How Not to Age by Michael Greger

How Not to Age
by Michael Greger

ISBN-13: 9781250796332
Hardcover: 608 pages
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Released: Dec. 5, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When Dr. Michael Greger, founder of NutritionFacts.org, dove into the top peer-reviewed anti-aging medical research, he realized that diet could regulate every one of the most promising strategies for combating the effects of aging. We don’t need Big Pharma to keep us feeling young―we already have the tools. In How Not to Age, the internationally renowned physician and nutritionist breaks down the science of aging and chronic illness and explains how to help avoid the diseases most commonly encountered in our journeys through life.

There are eleven pathways for aging in our bodies’ cells and we can disrupt each of them. Processes like autophagy, the upcycling of unusable junk, can be boosted with spermidine, a compound found in tempeh, mushrooms, and wheat germ. Senescent “zombie” cells that spew inflammation and are linked to many age-related diseases may be cleared in part with quercetin-rich foods like onions, apples, and kale. And we can combat effects of aging without breaking the bank. Why spend a small fortune on vitamin C and nicotinamide facial serums when you can make your own for up to 2,000 times cheaper?

Inspired by the dietary and lifestyle patterns of centenarians and residents of “blue zone” regions where people live the longest, Dr. Greger presents simple, accessible, and evidence-based methods to preserve the body functions that keep you feeling youthful, both physically and mentally. Brimming with expertise and actionable takeaways, How Not to Age lays out practical strategies for achieving longevity.


My Review:
How Not to Age looks at scientific studies and explains what food, lifestyle choices, exercise, and supplements actually appear to slow aging and which popular remedies don't appear to work. The author sifts through scientific studies and eliminates ones that appear biased to get a certain result. He summarized these studies and scientific concepts (like aging pathways in the body) in understandable ways.

The book started out with aging pathways and what foods, exercise, and such modified these pathways to create slower aging. I found this section to be the most interesting. There was also a section on common diseases in the elderly and what can be done to avoid them. Some of this information was repeated from his other books. He also covered things more suited to his "How Not to Die" book, like urging people to get vaccines (like for shingles) for diseases that are more dangerous to the elderly or explaining a way to legally kill yourself (through starvation) if you lack quality of life. He included recommendations in each section for foods to add to your diet, exercise, etc.

Overall, he's strongly in favor of making diet and lifestyle changes rather than taking drugs. He recommended whole, plant-based foods, though he did mention which animal products were better than others. Though I don't agree with some of his values, I found the information to be interesting and informative. I'd recommend this book to those who have the endurance to read 600 pages on the topic, and I'd recommend his free videos (many of which are linked to in the book) for everyone else.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Beginner's Guide to Safely Foraging for Wild Mushrooms by Karen Stephenson

Beginner's Guide to Safely Foraging for Wild Mushrooms
by Karen Stephenson

ISBN-13: 9781685393878
Paperback: 134 pages
Publisher: Rockridge Press
Released: November 15, 2022

Source: a review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
There are thousands of mushroom species native to the woods, fields, and forests of North America, but how do you know which are safe to eat? This beginner’s guide will help you discover the diverse and fascinating world of mushrooms and where to find them, so you can enjoy nature’s bounty. Get down and dirty with this safe guide to mushroom foraging.


My Review:
Beginner's Guide to Safely Foraging for Wild Mushrooms is aimed at beginners to foraging wild mushrooms. The author generally picked mushrooms that don't have unsafe, similar-looking mushrooms. However, she did include identification information and pictures for the really poisonous ones, too, to help you avoid them. She started with some basic information about mushrooms and the different parts used for identification (with pictures, so you can see the differences). She also talked about foraging for mushrooms and how to collect, process, use or store them. She then had identification sections for 11 easy-to-spot, 4 medium difficulty, and 5 hard to spot wild mushrooms. The identification pages had a picture of the mushroom and information on the name, type, description, habitat, where to find it, when to harvest, look-alikes (and how to tell them apart), taste profile, keys to positive ID, spore print ID, and tips on foraging and storage. Overall, this seems like a good beginners guide.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

PlantPure Comfort Food by Kim Campbell

PlantPure Comfort Food by Kim Campbell ISBN-13: 9781637742273 Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: BenBella Books Released: Dec. 13, 2022

Source: ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In PlantPure Comfort Food, Kim Campbell—Director of Culinary Education and Development at PlantPure and daughter-in-law of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, the “science father” of the modern plant-based nutrition movement—offers comfort food recipes to satisfy a wide range of palates, making a healthy, plant-based lifestyle more accessible than ever. From enchiladas to pho bowls to buffalo pot pie, the possibilities for plant-based eating are endless—and delicious!

