"Grub" by Anna Lappe and Bryant Terry

These days you can find organic food and health products everywhere, even on the shelves of discount grocery stores. More and more consumers are purchasing organic food for a myriad of reasons. If you are one of these people, or someone who is considering making the switch, then Anna Lappe and Bryant Terry's Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen is the book to read.

This book covers everything you need to know about organic foods including an expose on the industry (who knew most of the major organic brands were owned by companies like Pepsi and Dole?) and how-to's for creating an affordable organic kitchen. Aimed at the urban dweller, this book has something for everyone. Grub also has unique recipes and dining lists, organized around seasons and cultures and includes some very good soundtracks to go along with it.

Anna Lappe comes by her credentials naturally. Her mother is writer Francis Moore Lappe who in 1971 wrote the bestselling book Diet for a Small Planet which was the first major book to argue against grain-fed meat production and extol the virtues of a plant-centred diet for both bodies and the earth. Her father, Marc Lappe, was a toxicologist and author who wrote 14 books campaigning against chemical perils and arguing against genetically modified foods.

I have been eating organic for four years now and have done lots of reading on it as well as the food industry in general. Just when I thought there wasn't anything new for me to read, I learned so much from this book. I would recommend Grub as the first book to start with when making the decision to go organic. It is easy to read but packed full of useful information. I also like how this book is aimed at the urban dweller. Eating healthy and local isn't always the easiest way when you live in the city but it is getting better and this book shows that once you do a little digging, you'll be able to turn your kitchen into an urban organic oasis.