Gabi Moskowitz resurrects The Grateful Dead through recipes

New cookbook "Dead in the Kitchen" features vegetarian and vegan recipes inspired by the iconic jam band

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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Gabi Moskowitz, a lifelong Deadhead and professional food writer, has published a new cookbook "Dead in the Kitchen: The Official Grateful Dead Cookbook" featuring vegetarian and vegan recipes inspired by the iconic jam band and their equally iconic live shows. The book is structured like a Grateful Dead concert, with chapters like "The Lot", "Dressing Room", and "Encore". Moskowitz will be discussing the book and providing a sample of the roasted carrot hummus recipe at an event at Bookshop Santa Cruz, where she will be joined by author and historian Jim Newton.

Why it matters

The Grateful Dead and the counterculture movement of the 1960s were closely tied to the rise of the health food movement, with many Deadheads embracing vegetarian and vegan diets. This cookbook aims to capture that intersection of music, culture, and food, providing readers with a nostalgic look back at the era while also highlighting the lasting impact of the band's values of kindness and interconnectedness.

The details

Moskowitz, who grew up in Sonoma County with parents inspired by the health food movement, was approached by the Grateful Dead's legacy manager and archivist, David Lemieux, to write an official cookbook for the band. The book features recipes for foods commonly sold at Grateful Dead concerts, like grilled cheese sandwiches and veggie burritos, as well as Moskowitz's own vegetarian and vegan interpretations. The book is structured like a Grateful Dead concert, with chapters like "The Lot", "Dressing Room", and "Encore". Moskowitz also includes a "Riff Break" chapter that encourages readers to improvise their own recipes.

  • Moskowitz submitted sample recipes and was given the green light to write the book in 2025.
  • The book "Dead in the Kitchen: The Official Grateful Dead Cookbook" was published in February 2026.
  • Moskowitz will be discussing the book and providing a sample of the roasted carrot hummus recipe at an event at Bookshop Santa Cruz on Thursday, February 24, 2026.

The players

Gabi Moskowitz

A lifelong Deadhead, professional food writer, and editor of BrokeAssGourmet.com, who was chosen to write the official Grateful Dead cookbook.

David Lemieux

The Grateful Dead's legacy manager and archivist, who approached publisher Weldon Owen about publishing an official Grateful Dead cookbook and wanted an author who fit the book's goals.

Jim Newton

A UCLA professor, former Los Angeles Times reporter, and author of "Here Beside the Rising Tide: Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead, and an American Awakening", who will be joining Moskowitz at the Bookshop Santa Cruz event.

Mollie Katzen

The author of "The Moosewood Cookbook", which shares recipes from the famous Ithaca, New York, natural foods restaurant, and who wrote the foreword for "Dead in the Kitchen".

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What they’re saying

“People kept coming up to me and say the feeling of eating a burrito and listening to this great band play live Dead music feels like they got in a time machine and were in their late teens or 20s again.”

— Gabi Moskowitz, Author (santacruzsentinel.com)

“Her recipes … really defined the era in terms of vegetarianism.”

— Gabi Moskowitz, Author (santacruzsentinel.com)

What’s next

Moskowitz will be discussing the book and providing a sample of the roasted carrot hummus recipe at an event at Bookshop Santa Cruz on Thursday, February 24, 2026.

The takeaway

This cookbook not only captures the intersection of music, culture, and food during the Grateful Dead's heyday, but also highlights the lasting impact of the band's values of kindness and interconnectedness, which continue to resonate with fans and the broader community.