"In this authoritative and immensely readable insider's account, celebrated cookbook author and former chef Joyce Goldstein traces the development of California cuisine from its early years in the 1970s to the present, when farm-to-table, foraging, and fusion cuisine are part of the national vocabulary. Goldstein's interviews with almost two hundred chefs, purveyors, artisans, winemakers, and food writers bring to life an era when cooking was grounded in passion, bold innovation, and a dedication to "flavor first." The author shows how the counterculture movement in the West gave rise to a restaurant culture that was defined by open kitchens, women in leadership positions, and the presence of a surprising number of chefs and artisanal food producers who lacked formal training. California cuisine challenged the conventional kitchen hierarchy and dominance of French technique in fine dining, she explains, leading to a more egalitarian restaurant culture and informal food scene. In weaving the author's view of California food culture with profiles of those who played a part in its development-from Alice Waters to Bill Niman to Wolfgang Puck-Inside the California Food Revolution demonstrates that, in addition to access to fresh produce, the region also shared a distinctly Western culture of openness, creativity, and collaboration. Wonderfully detailed and engagingly written, this book elucidates as never before how the inspirations that emerged in California went on to transform the eating experience throughout the U.S. and the world. "--

Our reliance on industrial agriculture has resulted in a food supply riddled with hidden environmental, economic and health care costs and beset by rising food prices. With only a handful of corporations responsible for the lion's share of the food on our supermarket shelves, we are incredibly vulnerable to supply chain disruption. The Urban Food Revolution provides a recipe for community food security based on leading innovations across North America. The author draws on his political and business experience to show that we have all the necessary ingredients to ensure that local, fresh sustainable food is affordable and widely available. He describes how cities are bringing food production home by: Growing community through neighborhood gardening, cooking and composting programs Rebuilding local food processing, storage and distribution systems Investing in farmers markets and community supported agriculture Reducing obesity through local fresh food initiatives in schools, colleges and universities. Ending inner-city food deserts Producing food locally makes people healthier, alleviates poverty, creates jobs, and makes cities safer and more beautiful. The Urban Food Revolution is an essential resource for anyone who has lost confidence in the global industrial food system and wants practical advice on how to join the local food revolution.

A history and guidebook for locals and visitors who want to explore the flavorful delights of the nation’s street food capital—includes photos! Los Angeles is the uncontested street food champion of the United States, and it isn’t even a fair fight. Millions of hungry locals and tourists take to the streets to eat tacos, down bacon-wrapped hot dogs, and indulge in the latest offerings from a fleet of gourmet food trucks and vendors. Dating back to the late nineteenth century when tamale men first hawked their fare from pushcarts and wagons, street food is now a billion-dollar industry in L.A.—and it isn’t going anywhere! So hit the streets and dig in with local food writer Farley Elliott, who tackles the sometimes-dicey subject of street food and serves up all there is to know about the greasy, cheesy, spicy, and everything in between.

Did you know that: More than 80% of the foods you eat in restaurants and buy at supermarkets contain genetically engineered ingredients, and that these ingredients have been linked to toxic and allergic reactions in people; sickness, sterility, and fatalities in livestock; and damage to virtually every organ studied in lab animals?If you don't count French fries, ketchup or pizza as vegetables, more than half of Americans eat no vegetables at all?Cows raised for meat are impacting our climate more than cars?It’s possible to be a positive food revolutionary without sounding like a self-righteous nag? Join John and Ocean Robbins for 21 intimate, game-changing conversations with some of the world’s leading “food revolutionaries”: scientists, doctors, teachers, farmers, economists, activists, and nutritionists working on food issues today. Introduced and with commentary by John Robbins and his son Ocean, the book features luminaries such as: Dean Ornish, MD, on his years-in-the-making breakthrough with Medicare (his program for healing heart disease is now covered)Kathy Freston on making incremental, manageable changes to how we eatT. Colin Campbell, PhD, (author of the famed China Study) with the latest research on animal protein and human healthJoel Fuhrman, MD (author of the bestselling Eat to Live), on achieving excellent health through dietCaldwell Esselstyn, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic on wiping out heart disease by changing what we eatVandana Shiva, PhD, on GMOs and Big AgRory Freedman on how to stop eating misery and start looking fabulousRaj Patel on building a saner global food policy Each contributor discusses his or her work in depth, but together they make one rallying cry: for a healthy, sustainable, humane, and delicious revolution in how we and the world are fed. Over twenty-five years ago John Robbins started a revolution. This book is proof of how far we’ve come, a fascinating look behind the scenes of the multi-faceted food movement, and a call to join in the work of ensuring our health and food future.

