The Podcast Series Reading List
A brief selection of my favorite books and other resources by folks we spoke to for the series – and which taken together are a scrumptious guide to sustainable baking.
BAKING CLASSES
Said M’Dahoma produces fantastic online baking classes open to all levels. His background as a PhD neuroscientist makes him invested in (and really good at) explaining the why behind baking and pastry. Sign up here.
COOKBOOKS
The Zero Waste Chef by Anne-Marie Bonneau
– A creative primer on how to cook and bake with way, way, way less waste. Anne-Marie will having you looking at sourdough starter and apple peels in a whole new light. Her main rule is to always “Shop your kitchen first.”
Southern Ground by Jennifer Lapidus
– A gorgeously photographed cookbook celebrating Southern grains. (I didn’t even know grains besides corn could grow in the South before this book!) Jennifer will have you getting hype on Appalachian wheats and making cookies you’ve never heard of before – but will want to make again and again.
American Cake by Anne Byrn
– Everyone should own this cookbook. It’s the coolest blend of history book and mouthwatering cookbook I’ve ever encountered. Anne’s historical approach situates your favorite American cakes – and tons you’ve never heard of – in more context than you realized cakes could have. And they’re all approachable, because Anne’s recipes are never fussy. Note my many sticky notes.
Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson
– I’m including this because Chad’s method for making sourdough bread improved my technique so much, and made me ready to work with the whole grains and other more technically challenging ingredients that’ll be more necessary than ever as climate change intensifies. (Plus it’s a pleasure to bake through this.)
NONFICTION
Animal, Vegetable, Junk by Mark Bittman
– An illuminating look at just how our food systems have unwound. One of my favorite takeaways from this book is just how geopolitical flour is. My heavens. I definitely recommend reading this.
The Fate of Food by Amanda Little
– In addition to being my favorite college Professor, Amanda is a spectacular journalist adept at showing how our food system and climate change are deeply interwoven. Plus, anything she writes reads like an adventure novel. Enjoy.
The Third Plate by Dan Barber
– If you haven’t read The Third Plate, it’s basically required reading for sustainable food stuff. And like Amanda, Chef Dan Barber is great at weaving science, history, and adventurous travelogue. This came out in 2009, and it was one of the first serious explorations of the future of food in the era of climate change from a gastronomic perspective.
OTHER WORKS WORTH READING
Indian Spices by A. B. Sharangi
The Meat-Eater’s Guide to Climate Change and Health by Kari Hamerschlag