The cookbook you didn’t know you were waiting for – and it’s coming out of a kitchen in Hackney, not a publishing house test kitchen. We Cook Plants, the debut from East London’s community-powered, plant-based force Made In Hackney, is part recipe book, part radical food manifesto, and entirely a reflection of the borough it was born in: vibrant, multicultural, activist at heart, and full of soul.
Founded 13 years ago by former print and broadcast journalist Sarah Bentley, Made In Hackney has taught thousands how to cook with plants – not as a lifestyle accessory, but as a tool for survival, empowerment, and joy. Their first cookbook, is a beautifully designed, 100+ recipe celebration of food that heals, connects, and educates. But don’t expect a minimalist oat-milk aesthetic or glossy chef-y perfection. This book is gritty, global, deeply community-rooted – and unapologetically political.
The recipes – crowdsourced from MIH’s team of community chefs, volunteers, and friends – stretch from comforting lentil daals to West African peanut stews, ferments, foraged delights, and sweet treats built on accessible ingredients and minimal fuss. There are guest appearances by culinary royalty: Anna Jones, Andi Oliver, Sami Tamimi, Sandor Katz, Dr Rupy and more. But the real power lies in the lesser-known names: home cooks, grassroots educators, Hackney elders – every recipe tells a story.
True to form, We Cook Plants doesn’t stop at what’s on your plate. Chapters double as primers on food justice, foraging in the city, fermentation, decolonising your pantry, and growing kale in your kitchen. Icons guide you through high-protein, budget-friendly, gut-happy meals. It’s made with neurodivergent readers in mind and grounded in the idea that food should be for everyone.
It’s not just a cookbook – it’s a community in hardback form. One that asks you to think harder, cook smarter, and eat with care for the planet, your body, and each other.
We Cook Plants is out 14th October via Nourish Books
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