead guidance but ultimately leaving it up to the readers to make their own choices. And the eatin's pretty darn good too!
-Gayla Trail, author of You Grow Girl ― Gayla Trail
Toronto-based registered holistic nutritionist and author Steele has worked some magic in her attempt to teach the beginner vegetarian/vegan about the health benefits of the lifestyle with food that isn't bland.This isn't strictly a cookbook. The title says it all. Steele spends the first 100 pages of the book outlining what veganism means, from political motivations to the alternative health thinking behind it.
-Taste TO ― Taste TO
Although Get It Ripe is touted as a cookbook, it reads as a very intelligent and unique approach to the vegan lifestyle..... [jae steele] educates the reader about the "whole picture" of veganism in a non-judgmental manner that is impressive, not to mention tasty!
-Organic Lifestyles ― Organic Lifestyles
As much vegan primer as cookbook, Get It Ripe is a great starter book for anyone stumbling through those first months of life without dairy and meat. The author offers plenty of nutritional, prep and shopping information.
-Associated Press ― Associated Press
This is a comprehensive guide to veganism as it relates to cuisine, health, and politics. It is essential for public libraries.... Doubling as a vegan handbook and cookbook, this volume does an excellent job on both fronts. You'll find tantalizing ideas like Red Star Sauce (mock cheese sauce made with nutritional yeast) and Chocolate Pudding with Chipotle.
-Library Journal ― Library Journal
Whether you just want a new recipe for fabulous muffins, or are desperate to prove to loved ones that eco-friendly vegan eating can taste good, Get It Ripe will be your go-to cookbook.
-CanadianLiving.com ― CanadianLiving.com
A fun guide to preparing tasty, vegan dishes that anyone would enjoy.
-The O'Mama Report (Organic Trade Association) ― The O'Mama Report
With sections on everything from the warming properties of food to how the body actually processes ingredients, this book is less a cookbook than an all-in-one guide to healthy vegan living, for which steele's holistic-nutritionist training is put to good use.
-VegNews ― VegNews
There is something about [jae steele]'s accessible writing style that can make even the clumsiest non-vegan feel like a culinary goddess.... Jae offers her expertise, wisdom and passion to serve the growing whole foods and vegan movement.
-Ascent Magazine ― Ascent
[Includes] a healthy portion of delectable, animal-free recipes that will make even the toothiest canivore's mouth water.... Steele's vegan recipes are a snap to whip up and unexpectedly finger-lickin' good.
-Bust ― Bust
Get it Ripe is a book that focuses on the benefits of holistic living and whole foods. Why should you take her advice to heart? Because a) She doesn't judge! Her methods of explanation are accessible and don't make you feel guilty for what you eat (or don't eat). and b) She's a registered holistic nutritionist! and finally c) She runs a pretty awesome blog too.
-Love like a Vegan (blog) ― Love like a Vegan
jae steele is one vegan with a palate you can trust. Need proof? Delicious recipes such as Butternut Risotto, Blueberry Breakfast Polenta, or Adzuki-Squash Soup with Chipotle.... Steele's non-harpy approach makes this tome easier to swallow than the typical "meat is murder" approach.
-City Bites magazine (Toronto) ― City Bites
The best parts of jae steele's entertaining vegan cookbook are what's missing from its pages: no judgmental preaching and lists of expensive ingredients that you'll never find.... An easy-to-follow book for anyone trying to eat healthier.
-The Coast (Halifax, NS) ― The Coast (Halifax)
Get It Ripe is packed with recipes for everything from muffins and cakes to meals-in-a-bowl, but it also includes straightforward, easy-to-use nutritional guidance. Steele never adopts a strident tone and she offers invaluable information for anyone who wants to more be conscious of what they eat.
-eyeWeekly (Toronto) ― eyeWeekly
A terrific whole foods cookbook for vegans.... Throughout the book, you'll find useful symbols indicating which recipes are gluten-free, soy-free, nightshade-free, and/or raw/living dishes.
-Vegetarian Journal ― Vegetarian Journal
This is much more than a collection of recipes that exclude meat as an ingredient.... The book is an excellent resource for both longtime vegans and those just starting out and will find a place of prominence in your kitchen.
-North Shore News (North Vancouver, BC) ― North Shore News
About the Author
jae steele is a registered holistic nutritionist and runs the vegan blog "Domestic Affair." She has authored various self-published cookzines including Vegan Freegan and Ripe. Formerly from Montreal, she now lives in Toronto. Her first book, Get It Ripe, was published in 2008 and is now in its second printing; her second cookbook, Ripe from Around Here, will be published by Arsenal Pulp Press in spring 2010.
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