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Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky: Modern Plant-Based Recipes using Native American Ingredients
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Winner of Two IACP Awards―Food Issues & Matters and Health & Nutrition
This enriching cookbook celebrates eight vital plants Native Americans introduced to the rest of the world, with more than 100 recipes on how to use them.
When these eight Native American plants crossed the ocean after 1492, the world’s cuisines were changed forever. In Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky, James Beard Award-winning author and chef Lois Ellen Frank introduces the splendor and importance of this Native culinary history and pairs it with delicious, modern, plant-based recipes using Native American ingredients.
Along with Native American culinary advisor Walter Whitewater, Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky shares more than 100 nutritious, plant-based recipes organized by each of the foundational ingredients in Native American cuisine as well as a necessary discussion of food sovereignty and sustainability.
A delicious, enlightening celebration of Indigenous foods and Southwestern flavors, Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky shares recipes for dishes such as:
- Blue Corn Hotcakes with Prickly Pear Syrup
- Three Sisters Stew
- Green Chile Enchilada Lasagna
- Corn Masa
- Red and Green Chile Sauces
- Cacao Spice Rub.
The “Magic 8” ingredients share the page―and plate―to create recipes that will transform your world.
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- Print length320 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBalance
- Publication dateAugust 29, 2023
- Dimensions7.68 x 1.02 x 9.43 inches
- ISBN-100306827298
- ISBN-13978-0306827297
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From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky is more than a beautiful and empowering book. It is a landmark in the culinary world, helping us remember timeless traditions and put them to use at a time when healthful traditions are needed most. It is a treasury of historical context, key botanical information, and practical tips for the kitchen that will allow us to use the bounty of nature for health and vitality."―Neal D. Barnard, MD, FACC, adjunct professor of medicine, George Washington Univ. School of Medicine & Health Sciences, president, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
"Lois is and has been such an inspiration to myself and my own work with Native American foods. Her research, writing, and ongoing passion for teaching and practicing the art of Indigenous foods of North America has proven her to be a role model for generations to come! Her first book was an instant classic, and I am so excited for this new and important work! Pilamayeyelo Lois and Walter for all that you do!"―Sean Sherman, Oglala Lakota, founder, The Sioux Chef, NATIFS, Indigenous Food Lab, Owamni
When I came across Lois Ellen Frank's Native American Cooking, and I finally found a book that spoke my language of simple, pure ingredients. With Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky, Lois continues sharing the goodness and grace of Indigenous foods and their importance to heal a people and a nation.―Crystal Wahpepah, owner and chef, Wahpepah’s Kitchen
the recipes are exciting and clever: a butternut squash puree incorporates apple and coconut milk; black beans are simmered with chipotles and chocolate; and sweet potatoes are used to make masa for tamales with no added fat—an outgrowth of work the author does to combat diabetes. Thoughtful and informative, this is a strong addition to a long under-published category.―Agent: Leigh Eisenman, Wolf Literary
About the Author
Walter Whitewater is from the Diné (Navajo) Nation. He is now a chef with Red Mesa Cuisine, specializing in Native American Cuisine using ancestral foods with a modern twist. The Culinary Advisor on the James Beard Award-winning cookbook, Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations, Chef Whitewater won the James Lewis Award for his work as a Native chef.
Product details
- Publisher : Balance
- Publication date : August 29, 2023
- Language : English
- Print length : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0306827298
- ISBN-13 : 978-0306827297
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 7.68 x 1.02 x 9.43 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #94,214 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #11 in Indigenous Food of the Americas
- #33 in Potato Cooking
- #34 in Southwestern U.S. Cooking, Food & Wine
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

A Santa Fe, New Mexico based Native American Chef, Native American foods historian, culinary anthropologist, author and photographer, Lois Ellen Frank's first career experiences were as a professional cook and organic gardener. Ms. Frank has spent over 20 years documenting the foods and life ways of Native American communities throughout the Southwest writing and photographing many articles and papers on the topic. This lengthy immersion in Native American communities culminated in her book, Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations, which won the James Beard Award upon its release.
Lois is an adjunct professor at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), a four-year college in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she teaches Native American students about the Anthropology of Food. She is a featured cooking instructor focusing on Native American Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, and the chef/owner, along with Native Chef Walter Whitewater of the Diné Nation, of Red Mesa Cuisine. Red Mesa is a Santa Fe catering company that features Native American, local and sustainably sourced foods for events with wild ingredients that are hand gathered from Native American nations all over the United States and made into seasonal menus for any palette while also educating clients about ancestral Native American foods with a modern twist.
Ms. Frank received her Masters degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of New Mexico where she focused on the importance of corn as a common thread to all Indigenous nations throughout the Americas. She is completing her PhD dissertation in Culinary Anthropology entitled: The Discourse and Practice of Native American Cuisine, Native and Non-Native Chefs in Contemporary Kitchens, which she is planning to publish as her next book, tentatively entitled, "The Turquoise Plate".
