The Poorcraft Cookbook

The Poorcraft Cookbook is a wonderfully illustrated guide to improving food security, decreasing packaging and waste, and shopping in bulk locally on a budget. Released 29th March 2022 by Iron Circus Comics, it's 228 pages and is available in paperback and ebook/comiXology formats. 

There are three volumes in this series at this point and all are accessible, appealing, and upbeat resources for improving lifestyle, decreasing consumption, downsizing, and simplifying on a budget. This volume contains lots of tips for shopping on a budget, meal planning, vegan and vegetarian tips, and living well and simply in an urban/suburban area. 

The author/illustrator, Nero Villagallos O'Reilly (website contains mature content), writes accessibly and well about the subject. The format is told in panel format with energetic and whimsical B&W pen and ink line drawings. Most of the book is taken up with shopping (smart cooking starts in the store!), but there are a number of well illustrated recipes for soups, cocktails, staples (DIY tofu & kimchi) and a lot more.

It's not haute cuisine, it's not for fancy company or special dinners. This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, as well as for folks newly living on their own (students, newly fledged adults, etc) as the recipes are beginner friendly and require little in the way of exotic ingredients or tools/supplies. Many areas in the world are experiencing supply issues and gaining competence and food security has a strongly net positive benefit on our mental and physical health and well being. This is a niche book, but it's an important book.

Four stars, mostly due to lack of table of contents and index. It's possible those will be included in the release copy, but they were not indicated in the eARC provided for review.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.