Three books for winter cooking.
The best recipe collections start with a point of view. It's easy to collect a the recipes of a culture or country, but just wait until you wade into the philosophy and politics of food. Here are three books to get you started.
 Omega 3 Cuisine: Recipes for Health and Pleasure
by Alan Roettinger and Udo Erasmus
Published in 2008, Books Alive
$14.95 (paper)
The role of omega-3 fatty acids in a healthy diethas become common knowledge. The benefits range from an anti-inflammatory role inarthritis, heart disease, and PMS to improvements in fat metabolism and even the reduction of ADHD symptoms in children. This 190-page book, with 144 recipes, was inspired by Udo's Right Fat Diet, and designed by Allan Roettinger, an experienced private chef who developed a serious interest in health. The book is a reference guide on how to use Udo's Oil in a variety of sauces, dips, soups, salads, hors d'oeuvres, vegetable dishes, and desserts, even a few breakfast entrees. Each recipe is accompanied by words of wisdom, serving suggestions, and alternatives or ingredient-sourcing ideas.
Any recipe calling for heat recommends that Udo's Oil be added after the dish is removed from the heat source to avoid altering the oil, but not every recipe calls for Udo's Oil. There is an underlying philosophy behind every recipe that reflects the precepts of health education promoted by Udo Erasmus for many years now. An example is the idea that nothing should be caramelized or browned, referred to by Udo as burned food, as burned food contains altered fats that are dangerous to our health.
The format is clear and easy to follow with good variety and lots of useful information. Some sample recipes can be seen at www.alanroettinger.com
-L. Lee Coyne
 The Life Force Diet: The Key to Health and Wellness
by Michelle Schoffro Cook
Published in 2008, Wiley
$18.95 (paper)
We always judge a book by its cover. The Life Force Diet lived up to my first impression that food powered your body and lifestyle. It intrigued me, as this is something we often take for granted. The word diet makes me shudder because of its implicit focus on restraint, but this book provides a comprehensive review of the importance of food in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The main message is how to choose foods that provide the necessary enzymes to protect cells and prevent illness and reverse some of the harm of prior poor eating habits.
The opening compares our body to a house. The author, Michelle Schoffro Cook, explains that we wouldn't build a house with rotting wood and crumbling bricks, so we shouldn't fill our bodies with inadequate fuel and expect it to provide the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. She uses a clear and simple rating system identifying foods necessary to maintain health: "gold" is optimal, or "silver," basic. Schoffro Cook also outlines an easy-to-follow, three-week process of transitioning into this eating lifestyle. She focuses on hydration and eliminating processed and packaged foods. The book's objective of teaching people to effectively nourish the body is worthwhile and her process is easy to apply.
This book would be helpful for all people interested in improving their health, as well as athletes looking to improve their performance. The recipes I tried were easy to follow and provided fresh and tasty meals.
-Suzie Robertson
 Shop Talk
by dee Hobsbawn-Smith
Published in 2008, Last Impression Publishing
$23.95 (paper)
I mentioned to a friend that I was writing a "book report" on dee Hobsbawn-Smith's Shop Talk, and the universe spoke as usual: she just happened to keep a copy in her car, exactly where it should be. This is a must-have reference for all that is good about food, local and otherwise, for people who enjoy cooking, eating, and the good living in Alberta's Bow Corridor.
Her directions are easy, the descriptions well edited. Every listing has a special anecdote. You'll find whatever you want-or didn't know you wanted-listed by location, type of food, ingredient, stores (big and small), markets, and farm-gate sales. There are sections on booze, chefs, caterers, cooking schools, kitchen equipment, and the most comprehensive food glossary. Ever. You will never continue to wonder what anything is again. Barfi anyone? (Indian fudge.)
The author is a foodie's foodie. The book even contains a section on food flicks and docs. At the video store the other day I couldn't remember a title she'd recommended and went to the car to get "the book," exactly where it should be.
What Hobsbawn-Smith does really well is help us help ourselves to make good choices in the marketplace and, ultimately, at our tables.
-Sue Spicer
About the authors
L. Lee Coyne, Ph.D., is nutrition director for Fit Start Program, a lecturer, and author.
Suzie Robertson is a nutrition and wellness consultant with Simply For life in Calgary.
Sue Spicer is a home economist and food educator.
"Reading about Eating" was first published in the November/December Winter Running and Fitness issue of IMPACT magazine. |
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