What do you think?
Rate this book
The Just Kitchen: Invitations to Sustainability, Cooking, Connection, and Celebration
219 pages, Hardcover
Published October 10, 2023
6 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 14, 2024
Reclaims the Kitchen as a Sacred Space
The subtitle says it all: this is not so much a cookbook (though it includes great recipes) as it is an invitation to see the kitchen as a holy place.
Yes, the authors (hosts of Food and Faith Podcast) and contributors dig deep into important topics such as the complexity of ecology and food systems, our increasing disconnection from the earth, and the need for food justice and activism. But because they also share highly personal, joyful and authentic stories, making their suggestions--all deeply grounded in religious faith--practical and attainable for every reader.
After accepting the authors' invitation to write my own food story using fill-in-the-blank prompts provided early in the book (My_____[important person in my life] cooked ________ [dish] with ______[value]), I was able to slow down in the kitchen, beginning to heal old wounds from a time when my presence there was expected but not appreciated. If I ever feel rushed or tempted to skip cooking all together, I skim a new chapter, such as “The Kitchen as a Place of Reflection.” There I find gentle, entertaining, and loving reminders that I can give myself grace, preparing meals for both myself and others mindfully and with less self-judgment. I especially love the prayers that accompany chapter themes: each “Liturgy” is another invitation, to authentic hospitality and thankfulness. I’ve even used the essays as starting point for my spiritual reading prayer practice.
I highly recommend this unique kitchen library volume to anyone who loves food, family, stories and finding the sacred in the every day.
The subtitle says it all: this is not so much a cookbook (though it includes great recipes) as it is an invitation to see the kitchen as a holy place.
Yes, the authors (hosts of Food and Faith Podcast) and contributors dig deep into important topics such as the complexity of ecology and food systems, our increasing disconnection from the earth, and the need for food justice and activism. But because they also share highly personal, joyful and authentic stories, making their suggestions--all deeply grounded in religious faith--practical and attainable for every reader.
After accepting the authors' invitation to write my own food story using fill-in-the-blank prompts provided early in the book (My_____[important person in my life] cooked ________ [dish] with ______[value]), I was able to slow down in the kitchen, beginning to heal old wounds from a time when my presence there was expected but not appreciated. If I ever feel rushed or tempted to skip cooking all together, I skim a new chapter, such as “The Kitchen as a Place of Reflection.” There I find gentle, entertaining, and loving reminders that I can give myself grace, preparing meals for both myself and others mindfully and with less self-judgment. I especially love the prayers that accompany chapter themes: each “Liturgy” is another invitation, to authentic hospitality and thankfulness. I’ve even used the essays as starting point for my spiritual reading prayer practice.
I highly recommend this unique kitchen library volume to anyone who loves food, family, stories and finding the sacred in the every day.
July 3, 2024
I loved this book! Derrick and Anna give practical advise on how to make your kitchen a more pleasant and enriching place to do your daily chores. They also give achievable goals to make it more Just, such as recycling, sourcing locally, remembering those involved in the production or processing of our food, composting and much more!
I may even buy this one to keep on hand in the kitchen, when I need a little help feeling inspired.
I may even buy this one to keep on hand in the kitchen, when I need a little help feeling inspired.
November 16, 2025
Fun and thoughtful book with great recipes. That said, it had a very deep socially conscientious about food scarcity and inequities. It inspires me to cook more and being mindful of what I put in my body. It gives you hope and emphasizes community with food; all are welcome!.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews