The Humane Table: Cooking with Compassion

by Robin R. Ganzert

Delicious recipes for home chefs who are mindful about the welfare of animals

​Now, more than ever, we are conscious of where our food comes from. We want to support farmers and ranchers who do things right and care deeply about the well-being of their animals. In line with this holistic approach, Dr. Robin Ganzert, CEO of American Humane—America’s first national humane organization— has compiled delicious recipes featuring ingredients that are compassionately produced by farmers, ranchers, and other organizations that are American Humane Certified™.

The recipes are constructed around the seasons— summer, fall, winter, and spring—so that whether you are simmering a stew on a cold night or grilling out under balmy skies, you can set a humane table year-round. Compassion and love are the ingredients for a humane table—a setting where American Humane’s shared values of treating animals with kindness, respect, and dignity are truly celebrated. If you’re a home chef who supports these same principles, The Humane Table is for you.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Reference

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 11, 2022

Reviews

[Melany · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the title, I assumed it was vegan or plant based options. However, that's not true so a little disappointed for that reason. It does have some beautiful pictures and interesting facts. I love that majority of the recipes have pictures as that really entices me to cook the items. Also cool that the recipes are sectioned by seasons of the year (P.s. the Fall section is my FAVORITE). This has a great variety of recipes for any occasion, including some that will even pass the "picky eatters" test.

I won this cookbook from a Goodreads giveaway. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

[Charla Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given more stars if the kindle edition had been easier to read. It was difficult to navigate the book and I was unable to make the text larger. Otherwise, I thought the book was good. There are a lot of good recipes and I love the concept of treating the ingredients in the recipes humanely. I wish there was more of this in the world. There are also a lot of resources for buying from farms that practice treating animals humanely and these are the places we should be supporting!

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay

I understand the argument for humanely raised animals. However, the fact still remains that they are all going to be killed the same way for the same reason. Claiming that their existence is better than others seems to miss the mark. Other than that, the recipes were good for the most part. I had to do some substitutions due to having pick eaters.

#GoodreadsGiveaway

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a mixed bag for me. The photos are the best part — a huge colorful photo of every recipe. The recipes are arranged by season and are very standard— French toast with berries, fried chicken, turkey sandwiches and such. They are simple and in some cases too simple. For instance, the recipe for fresh butter calls for just shaking cream until clumps form. I’ve made butter a lot and there is more to it than that. If you’re going to do it by hand I recommend adding a marble to the jar since it makes it go much faster. Then you need to pour off the whey and rinse the solid butter well with very cold water before shaping it or putting it in a log or mold. Just saying shake till clumps form is at best half a recipe.

This book was put out by American Humane, a very old organization that certifies that animals aren’t harmed in movies and certifies that they are humanely raised for food companies. The book feels a bit like an ad for them and the companies that pay to be certified like Butterball and Hellman’s. The recipes occasionally put a brand name in for the eggs or sausage you should use but otherwise they are just standard recipes for foods with animal products. There are quite a few salmon recipes, for example, and they just call for fresh salmon. The book also feels like a vanity project for the author and CEO. We really don’t need that many glamour shots of this woman or to hear what celebrities have gushed about her.

Do not assume this is a vegetarian cookbook. It uses animal products throughout.

No nutritional information is provided for the recipes. The book will not be a good fit for people on special diets. Recommended for those who are relatively new to cooking and do not have allergies or dietary restrictions.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

[Karen Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Robin Ganzert introduces a new concept in her cookbook, The Humane Table: Cooking with Compassion, that helps readers be mindful of compassion and kindness as to the treatment of the animals that end up on our tables. Dr. Ganzert heads America’s first national humane
organization, American Humane, and has been “celebrating compassion, kindness, respect, and love for all animals since 1877.” This cookbook not only promotes American Humane, it makes all of us mindful of the importance of treating animals well.

This amazing cookbook showcases recipes that are unique, innovative, and very appealing; in fact there are recipes for everyone, no matter how picky. The recipes are easy to follow and are written in a succinct manner to make it possible for everyone – no matter their cooking skill level - to prepare these mouthwatering meals. The cookbook is divided up into seasons, including summer, fall, winter, and spring dishes.

The photographs are beautiful and mouthwatering, as well as inspiring. Readers will want to not only prepare the dishes, but will want to use the listed humane suppliers for their ingredients if they have access to them.

The only negative to this cookbook is that it doesn’t have enough recipes; most readers will want more. However the ones included are actually dishes that most people will want to make. This cookbook definitely deserves five stars; it is a truly lovely and inspiring cookbook

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

[Elaine Bindler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley for providing this book. What follows is an honest review.
I was curious how the author would approach the topic of humane use of animals in this book. I think most of us are already aware of the benefits to the chickens of cage-free eggs which are widely sold. Maybe not so much aware of humane use of animals though we have heard of the atrocities in the food industry. That said, the author does use certain brands and allows us to at least have a starting point to find humane sources. The book is divided into seasons which I find helpful allowing the reader to seek out fresh sources of what is "in season." There is also a source index (where to buy specific items) which is helpful starting point.
Some of the recipes were a bit too spicy for my tastes. It seems many cooks these days think everything needs "heat" such as Srichacha sauce. I suppose one could just eliminate it from the recipe, but then the recipe seems a bit - well ordinary. She does use short cuts for on example a cake mix, but then I have to say why bother.
Those seeking a book to introduce them to humane cooking will find much to enjoy, but those who are looking for recipes might be a little disappointed.