Bring the street food movement into your kitchen and make the easiest, tastiest, and most original street food at home! There’s simply nothing tastier than homemade food cooked from scratch. And these days, the street is where you’ll find the best homemade dishes you’ve ever tasted. Whether he’s serving up outrageously delicious sandwiches from his popular Fidel Gastro’s food truck or across North America on the hit reality TV show Rebel Without a Kitchen, Matt Basile is always looking for inspiration to create amazing food that is simple enough to be mobile, different enough to make you talk about it, and awesome enough to make you crave it! Street Food Diaries features over 85 irresistible and original street food recipes plus mouthwatering photography and stories of the food and people at the core of street food culture. Matt’s recipes are fun, outrageously delicious, and totally inspired by the most vibrant food movement on the planet. So, try your hand at making Peanut Butter Cookie Fish & Chips Sandwiches, Philly Cheesesteak Tostadas, Maple Habanero Turkey Wings, Pad Thai Fries, or the infamous Alabama Tailgaters. If it’s on a stick, in a bun, or covered in bacon (a lot of bacon!), then it’s in Street Food Diaries!

We Americans love our food. It’s part of what has made this nation great. Our fertile farmlands and the abundance and variety of our agricultural output are the envy of the world. For most of our history, we lived close to the land, food was accessed locally, and we processed it in our own kitchens. But as our population and economy has boomed in the last century and we concentrated in cities, we industrialized our food system—with food coming far from home and processed multiple times. As foods rich in natural taste declined, we relied on high amounts of added sugar, fat, and salt to entice our palates. And it has taken a toll: our soil is polluted, our practices are unsustainable, and our health problems, including everything from allergy-related disease to obesity, are on the rise. This has all contributed to historic levels of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other causes of preventable death. The good news is that people are starting to find solutions. They’re voting with their pocketbooks for a new kind of food system—family farm, 21st-century style. Suburban and urban moms (and dads) want to know what’s in their food and where it comes from. No more snack packs, Ding Dongs, and soda for lunch. This revolution is not only in how people eat, but also in how they grow, distribute, shop for, and prepare food. And the food is better tasting, better looking, and better for you.The Real Food Revolution by Congressman Tim Ryan is a manifesto for this new food movement. In it, readers will find information on: • The history and current state of our food systems • Myriad negative impacts of our present food practices on our health and our planet • Pros and cons of the current farm bill and what changes could help restore our nation • What’s happening both at the national and local levels • How people can get involved, with actionable steps at the end of each chapter This is a non-partisan, good-news message that will inform, inspire, and help readers around the country get involved. The era of the Twinkie and the hot-dog-stuffed-crust pizza has been fun, but now it’s time for a change.

Demonstrating that humanity faces an imminent and prolonged global food crisis, Michael Brownlee issues a clarion call and manifesto for a revolutionary movement to localize the global food supply. He lays out a practical guide for those who hope to navigate the challenging process of shaping the local or regional food system, providing a roadmap for embarking on the process of righting the profoundly unsustainable and already-failing global industrialized food system. Written to inform, inspire, and empower anyone—farmers or ranchers, community gardeners, aspiring food entrepreneurs, supply chain venturers, commercial food buyers, restaurateurs, investors, community food activists, non-profit agencies, policy makers, or local government leaders—who hopes to be a catalyst for change, this book provides a blueprint for economic action, with specific suggestions that make the process more conscious and deliberate. Brownlee, cofounder of the nonprofit Local Food Shift Group, maps out the underlying process of food localization and outlines the route that communities, regions, and foodsheds often follow in their efforts to take control of food production and distribution. By sharing the strategies that have proven successful, he charts a practical path forward while indicating approaches that otherwise might be invisible and unexplored. Stories and interviews illustrate how food localization is happening on the ground and in the field. Essays and thought-pieces explore some of the challenging ethical, moral, economic, and social dilemmas and thresholds that might arise as the local food shift develops. For anyone who wants to understand, in concrete terms, the unique challenges and extraordinary opportunities that present themselves as we address one of the most urgent issues of our time, The Local Food Revolution is an indispensable resource.