This third PlantPure cookbook offers over 100 reinventions of comforting culinary classics, including Southern Style Polenta and Greens, Lasagna Stew, Spinach Quesadillas, Chickpea Tikka Masala, Samosa Burritos, Pad Thai Zoodles, Sweet Potato Spice Muffins, Apple Cranberry Crisp. Plus, Campbell offers helpful suggestions on how to swap out flavors and ingredients to truly make these recipes your own, as well as detailed guidelines for swapping meat, dairy, and egg for whole plant substitutes in your own family’s favorite dishes.


My Review:
PlantPure Comfort Food is a whole food, plant-based (vegan) cookbook containing 100 recipes. This would be a good cookbook for someone new to cooking vegan meals from scratch. The author provided cooking tips and most of the recipes were pretty simple to do. The author described plant-based substitutes so you can convert regular recipes.

Most of the recipes served between 4 to 8 people and took around 20-60 minutes to make. Most of the ingredients in the recipes should be easy to get. She included 9 recipes for breakfast, 8 recipes for soups and stews, 6 recipes for spice blends, 13 recipes for breads, 4 recipes for sandwiches and wraps, 12 recipes for appetizers and dips, 9 recipes for dressings and sauces, 7 recipes for salads and sides, 25 recipes for main dishes, 5 recipes for InstantPots, 7 recipes for holiday dishes, and 16 recipes for deserts.

The recipes provided the preparation time, cooking time, how much is made, ingredients, instructions, cooking and tips and hints. Recipes were sometimes labeled gluten-free. There were pictures of the finished product for each recipe, and they looked very tasty. I've made several of these recipes now, and they're as tasty as the recipes I've tried from this author's other cookbook. They're full of flavor and have nice textures. There are times I think "that combination of foods doesn't sound yummy" yet it always turns out well. Overall, I'd recommend this cookbook to those interested in adding more whole-food, plant-based meals to their diet.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The Complete Guide to Anti-Inflammatory Foods by Lizzie Streit

The Complete Guide to Anti-Inflammatory Foods
by Lizzie Streit

ISBN-13: 9780785839644
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Chartwell Books
Released: June 14th 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Researchers have linked low-grade, persistent inflammation to premature aging, heart disease, MS, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, psoriasis, arthritis, and cancer. The Complete Guide to Anti-Inflammatory Foods introduces 50 anti-inflammatory foods that can easily be incorporated into your day-to-day diet with tips and tricks to keep their anti-inflammatory properties active while preparing your favorite meals and snacks. Most anti-inflammatory foods are naturally vegan and gluten free, and include tomatoes, avocados, green beans, bell peppers, sesame seeds, walnuts, chickpeas, and more.

The guide explains how each food contributes to improving your health and well-being, and includes tasty recipe suggestions for combining several anti-inflammatory foods to boost your daily intake. The benefits of each food are listed, such as antioxidants and polyphenols—protective compounds found in plants—that may contribute to protecting against inflammation, as well as the nutritional breakdown of foods to help include them as part of restricted diets such as Keto or low GI.

Authored by Lizzie Streit, a renowned nutritionist and prolific contributor to Healthline.com, this anti-inflammatory guide demystifies which anti-inflammatory foods are the most worthwhile to include in your diet and includes a list of foods to avoid, while offering advice on assessing your diet along with a detailed guide to which health concerns may benefit from an anti-inflammatory diet.


