31days book

The 31days project is based on the effort and contributions of more than 100 creatives. Together we have created a book whose sales will be donated to the non-profit organization New Harvest whose scientific efforts are pioneering the post animal bioeconomy. (First print run: 100% of the book sales).

31 days, 31 hosts, 31 dinners, 31 photographers, 31 writers, 31 chapters. 15 cities, 8 countries, 11 chefs, 7 instances of sweet potatoes, 8 instances of chocolate, plenty of culinary ambition, impressive impro skills, an admirable amount of honesty, the expected dash of scepticism, a few doors ajar, just one – maybe two – firmly shut. And as such, perhaps an apt representation of the status quo of veganism in a much, much bigger picture than allowed on these few pages.

The book features everyday dinners as well as several six-course culinary adventures. A Colombian stew was served in the middle of the snowy mountains. Whiskey fried bananas gathered people on the floor in a mini NY appartment. The Food/Non-Food department of Design Academy Eindhoven set up a special kind of food kitchen. There was a bohemian Lebanese feast in Barcelona and an Italian extravaganza of no less than 31 different herbs across 9 courses for a party of 4. To be noted are also the incidents of a couple of dramas, half a thumb lost and one love found.

The book is a celebration of– and a conversation about veganism; told, cooked, pho- tographed, improvised, drawn and mused over. Chapters by people completely new to the idea, rubbing shoulders with chapters by profiled writers whose unique perspectives offers a varied set of entry points to the subject matter. Among these are: James Wallman, Daniel Crockett, Aksel Braanen Sterri, David MacFarlane, Isha Datar, Marije Vogelzang, Jonas Ersland, Tobias Leenaert, Nick Hagger, Kai Wu, Jostein Sand Nilsen and Mia Frogner.

–The best thing about the project, is the amount of honesty invested in it, from all parties. The book may be artfully composed, but on second glance, I think there ́s a good portion of messiness involved, in a good way. So it is positioned right there, in the complex, conflicted and somewhat confusing duality of the tipping point it took upon itself to explore.