Wish Upon A Chef: reviews

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This is what you just put in your mouth?

Friday, May 15, 2015 | Labels: reviews

If you are looking for an interesting read about ingredients found in food and some everyday household products, This Is What You Just Put In Your Mouth by Patrick Di Justo provides an in-depth look.

This book contains reprints of Justo's weekly articles as they originally appeared in Wired magazine from 2006-2013. The articles began out of curiosity about what was in certain foods and products that are commonly used. Some of the things won't surprise or gross you out, but knowing some of the things may make you think twice.

It is light reading in the sense that you wouldn't just sit down and read the book from cover to cover in one or two sittings, but rather thumb through and read a few pages at a time. It can make for interesting conversation as you're sitting around with friends enjoying drinks before dinner. "Hey! Did you know that Vita Coco coconut water that you are drinking contains Gibberellins?" Or maybe during dessert when you inform everyone that the Cool Whip they just dolloped on their piece of pie contains sex grease!

The book really makes you stop to think about how many corporations and companies are not very forthcoming with information when it comes to ingredients and production of their product. And these are products that we eat, that touch our skin, or that we come into contact with on some level. It pays to research products and companies if you are concerned about your health and well-being!

I received this book free to review from Blogging for Books. The opinions expressed in this review are my true thoughts and feeling regarding this book. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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This is your brain. This is your brain on real food.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015 | Labels: cookbooks, real food, reviews

Do you ever have one of those moments where you walk into a room and have no idea why? Or maybe you totally forget what you're talking about in mid-sentence?

Yeah, me too. And if it's happening to me at the ripe old age of 40 too many, how bad will it be in 10, 15, or 20 years?

Que The Healthy Mind Cookbook by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson. I couldn't get my hands on this book with 120 recipes to "enhance brain function, mood, memory, and mental clarity" fast enough.

Along with recipes, photos and a lot of food and brain related research, The Healthy Mind Cookbook also contains a section called The Culinary Pharmacy that lists 80 ingredients used in the book with notes about the roles they play in helping memory, mood, energy, sleep and more. The information was garnered from peer-reviewed studies conducted with humans and animals in a lab specifically looking at the connection between food and the brain. Even though science has not yet proven definitive connections between diet and the brain, it is still a very important connection to study.

It is somewhat expected that fading memory and advanced age go hand in hand because it was believed that the brain was incapable of producing new cells to replace old or damaged ones. But recent discoveries show that new brain cells can, in fact, be produced. Omega-3's are linked to a chemical known for jump-starting neuron growth and foods rich in vitamin E like nuts, seeds, broccoli and citrus also show a link to increased neuron growth activity.

Personally, I don't need years of research and studies along with approval from the FDA or government to tell me that food affects stress, anxiety, mood, depression, memory, cognitive function and learning. Realizing that our brain is comprised of 60% fat, it makes me wonder if the deprivation of fat due to years of the low fat/no fat diet fads could be the cause for the onset of Alzheimer's and dementia. Do I want to take a chance with my brain health?

NO. NO. NO.

I want my medulla oblongata to have a fighting chance!

After my initial glance through the book, I had no doubt that it would be one that was given a coveted spot on my kitchen counter instead of being relinquished to gather dust on the overburdened cookbook shelf. I chose 17 recipes to try and as of this posting, I've prepared 5 of them and have not yet been disappointed. I like the book because it makes me get outside of my real food box - it contains combinations and ingredients that I don't normally purchase or already have on hand. Nothing weird, just different items like chili paste and bean thread and fresh mint. The book also contains a resource for buying special ingredients online in case you can't find them in your local grocery store. I also liked the fact that ingredients are repeated in recipes throughout the book without being redundant or repetitive. It helps to not waste food.

The Thai It Up Steak Salad (pictured on the book cover) scared me at first with it's inclusion of fish sauce and bean threads but I was very pleasantly surprised. The marinade/dressing was very spicy from the chili paste, but I couldn't stop myself from eating it.

The Shrimp-Stuffed Avocados 2.0 is perfect for lunch or as a quick and light summer dinner on the patio. I was piggish and ate two servings at one sitting. I had some "stuffing" left over and served it over salad greens. I liked the combination of the crunchy apple with the smooth, rich and creamy avocado.

I eat a lot of seafood but honestly tire of so much shrimp and salmon. The Baked Halibut with Tomato, Mint and Fennel broke up that monotony. The topping was an interesting combination that I wouldn't have thought about and again, it scared me but I was game to try something new and I'm so glad I did. I served it alongside wilted fresh spinach from my garden. I had a bit of the tomato, mint and fennel mixture leftover and tossed it with some nice chunks of Feta cheese and served it over salad greens.