My Review:
The Complete Guide to Anti-Inflammatory Foods is a basic guide to anti-inflammatory foods with profiles on 50 of these foods. Some of these profiles are categories of food (leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, mushrooms, peppers, berries, citrus, legumes, etc.) but most are specific foods (sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, artichokes, fennel, salmon, etc.). Each profile devoted one page to the information about that food and another to a picture of the food. The profile included brief information about the food's anti-inflammatory effects, how to select it and prepare it, best ways to cook it for the most anti-inflammatory effect, a few suggestions on ways to add it to meals, and consideration for those with special diets or medical conditions. The book also talked about anti-inflammatory and inflammatory foods (so you also know what to avoid) and ended with eight recipes. The recipes were sized for 4 people and included ingredients, cooking steps, easy alternatives, and a picture of the finished product. This would be a good introductory book for someone who doesn't know about anti-inflammatory foods.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Tea by Kevin Gascoyne

Tea by Kevin Gascoyne,
François Marchand,
Jasmin Desharnais,
Hugo Americi,
Jonathan Racine

ISBN-13: 9780593197882
Paperback: 271 pages
Publisher: Firefly Books
Released: November 3rd 2011

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Tea is a comprehensive guide to non-herbal tea, the plant Camellia sinensis. Concise and authoritative text and an abundance of color photographs take the reader on an escorted tour of the world's tea-growing countries: China, Japan, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam and East Africa. Like a fine wine, it is the "terroir" -- a region's soil and climate -- that imparts unique characteristics to a tea. The book covers black, green, white, yellow, oolong, pu'er, perfumed, aromatic and smoked teas.

Topics include an overview of the history of tea, tea varieties, the worldwide export of tea, how tea is processed, signature tea cultivars, the art of making, serving and tasting tea, including tea ceremonies, and tea in cooking with 15 recipes. Also, a set of detailed charts, tables and graphs shows the caffeine, antioxidant and other biochemical properties of 35 teas.


My Review:
Tea provides a detailed look at the history and present state of tea in China, Japan, Taiwan, India (and, briefly, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam and East Africa). The book started by providing an overview of the history of tea and information about the different tea types: black, green, white, yellow, oolong, pu'er, perfumed, aromatic, and smoked teas. The authors then focused on specific countries and talked about where the tea is grow, how the weather affects the tea taste, the tea types that they grow there, if the tea is primarily for domestic use or export, and details about how they process the tea and about local tea drinking ceremonies. They ended with 15 recipes that use tea and some scientific analysis about what levels of caffeine and antioxidants are in various teas and how different preparation methods (steeping times, multiple infussions, etc.) affect the amounts of caffeine and antioxidant in each cup of tea. If you really like your tea and want to learn the details, this book has a lot for detailed information.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Christopher Hobbs's Medicinal Mushrooms by Christopher Hobbs

Christopher Hobbs's Medicinal Mushrooms by Christopher Hobbs ISBN-13: 9781635861679 Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: Storey Publishing Released: March 30, 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Mushrooms have been used as medicine for thousands of years and their value in boosting immunity, improving memory, and even fighting cancer is being recognized and documented in scientific research. Christopher Hobbs, a mycologist and herbalist at the forefront of contemporary research, profiles the most powerful medicinal mushrooms and explains the nutritional and medicinal compounds in each one. Detailed instructions cover how to select, store, and prepare each variety for use. Whether readers are growing or foraging their own mushrooms, or sourcing them from a local provider, this essential handbook will guide them in making health-boosting medicine.


My Review:
Christopher Hobbs's Medicinal Mushrooms is a detailed guide about foraging, buying, and using medicinal mushrooms. The author included information about how to identify medicinal mushrooms in the wild (including information about dangerous look-alike mushrooms) and how to harvest and process them. He also talked about buying medicinal mushrooms as fresh or dried fruit bodies, powdered extracts, and tinctures, and what to look for in these products. He described the different ways to use them, like in food or as a tea, and provided step-by-step, illustrated directions on how to make your own extracts, powders, and tinctures. He covered details about the different health benefits of the most popular medical mushrooms as well as some lesser known mushrooms and psychedelic mushrooms. In each mushroom's profile, he talked about health-related research findings, gave a summary of traditional uses, provided suggested dosages, and what to look for in commercial products. He also described how to cultivate various mushrooms at home. Overall, I'd recommend this very informative book to anyone interested in medicinal mushrooms.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm by Daniel Mays

The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm by Daniel Mays ISBN-13: 9781635861891 Harcover: 256 pages Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC Released: October 13th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
No-till farming — a method of growing crops and providing pasture without disturbing the soil with tillage — has become a proven and enormously important alternative to standard farming practices. In this comprehensive guide to no-till vegetable farming for aspiring and beginning farmers, author Daniel Mays — himself the owner and manager of a no-till farm in Maine — details the many benefits of this system, along with how to establish no-till beds, intensive crop planning, mulching strategies, techniques and timing of occultation and solarization, selection and timing of no-till cover crops, holistic approaches to weed management, and efficient methods of harvest and post-harvest handling.

