Get It Ripe, jae steele's 2008 cookbook, established her as a credible and charismatic authority on veganism; her holistic nutritionist background and sassy cowpunk sensibility encouraged countless others to "get it ripe." Her new cookbook underscores the importance of local, sustainable eating and living by helping readers deepen their understanding of organic and local foods, and their positive impact on our health and our planet.

The book includes chapters on the concept of local food and why it's important; finding a balance between various food issues and personal priorities and values; and the benefits of the local food movement that go beyond reducing the carbon footprint on our plates. It also helps readers become more informed about where their food comes from no matter where they live, whether their source is the farmers' market or the grocery store down the street.

The 180 recipes, which encourage the use of fresh, organic ingredients wherever possible (as well as potential alternatives, depending on where you live), include Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins, Pear Parsnip Soup, Asparagus and Spring Onion Quiche, Mushroom Asparagus Risotto, and Butternut Chipotle Chocolate Cake.

Both thought-provoking and delectable, jae's new cookbook makes any time the "ripe" time to go vegan.

jae steele is a registered holistic nutritionist and runs the vegan blog "Domestic Affair." She has authored various self-published cookzines including Vegan Freegan and Ripe. Formerly from Montreal, she now lives in Toronto. Her first book, Get It Ripe, was published in 2008 and is now in its second printing; her second cookbook, Ripe from Around Here, will be published by Arsenal Pulp Press in spring 2010.

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A truly monumental book: jae serves up the perfect blend of vegan and locavore.
-Terry Hope Romero, author of Viva Vegan! and co-author of Veganomicon

Terry Romero

Ripe from around Here is a lovely book! Gently, lightly, with humor and without being preachy, jae steele offers the reader a guide for nothing less than how to live better and with more joy. From cleaning products to living with houseplants, from canning instructions to recipes, Ripe from around Here is also about self-reliance and independence, something I'm 100% in favor of!
-Deborah Madison, author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers Markets

Deborah Madison

Combine fresh and whole foods with organic, home-cooked, locally and sustainably grown all-vegan dishes, mix it up with zest and what do you have? Someone's politically correct wishlist for a healthy future? No! It's jae steele's scrumptious and fun-raising cookbook. She helps you live up to the potential of food to transform lives and communities.
-Wayne Roberts, author of The No Nonsense Guide to World Food and manager of the Toronto Food Policy Council

Wayne Roberts

A treasury for vegans or anyone interested in promoting healthy, eco-friendly eating, Ripe from Around Here is highly recommended.
-Midwest Book Review

Midwest Book Review

This is a follow-up Steele's 2008 Get It Ripe, which won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Best Vegetarian Cookbook (Canada) and established this registered holistic nutritionist as a charismatic authority on veganism. It boasts 180 delicious recipes like Pear Parsnip Soup, Mushroom Asparagus Risotto and Butternut Chipotle Chocolate Cake. Chapters on organic and local fare and their positive impact on our health and planet are perfect for those looking to introduce vegan fare into their diets without sacrificing flavour.
-Toronto Star

Toronto Star

Local food doesn't translate to limited flavor, and steele's recipe box overflows with tasty ideas.... In addition to the edibles, readers will find a host of housecare tips, including DIY cleaneers and an in-depth introduction to composting. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and beyond, Ripe from Around Here makes going local an easy affair.
-VegNews

VegNews

Going beyond simply eating local and seasonally, jae steele tackles the largest issue: food production. Plants require less energy to produce, yet yield significantly more nutrients than animal options, making a plant-based diet an important choice. If all of us in the western world implemented the ideas in Ripe from around Here, there would be a global decline in disease, obesity, and dependence on fossil fuel. Climate change would slow; our economy would see a resurgence. Bold statements, I realize, but I don't hesitate to make them. When applied, the information in this book will prove to be the best thing you can do for personal and environmental health.
-Brendan Brazier, creator of Vega, author of The Thrive Diet and Thrive Fitness, and professional vegan triathlete

Brendan Brazier

It's always good to find books which combine practical food growing advice with imaginative, nutritional recipes to encourage sustainable living. This is definitely one I won't be putting down for a while.
-The Vegetarian (UK)

The Vegetarian

Readers attuned to the local food movement will appreciate steele's approach; her book can also be enjoyed as a straightforward vegan cookbook.
-Library Journal (starred review)

Library Journal

This is Steele's second vegan cookbook, and the flavours are once again vibrant and exciting.
-Toronto Star

Toronto Star

Jae steele's new book is brimming over with delectable concoctions and great ideas.... Her cheery attitude and can-do/will-do vibe are refreshing, and the many color photos in the book will inspire you to COOK!
-Herbivoreclothing.com

Herbivore

jae steele blows away our idea of all things vegan being bland and boring. Ripe from around Here exudes passion and enthusiasm, the recipes could put a gentle smile on the most hardcore carnivore, and the ideas help us return food to where it belongs; close to home, back to the center, and into the hearts of our families and communities.
-Michael Ableman, farmer and author of From the Good Earth, on Good Land and Fields of Plenty

Michael Ableman

Anyone who thinks that vegetarians and locavores are two solitudes has yet to dig in to Ripe from Around Here, jae steele's radical compromise on ethical eating. With her 'near' and 'far' pantries, she brings the best of both worlds together in a way that's simple, sensible--and let's not forget, delicious. More than just a recipe book, this is a compendium of real-world philosophy to chew on while your onions saute, your dough rests, or your beans bake (don't miss the baked beans). You might just find you're feeling ripe to change the world.
-J.B. MacKinnon, co-author, The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating

J.B. MacKinnon

The most important vegan cookbook of 2010.... It takes a soft, animal-rights approach, like her last cookbook, but the work that jae has put in to try and merge these important streams back together, veganism and locavorism, puts this well beyond mere cookbook status.
-Veganpolice.com

Vegan Police

Steele is passionate about the food we eat but her enthusiasm goes far beyond how to create wonderful tasting food. She wants to raise our awareness about what we eat, where it comes from and what we get from it.... [She] provides food for thought in her suggestions on how to eat mindfully and with joy, how to end nutritional stress and the benefits of a shorter food chain that comes from eating local.
-North Shore News (North Vancouver)

North Shore News

Ripe From Around Here is that rare perfect blend, the elusive Holy Grail of green cookbook that somewhere manages to combine everything you need to know about consuming a seasonal, local, organic and vegan diet, coupled with delicious easy to follow recipes.
-Green Muze

Green Muze