(Cook)Book Review: A Good Food Day
"A Good Food Day" is a cookbook written by Marco Canora with Tammy Walker, with the tagline, "Reboot your health with food that tastes great." The introduction by Canora describes his career as a professional chef and how, after many years of irregular, sketchy, unhealthy meals, he came to the realization that things had to change -- that meals could be simple, flavorful, and easy! This is Canora's second book, and he prides himself on the collection of recipes for everyday cooking using simple ingredients.
It's taken me months to write this review because I needed time to try out more than a handful of the recipes in the cookbook. Let me begin, though, by saying that before we get in to the recipes, there's a list and description of "10 Principles for a Good Food Day" and a very thorough list of pantry staples (all very easy to obtain from your local grocery store -- no need to spend lots of money on speciality items at Whole Foods!). I really like the idea of the 10 Principles, which simplifies (I know, I keep using this word!) a lot of the "healthy eating" stuff we're told to do by so many people. Then we get to the good stuff: Recipes! Each section is prefaced by a mini-introduction based on Canora's experience and gives you a pretty good idea about the types of foods you'll be seeing in the section, such as berries, eggs, and oats for breakfast, or, the best way to make a "killer pot of beans" prior to digging in to "Beans and Lentils." The photography throughout the cookbook is brilliant and beautiful, although I know my dishes will never look as good as these - Canora is a professional chef, after all, and knows how to exquisitely plate dishes!
The thing I love most about this cookbook is that it's really raw and basic -- rarely does a recipe contain more than 7-10 ingredients (including spices), and huge amounts of added sugar are absent (even for desserts!). I've tried several of the salad recipes, chicken and pork dishes, and the Oatmeal and Dark Chocolate Cookies (SO GOOD) -- each of them winners. Due to several dietary restrictions in my household, I've substituted a few ingredients with no harm to the flavors in my opinion. In all honesty, I am looking forward to making each of the salad recipes, which are perfect for the hot summer nights when the idea of eating warm food is unpalatable, becuase they contain variations on vegetables and grains (like quinoa and lentils) that I hadn't thought to combine. If you're looking for recipes that contain minimal ingredients, don't require professional cooking skills, and are super yummy, then this cookbook is for you!
I received a free copy of this cookbook from Blogging for Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.
It's taken me months to write this review because I needed time to try out more than a handful of the recipes in the cookbook. Let me begin, though, by saying that before we get in to the recipes, there's a list and description of "10 Principles for a Good Food Day" and a very thorough list of pantry staples (all very easy to obtain from your local grocery store -- no need to spend lots of money on speciality items at Whole Foods!). I really like the idea of the 10 Principles, which simplifies (I know, I keep using this word!) a lot of the "healthy eating" stuff we're told to do by so many people. Then we get to the good stuff: Recipes! Each section is prefaced by a mini-introduction based on Canora's experience and gives you a pretty good idea about the types of foods you'll be seeing in the section, such as berries, eggs, and oats for breakfast, or, the best way to make a "killer pot of beans" prior to digging in to "Beans and Lentils." The photography throughout the cookbook is brilliant and beautiful, although I know my dishes will never look as good as these - Canora is a professional chef, after all, and knows how to exquisitely plate dishes!
The thing I love most about this cookbook is that it's really raw and basic -- rarely does a recipe contain more than 7-10 ingredients (including spices), and huge amounts of added sugar are absent (even for desserts!). I've tried several of the salad recipes, chicken and pork dishes, and the Oatmeal and Dark Chocolate Cookies (SO GOOD) -- each of them winners. Due to several dietary restrictions in my household, I've substituted a few ingredients with no harm to the flavors in my opinion. In all honesty, I am looking forward to making each of the salad recipes, which are perfect for the hot summer nights when the idea of eating warm food is unpalatable, becuase they contain variations on vegetables and grains (like quinoa and lentils) that I hadn't thought to combine. If you're looking for recipes that contain minimal ingredients, don't require professional cooking skills, and are super yummy, then this cookbook is for you!
I received a free copy of this cookbook from Blogging for Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.