PRAISE FOR GET IT RIPE 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 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 GET IT RIPE A Fresh Take on Vegan Cooking & Living jae steele GET IT RIPE Copyright © 2008 by jae steele 2nd printing: 2008 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form by any means – graphic, electronic or mechanical – without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may use brief excerpts in a review, or in the case of photocopying in Canada, a license from Access Copyright. ARSENAL PULP PRESS Suite 101-211 East Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1Z6 arsenalpulp.com The publisher gratefully acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and the Government of British Columbia through the Book Publishing Tax Credit Program for its publishing activities. The author and publisher assert that the information contained in this book is true and complete to the best of their knowledge, however it is intended as a reference volume only, and not as a medical manual. The information provided here is designed to help you make informed decisions about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment that has been prescribed by your doctor. If you have concerns regarding your health, we urge you to seek competent medical help. Text and design by Electra Design Group Cover photography by Kristin Sjaarda Food photography by Roderick Chen Food styling by Alison Lush Illustrations by David Powell and Ann Powell Author photograph by Michelle Clarke Editing by Bethanne Grabham Printed and bound in China Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication: Steele, Jae, 1980- Get it ripe : a fresh take on vegan cooking and living / Jae Steele. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-55152-234-0 1. Vegan cookery. 2. Cookery (Natural foods) 3. Veganism. I. Title. TX837.S84 2008 641.5’636 C2008-901630-0 To all the fine folks in whose kitchens I have cooked. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments Preface GF, SF, NF & R: What the symbols mean PART 1: INFORMED EATING One: The Way We Eat: Food Choices Two: Eat Ripe: A Manifesto for a Vegan Whole Foods Diet Three: Break It Down: The Ins & Outs of Digestion Four: When a Peach Ain’t Just a Peach: Organic, Local & Other Food Quality Considerations PART 2: STOCKING UP Five: Your Pantry: Essential Ingredients Six: Where to Shop: Navigating Food Co-ops, Farmers’ Markets & Your Local Grocery Store Seven: Your Tools: Essential Kitchen Equipment PART 3: THE SKILLS Eight : Getting Started: Reading Recipes, Measuring, Prepping Methods Nine: Preparing Vegetables, Grains & Legumes: Cooking & Sprouting Methods Ten: Making Great Baked Goods PART 4: DISH IT OUT Eleven: Drink Up Twelve: Breakfasts Thirteen: Muffins, Quick Breads & Biscuits Fourteen: Dips & Spreads Fifteen: Salads & Dressings Sixteen: Sauces, Gravies & Marinades Seventeen: Soups Eighteen: Main Dish Bowls & Additional Entrées Nineteen: Cakes, Pies & Crumbles Twenty: Cookies, Puddings & Other Sweet Treats