[Tabby Shiflett · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
3 Stars for short length, I wanted more recipes.
3.5-4 Stars for organization and intro to topic, I loved the seasonal order.
5 Stars for the masterful display of photos of each recipe. Seriously, the pictures of food were an art form in the cookbook.
A good but brief intro to raising and growing animals (and eggs) humanely and and to the organization that works with farmers and ranchers wanting to contribute to the movement. Beautiful photos of each recipe, just needed more recipes.

GoodReads FirstReads Giveaway

[Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is very beautiful and eye catching and I like that there are pictures for every recipe. I don't like when cookbooks don't have pictures for what you will make. The recipes are easy to follow but I downgraded for 2 reasons: 1. There aren't really many hardy vegetarian dishes which I would expect more of and 2. Very few if any of the dishes seemed unique... you can easily find many variations of these recipes for these dishes online. With that being said, I'm not really a frequent cookbook reader so I actually liked the stories in this one.

I won this on a goodreads giveaway

[Joni Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of this is a beautiful cookbook. I loved its message. I don’t know if it’s because I am a pretty decent Southern cook or what but this just was okay for me. Most of the recipes are items I already make or have a version of.

I don’t know I guess because it was talking about humane practices and the companies that are humane, it felt more like an advertisement to me.

The recipes are good. The ingredients are easily accessible. There are a lot of positives. This just wasn’t for me.

[Sarah Ehinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this cookbook as a Goodreads giveaway. It is important to note that the kindle version is designed for the Kindle Fire and the color screen and did not work on my standard kindle. I would have liked to have had more recipes presented, but those provided were beautifully photographed. If you are Focused on free range, organic, some ingredients may be difficult to find depending on your location.

[DAB-E · Rating 3 out of 5]

The photos accompaning the receipes were really great. There are several that I am interested in trying. Unfortunately, I am lactose intolerant, so there are quite a few that I will not be able to make. It was good to include a listing of Humane farmers in the book.

I won this from goodreads for this kindle book, so thank you. If possible, it would have been great to have the print larger.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

great easy recipes

I’m eager to try some of these recipes. Not being the best cook, the recipes seem straight forward and sound delicious. I’m also excited to check out the farms websites that are listed in the back. I prefer to buy from local farms, so hoping they are a part of the humane list.

[Dottie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Goodreads for my copy of The Humane Table cooking with compassion. I especially loved the recipes were broken down into seasons. I have made many of the recipes and have loved them all. The photos were especially nice. It is always good to see what your dish should look like when it is completed. I recommend this book.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was in ok book for my style of cooking. If your looking for a mixture of recipies for all styles this is a perfect cookbook. Robin Ganzert did awesome job displaying the recipies and walking you through each one. The style of cooking just wasn't for me. Thank you though for the chance of reading and reviewing your book.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The photos are absolutely beautiful in this book! You can flip through just to enjoy them lol. I loved the photos and there are a lot of good recipes in this book. The information on the farms and people in book are interesting but didn't really affect the book. I will reference this again in future to try out some yummy meals. I won this book in a goodreads giveaway thank you!

[Amy Weisbard-bloom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book from Goodreads. The pictures are stunning. Recipes are simple. I like how it was divided into seasons. Just wish it was a physical book and that they had included a lot more recipes. Will definitely try a few

[MELISSA CORTEZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this cookbook, it not only has great recipes it gives you insight on farm to table

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this cookbook. Love the recipes

[Maria Artiaco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Tried a few recipes and they were easy to make!

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Updated Review to Come 12/11/2022

[Anthonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some nice recipes in it. It has different recipes in it and has recipes for all the four seasons in it. A must have for food lovers everywhere.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent cookbook. Love the passion that goes into each recipe. Some ingredients you will have to search for but others are every day staples. Thanks!

[Catie Carrigan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is NOT a vegan cookbook. Change the title.

[Kim Gunther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought there would be more everyday recipes and less stories

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks for the free kindle copy.

[Krystle Gluck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely recipes! So much comfort food too.

[Marijo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this cookbook in a Kindle Edition format, and I wish that I had in a hardcover traditional format instead. The photos are very pretty, and every recipe is simple & delicious looking.

[James Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of information and great recipes. You will find a recipe to please most any taste. Also a list of humane food sources.

[LaShanda Chamberlain · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Many Good Recipes!!

So Many Good Recipes!! I can’t wait to try them all!! And healthy recipes too. From Breakfast to Dinner, there’s something for everyone.

[Traci Museitif · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that it has resources to help you find the products that are humanely resourced. The recipes look yummy. Can't wait to start trying them.