Fighting climate change from Sheffield kitchens with new cookbook

One of the dishes that features in the climate change cookbook

The Climate Change Cookbook pulls together facts on climate change and how what we eat affects the planet, expert advice from nutritionist Peter Taylor, plus tailored recipes and tips to help ordinary people do something to help.

"Yes, radical systemic change would be brilliant”, said Katie Fisher of Sheffield Meze Publishing, who wrote the book with Peter over the last year.

"It could make a huge difference and we read a lot about what Governments and companies should be doing, but what Peter’s consensus is is that we can also make a difference as an individual.

"It’s really straightforward to change just a few of your meals a week to plant based and that should still make a big difference.”

The book features 65 recipes created by Sheffield caterer PJ Taste, all developed to include more environmentally friendly ingredients, such as tomato and wild garlic pesto tart, and beetroot cheesecakes for dessert.

Tips on foraging ingredients, reducing food waste and other environmentally friendly ways to eat and cook are also featured.

Peter Moulam of PJ Taste, which champions seasonal food and has a forest garden producing everything from honey to soft fruit, said mass produced, heavily advertised food, and a lot of conflicting information could make it difficult for people to know how to help.

He added: “I think its the younger generation that really need the leg up on how to do this.

"The book includes simple things they can do such as foraging, using store cupboard ingredients and really doing what their grandparents did in terms of having zero waste kitchens.”

The book uses the EAT-Lancet Commission’s 2019 report on how people can collectively change their diets and tackle the climate crisis.T he basis for meals featured in the book is plenty of wholegrains, vegetables, pulses, beans and nuts alongside small amounts of animal products.

The Climate Change Cookbook costs £18 and will be available from April 30 via Waterstones, Amazon and mezepublishing.co.uk.