The Rosemary and Pear Muffins was written for making mini muffins and I gave thought to changing them up to make standard sized muffins instead. But I stuck with the plan and in retrospect, I'm glad I did. They are perfect bite-sized savory morsels. I've enjoyed a couple for breakfast each morning at my desk with an apple and slice of cheese.

Julie's Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage was a great way to use up the remaining red cabbage from the Thai salad and since it keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator, it's been a great side dish addition to lunches and dinners this week. Crunchy, colorful and tangy, it's been a nice change from my regular green salads.

There are so many more recipes that I want to try, but I already declare The Healthy Mind Cookbook by Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson a great addition to my real food cookbook collection!

I received this book free to review from Blogging for Books. The opinions expressed in this review are my true thoughts and feeling regarding this book. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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Paleo = Hell No

Wednesday, February 18, 2015 | Labels: cookbooks, reviews

I had been seeing and hearing the word “Paleo” tossed around in the food blog corners of the world that I frequent occasionally. Without much research I picked up on the fact that it refers to eating like our Paleolithic ancestors and followed the principles of eating real food instead of processed ingredients. Intrigued, I wanted to learn more since I, myself, am on the real food journey. When it came time to make my next selection from Blogging For Books, I chose a Paleo themed cookbook called “The Paleo Chef” by Peter Evans. With buzz words like “effortless” and “delicious” describing the book’s 100 recipes for a Paleo lifestyle, it was sure to be a winner.

So let me stop right here and add a disclaimer: If you are already a follower of the Paleo way of life or are very seriously contemplating the lifestyle, this book MIGHT be just what you are looking for. But in my quest to learn more and possibly consider the aspect of further defining my real food eating habits, this cookbook made me realize that Paleo = Hell No. My review issues are mostly with the principle of Paleo and not so much with the book itself.

I enjoy food. The preparation, consumption, and social activities involving food are a big part of my life and I don’t see much enjoyment with this plan of eating. It seems that it’s more about eating only for fuel, energy and survival. The photographs in “The Paleo Chef” weren’t even appealing to me – they seemed sparse and void of enjoyment. After thumbing through the entire book, there was not one recipe that jumped out as something I’d want to try just for the sake of giving it the old college try.

The Paleo lifestyle restricts a lot of foods that I enjoy – dairy and alcohol being two categories. “Occasional fruit” is optional on the Paleo plan and I can’t give that up either. I understand eliminating grains in your diet if you have allergies or sensitivities, neither of which I do, so I’ll keep them around as well. Legumes are off-limits because they didn’t grow during the days of our cavemen ancestors. Cavemen didn’t have electricity either but I don’t see any big movement to rid ourselves of that convenience. I’m in total agreement with the concept of eliminating refined sugars and processed ingredients, so Paleo and I are on the same page in that regard. And the idea of eating offal (organ meats and entrails) was enough to seal the deal for me turning a blind eye to Paleo. Chef Evans includes a recipe for seared beef liver with fig salad and raw steak topped with a raw egg. No thank you.

Peter Evans obviously doesn’t shop for groceries in my neighborhood. Some of the ingredients used in several of his recipes are not commonly found in my grocery store. It’s hard enough to incorporate a special trip into my busy routine to pick up humanely raised meats and farm-fresh eggs, so I don’t want to squeeze scavenger hunting into my schedule as well. The recipes contained a lot of nuts and seeds but you first had to ferment these items. I occasionally find something fermented in my refrigerator but it’s not there intentionally.

Again, if you are a Paleo enthusiast, this book could be right up your alley. But if you are just looking to see what the buzz is all about and not whole-heartedly into the concept, skip the book.

Paleo = Pillow for the Schnoodle

I received this book free to review from Blogging for Books. The opinions expressed in this review are my true thoughts and feeling regarding this book. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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A Good Food Day cookbook review

Tuesday, January 20, 2015 | Labels: cookbooks, real food, reviews

With the Overburdened Cookbook Shelf leaching out into the rest of my house, it’s readily apparent that I do not need yet another cookbook. But I can NOT help myself. It’s a ~~sickness~~ hobby. Not long ago, I stumbled upon a website where you receive free cookbooks in exchange for reviews and it was just like having an intravenous straight line to feed my ~~addiction~~ hobby. The hook, line and sinker for me (as IF I needed one) was that you don’t get just any cookbook – you could choose the book that you wanted to review. After perusing the selections, I chose A Good Food Day by Marco Canora with Tammy Walker because it appeared to focus on the concept of real food.

