Step 2: Getting Inspired

 Step 2: Getting Inspired

May 16, 2016

Oh, I could go on and on for days about this one! Below are some of the books that inspired me to take on this adventure. I’ve also included some inspirational favorites that I have read since my 2010 Food Revolution. Let’s get started….

Julie & Julia, by Julie Powell

Well, of course we would need to start with this one, right? My original inspiration for this cooking adventure was actually the movie version of this book. Now, the book is a bit different than the movie. I read the book in the middle of my 2010-2011 Food Revolution challenge and I could totally relate to some of Julie Powell’s thoughts and feelings.

Jamie’s Food Revolution, by Jamie Oliver

In 2010, I had just seen the movie, Julie and Julia, and I had decided that cooking through a cookbook would be a great way to learn to cook. I went to the bookstore looking for a cookbook for my adventure and I found Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. His Food Revolution message on the back of the book was like a “sign” and it inspired me to do this crazy Food Revolution thing. This cookbook definitely taught me how to cook. My copy of it is well-loved and I couldn’t live in the kitchen without it.

Back to Butter, by Molly Chester and Sally Schrecengost

Molly Chester’s blog, Organic Spark, was one of the first blog’s that I ever read. Reading her blog definitely gave me the courage to try writing a blog too. I was so excited when her book, Back to Butter, came out. It is an awesome addition to any cook’s collection. If you want to learn more about “real food” this is a great resource.

100 Days of Real Food, by Lisa Leake

Speaking of “Real Food,” this book is awesome! Lisa Leake and I were working on our food journeys at the same time which I think is so cool! I am totally in awe of her. I love her recipes and her thoughts and advice on making changes in your family’s eating habits. While most of my Food Revolution revolved around cooking at home, she inspired me to rethink those pesky school lunches.

French Kids Eat Everything, by Karen Le Billon

This book will stay with you, parents. If you have a picky eater at home, be sure to read this. It will change your thinking about the dinner table. I picked this one up after getting questions about picky eaters at some of my speaking engagements. Remember, unless you have a three year old with a debit card that can drive to the grocery store, you are the one making the food decisions for your family. Take back control. You can do it!

American Grown, by Michelle Obama

I read this book after I was invited to the White House for a Social Media event. The story of the White House’s Kitchen Garden really made me think about starting to grow food at home. Our shady yard can only support a herb garden, but my trips to the farmer’s market and dreaming about my own kitchen garden definitely came from reading this book. It is a beautiful book full of amazing photographs and inspirational stories.

One last suggestion, read anything by Michael Pollan. I couldn’t pick one book to highlight but all of his books will make you think about food, where it comes from and how we interact with it.

What books inspire you in the kitchen? Visit me on Facebook and Twitter and let me hear some of your favorites.

Happy Reading!

Amy