Diet, Health, and New Cookbooks

I took a quick look at several food-related new books recently; they are from a number of publishers and cover a variety of more niche topics so I am posting them together in case one is of particular interest to you.

That said, who doesn’t love pasta? And AN A-Z OF PASTA by Rachel Roddy provides stories and commentary on 50 types of pasta, with, as the subtitle notes “Recipes for Shapes and Sauces, from Alfabeto to Ziti, and Everything in Between.” Roddy, an award-winning British food writer, says, “The idea is the 50 stories, arranged alphabetically according to the first letter of the shape, are like pieces of a jigsaw…” The relatively few pictures look scrumptious, like the one for baked macaroni with meatballs and eggplant (Maccheroni ‘ncasciati), although I did not see any nutrition information in the preview. In general, the recipes use numerous ingredients so this may work best for more experienced cooks, but some are marked very quick (e.g., butter and parmesan fettuccine) or quick (e.g., Carbonara). In addition to the delicious food, fans of pasta are sure to enjoy the details – like Penne being named for its slanted cut thanks to an 1865 patent on a diagonal cutting machine - revealed in the descriptions. AN A-Z OF PASTA received a starred review from Booklist. 

MIND OVER BATTER by Jack Hazan is subtitled “75 Recipes for Baking as Therapy.” Hazan writes quite a bit about his Syrian Jewish family members and obviously shares numerous favorite recipes, including his own experience making and selling challah. It all sounds delicious, and frankly, I think if I had more patience and somewhat different expectations that I would like this book more. I was honestly hoping for less stress through easier recipes. Pictures are quite colorful and have me thinking about giving Pesto Pull-Apart Bread or Choose-Your-Own-Scone a try. Since these are baked goods, they tend to be on the sweet side and nutritional information is not included. Hazan, a licensed psycho​therapist, also includes information on self-care, mindfulness, and healing exercises. MIND OVER BATTER is a unique cookbook, especially if you enjoy baking. 

EAT TO BEAT YOUR DIET by William W. Li describes how to “Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer.” Li is a physician, scientist, and author of over one hundred scientific publications in leading journals. He outlines a program to improve your metabolism by carefully choosing what you eat and eating less and more slowly at certain times of the day. The text focuses more on the theory of what and when to eat, but Chapter 12 includes a sample meal guide and recipes like Berry Walnut Breakfast Cookies, Artichoke Egg Scramble, or Pasta Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Olives. Unfortunately, the preview did not contain images (always a favorite part of cookbooks) or nutrition information. Addressing a topic of interest to everyone, EAT TO BEAT YOUR DIET appeared on The Wall Street Journal non-fiction best seller list and for those who are interested, this link leads to a short video interview with Dr. Li as shown on Good Morning America. 

THE EVERYTHING ONE POT MEDITERRANEAN COOKBOOK by Peter Minaki offers “200 Fresh and Simple Recipes That Come Together in One Pot.” That is a style of cooking that I appreciate and there are many, many great choices here: Risotto with Shrimp, Mushrooms, and Asparagus; Cod with Raisins; Skillet Lasagna; even making Sun-Dried Tomatoes yourself. Minaki blogs about “Greek food and more” and embraces Greek (e.g., Scallops Saganaki) and other cuisines in his latest book with recipes like Moroccan-Style Chicken with Green Olives and Lemon or Spanish-Style Chickpeas with Cod. THE EVERYTHING ONE POT MEDITERRANEAN COOKBOOK contains sparsely illustrated sections for skillet dishes, sheet pans, Dutch ovens, Slow Cookers, Instant Pot and casseroles. Yummy! Nutritional information is provided and readers will have a hard time deciding what to try first.