Chef Canora begins the book by telling his story and justification for writing the book – a near health disaster forced a change in his diet. As a former contestant on Food Network’s Iron Chef and head chef and owner of Hearth, located in New York, he was over 40 years old, pre-diabetic, 30 pounds overweight, had high cholesterol, and suffered from gout. It’s a story that unfortunately a lot of people are familiar with – not thinking about the correlation of diet and health until it’s (almost) too late. Canora used his kitchen knowledge, creativity and sense of adventure to create this book full of 125 recipes that focus on whole and real foods to help motivate and prove that eating healthy does not mean deprivation or bland, pathetic looking food. This is not a low carb, no meat, low fat, calorie-counting cookbook or a book about being proud for eating like you’re “supposed to.” It is about eating local and seasonal, getting over the “fat phobia” instilled in us thanks to mass marketing, and eating good food for better health.

At first glance, the recipes sounded indulgent and worthy of only being prepared for a fancy party or special occasion. But why should the “good stuff” be reserved for special occasions? Why not indulge ourselves for the sake of good health? I liked the fact that a recommended list of pantry and fridge staples was included and I was pleased to realize that, thanks to my diligence over the past year, my pantry already had alot of the items. I also liked the fact that some of the same ingredients were used in multiple recipes (without being repetitive of what you were eating) so as to maximize your food purchases.

After just returning from vacation in the California wine country, I was spoiled from 8 days of indulgent food and wine and decided to cook my way through A Good Food Day to continue the streak. I had a few apples purchased prior to my trip languishing on my counter, so the Apple Walnut Spice Muffins were the first order of business. I could not find oat flour in my grocery store so I substituted whole wheat flour and had no issues. They came out of the oven with a beautiful dark, rustic look and a good crown. They were very moist and chock-full of texture thanks to the addition of diced apples along with grated ones. These beauties are in my office freezer and ready to be pulled out for a quick, filling breakfast.

Salmon in Parchment with Olives, Fennel and Lemon will make you feel like a king when you sit down to dinner. This elegant-looking recipe took less than 30 minutes from start to on-the-table-ready-to-eat and I only dirtied one knife and a cutting board. My kind of meal for sure! I threw in a few capers and then plan to use the remaining salmon next week for the Salmon and Arugula Salad with Pomegranate.

Fennel also did double-duty in the Spinach Salad with Olives, Roasted Fennel and Grapefruit. You may think you can’t eat just a salad for dinner and be satisfied, but I paired this with a crusty loaf of rosemary bread dipped in olive oil (a souvenir from my trip) and didn’t have so much as a grumble from my stomach for the rest of the evening. It was very hearty and I even enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day. I also used grapefruit for breakfast in the Ode to Orange Julius Shake, but due to my own personal taste preferences and less-than-stellar food processor, I didn’t enjoy it so much. I would, however, serve it to guests for a brunch.

And to reiterate the fact that eating good doesn’t mean deprivation, there is a section for sweets and for snacks and I just had to try the Hazelnut Brownies. I used almond meal in place of the hazelnut meal (per a suggested substitution from Chef's notes) because I already had that in my pantry but again had to use whole wheat flour in place of the oat flour. They baked up beautifully with nice crispy edges (my favorite part of a brownie) and had a perfectly balanced texture between fudgy and cake-like. Normally I piggishly eat half a pan of just-out-of-the-oven brownies in one sitting and still don’t feel like I’ve gotten my chocolate fix. With these brownies, I only ate 2 small squares. Not because they weren’t good – quite the contrary. It was because they were so chocolatey rich and delicious and satisfying.

I have numerous other recipes from A Good Food Day on my list to prepare in the coming weeks but I knew I didn’t need to hold off writing my review until I had completed them all. Chef Marco Canora has created a cookbook that exemplifies treating food as fun instead of just fuel for the body. If you are just starting your real food journey and are used to having primarily processed foods in your diet, it’s possible that you may be leery of the recipes in this book based on names and ingredients, but don’t be intimidated. There’s no weird tofu/soy protein/tempeh to be had here – just healthy real foods. For my review, I give this book 4-1/2 out of 5 stars. I deduct a half star because Chef Canora does not mince words and includes some profanity while telling his story. I personally am not offended by the language, but based on that alone, I wouldn’t recommend this book to the likes of my mother or grandmother or any of my more conservative friends.

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This is what you just put in your mouth?

This is your brain. This is your brain on real food.

Paleo = Hell No

A Good Food Day cookbook review