Chris Smith is a seed saver and permaculturist who loves to write.
He is executive director of the Utopian Seed Project, a
crop-trialing non-profit working to celebrate food and farming. His
book, The Whole Okra, won a James Beard Foundation Award in 2020
and he is the co-host of The Okra Pod Cast. A native of the UK,
Smith has a master's degree in creative writing from the University
of Manchester. His short stories have been published
in Nashville Review, Mid-American Review, and The
Manchester Review.
More info at blueandyellomakes.com and utopianseed.org.
Library Journal— "A cultural, horticultural, and culinary plunge
into one of the world’s slimiest foods . . . Foodies, gardeners,
and those who wish to push their own taste buds are encouraged to
embrace the anthropomorphizing of okra and take a deep dive into
its many possibilities."
“The volume you hold in your hands is a love song long overdue. It
is anything and everything you wanted to know about this hallmark
ingredient. . . . I leave you in the capable hands of Chris Smith,
your leader on a journey through the world of The Whole
Okra.”—Michael W. Twitty, author of the James Beard Award–winning
book The Cooking Gene
“Okra is a contentious vegetable—folks love it or hate it. No one
is ambivalent. Well, I am an okra lover, an okra apostle, an okra
evangelist—and Chris Smith is my absolute hero. He has written the
definitive book on okra. The Whole Okra is packed with tips,
techniques, gardening advice, and recipes. It’s an absolute
must-have for okra devotees.”—Virginia Willis, James Beard
Award–winning cookbook author and chef
“Chris Smith takes a deep, deep dive into American okra culture,
and the result is this amazing encyclopedia of our most
misunderstood vegetable. The Whole Okra is a long-anticipated
contribution to the foodways of the American South.”—Sean Brock,
James Beard Award–winning chef and author
“Much maligned, okra is among the most underrated vegetables. Okra
is delicious, versatile, plentiful, and worthy of the attention it
gets in The Whole Okra. If you are an okra lover, this book is an
affirmation, filled with interesting stories and great ideas for
using pods, flowers, and more. If you are not yet an okra lover,
Chris Smith’s enthusiasm may well convert you.”—Sandor Ellix Katz,
author of Wild Fermentation and The Art of Fermentation
“Okra has found its champion in Chris Smith as he covers every
imaginable use for okra flowers, pods, and stems. Even longtime
okra advocates will find plenty of new information here, from
growing okra seedlings as microgreens to fermenting perfect pods.
With humor and unflagging optimism for his subject, Smith melds
meticulous research with firsthand experience working with dozens
of varieties of okra. The Whole Okra is a celebration for okra
fans, and may lead to the conversion of at least a few okra
haters.”—Barbara Pleasant, award-winning author of Homegrown
Pantry
“Gardeners and chefs are always looking for resources to inspire
creative expression, especially when it comes to bumper crops.
Chris Smith has put together a witty and well-written book about
okra with historical context and creative uses for one of the
South’s favorite and most debated exports. Even okra haters will
find a recipe or concept in The Whole Okra that will bring them
into the fold.”—Ian Boden, founding chef and owner, The Shack
“Chris Smith’s The Whole Okra is a delight for this confirmed
okra lover. The beautiful photos and tempting okra recipes by
renowned southern chefs call out to adventurous cooks and gardeners
everywhere to try this underappreciated superfood. In this era of
climate change, it is exciting to learn about okra’s many unique
uses as high-protein flour, strong fiber, handcrafted paper, and
high-quality oil.”—Ira Wallace, gardening expert, author
of The Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening
in the Southeast
“Okra has been discovered among the offerings in ancient Greek
tombs, uncontestable evidence that this fascinating and
well-travelled food plant has a rich history yet to be fully
written. Meanwhile there is no need to wait for archaeology to
piece it all together. In The Whole Okra, Chris Smith has given us
an excellent introduction to all you need to know about okra, from
hands-on garden tips to the many unusual ways to cook it—not to
mention one of the best guides available to the multitude of
varieties to choose from.”—William Woys Weaver, food historian;
author of Heirloom Vegetable Gardening
“The Whole Okra honors the humble yet versatile virtues of
okra, and Chris Smith’s comical, creative style of writing drew me
in from the very beginning. His descriptions of okra’s infinite
potential will inspire readers to dive deep into the heart and soul
of what is possible in the garden and in the kitchen. The simple
okra plant guides us into realms of diversity and connectivity and
perhaps even offers us a glimpse into the meaning of life.”—Katrina
Blair, author of The Wild Wisdom of Weeds
“Reader friendly, comprehensive, and massively informed, Chris
Smith’s The Whole Okra champions this versatile green vegetable in
the face of those who revile its spines and slime. Part survey of
varieties, part multicultural cookbook of historic okra
preparations, Smith’s narrative is a personal tour of this global
plant. He explains why we should cherish open-pollinated heirloom
varieties, why we should look beyond the pods to the flowers,
seeds, and leaves for culinary gratification, and why we should
grow okra if time and property permit. This is the first book to
consult if you want to know about okra, its history, its
cultivation, and its culinary applications.”—David S. Shields,
Carolina Distinguished Professor, University of South Carolina
“OMG. Who’d a thought brilliant and marvelous would be used to
describe a book about this most unlikely topic? No garden/foodie
geek will be able to put down this insightful, witty, humorous
masterpiece.”—Felder Rushing, host of NPR’s The Gestalt Gardener;
author of Slow Gardening
“I was skeptical—a whole book on okra? Turns out many others are
skeptical, too, and Chris Smith wants to set the record straight,
which he does in an entertaining and informative way. You can grow
okra as easily as tomatoes, pests are few, and it has good vigor.
Eat the pods, seeds, and leaves; okra tastes terrific in a raw
salad, too. This unexpected combination of a Brit living in
Carolina and writing about okra is a great read. The Whole
Okra will make you want to start growing and eating okra
today.”—Charles Dowding, no dig gardening expert; creator of the
Charles Dowding No Dig website
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