Forest + Home - by Spencre McGowan (Hardcover)

About the Book

"From certified herbalist, cook, and nature lover Spencre McGowan comes Forest + Home, a collection of healthy recipes, life stories, illustrations, and stunning photos to help readers understand the healing powers of nature, whether in a cabin in the woods, a camper van, or within the comfort of their own kitchen in an urban jungle. This nature-infused cookbook is divided down into two sections, "forest" and "home," with a dedicated section on herbalism including their medicinal properties, how to safely source herbs, what to use them for, and how to make them taste amazing. The book will feature simple techniques for using herbs to liven up your health and well-being by making your food feel like magic in recipes such as: Nettle Pasta Rose Petal Lemonade Black Garlic Mashed Potatoes Stuffed Edible Flowers Through her gorgeous photography, McGowan conveys a visceral sense of place of the mountains in Montana along with the shores of Maine and Nantucket. Personal anecdotes of her travels and interactions with nature and 60 to 70 delicious, healing dishes makes Forest + Home the perfect love letter to our environment, encouraging us to reflect on the things we feel when we are connected to nature and the things we take home with us. The book will also include a foreword by bestselling author and actress Hilarie Burton Morgan"--

Book Synopsis

Connect with nature through your kitchen, no matter the size or location. Food that feeds and heals the body; a book that inspires and nourishes the soul.

Connect with nature through your kitchen, no matter the size or location. Food that feeds and heals the body; a book that inspires and nourishes the soul.

Forest + Home connects you with nature through your kitchen, no matter the size or location. This is a book that inspires and ignites the palette while nourishing the soul; it shares food that both feeds and heals the body. Discover the world of plants through food with cook and certified herbalist, Spencre McGowan, author of Blotto Botany: A Lesson in Healing Cordials and Plant Magic. Organized by season, the recipes are designed to meet the natural move­ment of time and the world we inhabit. They include:

• Nettle Pasta with special healing qualities
• Rose Petal Lemonade with the benefits of a herbal punch
• Roasted Asparagus with Chamomile and Ghee to soothe your nerves
• No-Bake Peanut Butter-Reishi Cookies incorporates healing mushrooms
• Dandelion Pesto helps get your digestive groove on
• Lemon Balm Mojito for a refreshing way to chill out

Through personal stories and photography, explore the icy mountains of Montana and the wild seashores of Maine and Nantucket. With a focus on simplicity, no dish in this book requires one to be an experienced chef, possess a knowl­edge of medicinal herbalism, or own expensive kitchen tools.

In addition to a foreword by bestselling author Hilarie Burton Morgan, the book includes glossaries of kitchen and medicinal herbs; an exploration of adaptogenic herbs and edible flowers; and information on sourcing, growing, drying, and storing your own herbs. Forest + Home is a love letter to our environment, encour­aging us to reflect on the things we feel when we are connected to nature and the things we take home with us.

Review Quotes

Forest + Home is a beautiful book that weaves together intentional living and seasonal recipes that are close to nature. Wild foods and herbs are used in abundance, and every recipe sounds like one I'd love to try. Spencre has created a truly wonderful guide that is a must have in every natural foods kitchen! (COLLEEN CODEKAS, founder of Grow Forage Cook Ferment)

Forest + Home is a taste of the wild for a modern palate. Each recipe is a perfect mashup of foraged finds and grocery store ingredients. Whether you're a seasoned or a fledgling forager, you'll find your way easily with Spencre's recipes and advice for making a delectable meal. A cookbook for the adventurous!
(CHERYL RAFUSE, owner + head gardener at Plant Magic Gardens)

A beautiful offering full of intention and wisdom, perfect for seasoned herb witches and beginners alike! I'm excited to share this book with my community and even more excited to dive into these gorgeous recipes myself!
(ERICA FELDMANN, founder of HausWitch)

Beautifully intertwined with storytelling and nostalgia, Forest + Home is an intimate collection of cookery and herbalism, an approach that feels both accessible and celebratory. It is almost certain to become a dog-eared classic, frequently revisited throughout the seasons.
(ANJA ROTHE, owner of Fat of the Land)

Reading Forest + Home feels like taking a long walk through the woods with your warmest and witchiest friend. Spencre's reverence for and curiosity about the natural world are evident in every page of this jewel of a book, and they're contagious too--I will never look at the world around me with anything
less than absolute wonder ever again.
(CARA NICOLETTI, founder of Seemore Meats & Veggies)

About the Author

Spencre L.R. McGowan is an herbalist and writer from many places, but primarily Maine and Nantucket. She is the creator of Gingertooth & Twine, a blog and shop dedicated to enhancing herbal wisdom through plant-based brews, meals, and publications. Spencre received her certification as an herbalist from the California School of Herbal Studies in 2013. She currently lives alongside the icy caps of Montana with some plants.