Ms. Frank has worked with world-renowned chefs, scientists and academicians and published numerous culinary posters and cookbooks. She has been the photographer on many cookbooks, including The Great Chile Book by Mark Miller, The Indian Market Cookbook-Recipes from Santas Fe's Coyote Cafe by Mark Miller, Roy's Feast from Hawaii by Roy Yamaguchi, The Cuisine of Huber Keller by Hubert Keller and John Harrisson, Rittenhouse Cookbook by Jim Coleman, Tamalesby Mark Miller, Stephan Pyles, and John Sedlar, Salsas and Tacos: Santa Fe School of Cooking by Susan Curtis, Blended Beauty: Botanical Secrets for Body and Soul by Philip B, Elizabeth Berry's Great Bean Book by Florence Fabricant, The Great Sunflower Book by Barbar Jeanne Flores, and The Great Exotic Fruit Book by Norman Van Aken to name a few.
To learn more about Red Mesa Cuisine, visit www.redmesacuisine.com
To learn more about LOIS Photography, visit www.loisphoto.com
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Top reviews from the United States
- 5 out of 5 stars
Great recipes, amazing stories, and really wonderful photos
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2025Absolutely fantastic recipes, we've made so many of them and they've all been great (which says a lot as I struggle with sensory processing disorder, it can make eating new meals hard.) There are some ingredients we substitute but for the most part, they're really accessible for us and easy to come by so its been helpful to keep us using it. I can't have red meat or dairy and so I've been missing a lot of my old meals from back home, having these vegan substitutes was exactly what I'd needed. I'd totally buy another cookbook if they create another.
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CancelReport - 5 out of 5 stars
Nice cookbook especially if you are looking for something different
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024Beautiful recipe book using Native American ingredients. Most of the recipes are easy to execute with simple ingredients. This is a wonderful collaboration between Lois Ellen Frank and Walter Whitewater. The insights into Native ingredients and the history is very interesting. The photography is exceptional. Well researched. The book is organized by sections headed by the primary ingredient in the dish, potatoes, tomatoes, squash, etc. instead of the more typical soup, salad, entree format so it takes a little bit of time when searching recipes. Definitely a nice a nice addition to anyone who is interested in plant based cooking. The back cover has several endorsements that really state what this book is about!
5 out of 5 starsNice cookbook especially if you are looking for something different
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024Beautiful recipe book using Native American ingredients. Most of the recipes are easy to execute with simple ingredients. This is a wonderful collaboration between Lois Ellen Frank and Walter Whitewater. The insights into Native ingredients and the history is very interesting. The photography is exceptional. Well researched. The book is organized by sections headed by the primary ingredient in the dish, potatoes, tomatoes, squash, etc. instead of the more typical soup, salad, entree format so it takes a little bit of time when searching recipes. Definitely a nice a nice addition to anyone who is interested in plant based cooking. The back cover has several endorsements that really state what this book is about!
6 people found this helpfulSending feedback...Sending feedback...HelpfulThank you for your feedback.Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try againThanks, we'll investigate in the next few days.Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try againWe'll check if this review meets our community guidelinesOpens in a new tab. If it doesn't, we'll remove it.
CancelReport - 5 out of 5 stars
Buy this book
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2024What a beautiful cookbook. The recipes are both creative and attainable. Most of them seem like they include ingredients that aren’t hard to find, especially the produce. I had to buy New Mexican chili powder and cornmeal that I didn’t have but feel like I’m pretty set for most of the recipes now. There’s a section at the end with websites where you can find various ingredients. Even though the recipes feel more straightforward than many vegetarian cookbooks, the book contains instructions on how to make some very interesting and less common recipes such as chokecherry syrup or how to make culinary ash out of juniper in order to nixtamalize corn to turn it into hominy. I can’t wait to keep combing through this treasure chest of a cookbook.






What a beautiful cookbook. The recipes are both creative and attainable. Most of them seem like they include ingredients that aren’t hard to find, especially the produce. I had to buy New Mexican chili powder and cornmeal that I didn’t have but feel like I’m pretty set for most of the recipes now. There’s a section at the end with websites where you can find various ingredients. Even though the recipes feel more straightforward than many vegetarian cookbooks, the book contains instructions on how to make some very interesting and less common recipes such as chokecherry syrup or how to make culinary ash out of juniper in order to nixtamalize corn to turn it into hominy. I can’t wait to keep combing through this treasure chest of a cookbook.
10 people found this helpfulSending feedback...Sending feedback...HelpfulThank you for your feedback.Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try againThanks, we'll investigate in the next few days.Sorry, We failed to report this review. Please try againWe'll check if this review meets our community guidelinesOpens in a new tab. If it doesn't, we'll remove it.
CancelReport - 5 out of 5 stars
Its a good cookbook
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2026Liked it
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CancelReport - 4 out of 5 stars
cultural info
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2026Beautiful photos; haven't tried any recipes
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CancelReport - 5 out of 5 stars
Spectacular recipes. Very healthy. Great histories of foods.
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2025One of the best cookbooks ever! I did not realize so many great foods originated in North America from the Native tribes.
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CancelReport - 5 out of 5 stars
Great history cookbook
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2024What a delight to read..I love cookbooks and I'm a whole food plant based eater..this cookbook has amazing recipes for all different types of southwestern food!! What a joy to learn how to cook this way..
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Exceptional
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2024This book presents a truly unique perspective on indigenous foods, very healthy recipes. Food that tastes good and is extremely good for you
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