It's Only Natural: A Cookbook

From the chef behind London's acclaimed Oliveira Kitchen comes an essential plant-based cookbook.

Abandoning meat shouldn't feel like a loss, but an embrace of a whole new world of culinary possibilities. There's an abundance of natural ingredients hiding in plain sight that most of us walk right past. They aren't complicated; nobody has ever introduced them to us.

This book is that introduction.

In IT'S ONLY NATURAL, E. Amélio, chef and founder of Oliveira Kitchen, redefines plant-based cuisine without succumbing to industrialized meat alternatives. His philosophy is simple: whole, natural food is more than enough.

Through a rigorous exploration of extraordinary botanical ingredients, Amélio takes you from the versatile textures of jackfruit, banana blossom, cassava, and mushrooms to the distinctive profiles of Amazonian fruits like graviola and cupuaçu, while revealing the professional techniques behind deeply satisfying gravies, pâtés, spreads, ferments, and other flavor-rich staples.

Balancing uncompromising technique with culinary artistry, Amélio offers a fresh perspective rooted in discovery rather than substitution. This is not a book about what to leave out. It is a discovery of what you can bring in.

WHAT MAKES THIS COOKBOOK DIFFERENT:

• True Whole Foods: Beyond the familiar and beyond the processed, into an abundance of ingredients most of us have been walking past our entire lives.
• No Artificial Substitutes: Zero factory-made meat alternatives-just professional culinary techniques applied to natural, plant-based ingredients.
• Unique Botanical Profiles: Master cooking with jackfruit, banana blossom, cassava, and rare Amazonian fruits like graviola and cupuaçu.
• Deep Flavor Foundations: Learn the secrets to creating umami-rich gravies, fermentation, misos, and seaweed staples at home.

A CLEAN APPROACH TO VEGAN & DAIRY-FREE COOKING:

Designed for conscious home cooks and culinary enthusiasts, these recipes celebrate pure flavors that nourish both body and planet. Every dish is crafted with an uncompromising commitment to clean, eating:

• 100% Free from Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF) and industrial fillers
• Entirely Soy-Free and Corn-Free
• No factory-engineered fake meats, chemical additives, or hydrogenated oils
• Naturally Dairy-Free and Egg-Free profiles perfect for clean eating, allergy-conscious households, and fine-dining entertaining

Written with the honesty, humor, and rigor of a working chef, IT'S ONLY NATURAL is a cookbook for people who take food seriously.