The book presents innovative labor structures that replace reliance on expensive machinery, as well as streamlined planning and record-keeping tools, marketing strategies, and the value of community engagement through programs like CSA, food justice initiatives, and on-farm education. It shows farmers concerned about the future of their profession and the planet that, together, all of these elements form a cohesive system that works toward the health of the soil, the farm as a whole, the natural environment, and the people it feeds and employs.


My Review:
The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm details how to start and run a successful market garden using organic and no-till methods. The focus of the book was more on teaching a beginner the details needed to successfully buy a farm and start a market garden. However, the author also included details about how to do this using an organic, no-till method. He covered topics like:

What to look for when buying land, things to think about when designing the farm layout, how to break ground (with and without tilling) and start your vegetable beds, things to consider when deciding what to plant and where to plant it, making a greenhouse and equipping it, transplanting and direct seeding, ways to irrigate and how to maintain a system, how to deal with weeds including mulching and manual weeding, using compost as mulch, using cover crops and what to do when it's time to plant, how to break up compaction and avoid it to begin with, multi-cropping, planting beneficial plants elsewhere on the farm, using livestock with the beds, fertilization, dealing with pests and disease, how to harvest efficiently and keep crops clean and fresh, the different ways you can sell your produce, how to hire laborers, record keeping, and more.

He gave specific examples of how they do these various things on his farm and included many full-color photographs of what this looks like. This is a very informative book and is probably most helpful to those who live in a more northern climate like he does (in Maine). I felt like he was not aware of some issues that come up in the South where the winters are mild. Since I'm already an organic farmer and was mostly interested in the no-till method, I was a little disappointed that he did not cover these issues pertinent to my region. However, I did learn quite a lot of new information about no-till and how it works, and I plan to use some of this information next year in my hobby garden.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Science and Cooking by Michael P. Brenner, Pia M. Sörensen, David A. Weitz

Science and Cooking by Michael P. Brenner, Pia M. Sörensen, David A. Weitz ISBN-13: 9780393634921 Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: W. W. Norton Company Released: October 20th 2020

Source: review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Goodreads:
The spectacular culinary creations of modern cuisine are the stuff of countless articles and social media feeds. But to a scientist they are also perfect pedagogical explorations into the basic scientific principles of cooking. In Science and Cooking, Harvard professors Michael Brenner, Pia Sörensen, and David Weitz bring the classroom to your kitchen to teach the physics and chemistry underlying every recipe.

Why do we knead bread? What determines the temperature at which we cook a steak, or the amount of time our chocolate chip cookies spend in the oven? Science and Cooking answers these questions and more through hands-on experiments and recipes from renowned chefs such as Christina Tosi, Joanne Chang, and Wylie Dufresne, all beautifully illustrated in full color. With engaging introductions from revolutionary chefs and collaborators Ferran Adria and José Andrés, Science and Cooking will change the way you approach both subjects—in your kitchen and beyond.


My Review:
Science and Cooking explores the science behind the way we cook and bake. The authors did a good job of explaining the science by using analogies that made clear the principles being explained. There were some simple examples that you could reasonably try at home, like the different temperatures at which the different parts of the egg solidify. However, the main recipes used to demonstrate a way to chemically change food (heat, pH, diffusion, fermenting, etc.) tended to use unusual ingredients or equipment that a home cook would not have. These recipes were created by chefs known for using an understanding of the science behind cooking to create unusual food experiences. These recipes demonstrated the principles being taught, but they weren't necessarily foods that you would want to serve people on a regular basis. Basically, don't buy this book expecting a bunch of practical recipes. However, I'd recommend this interesting book to people curious about molecular cuisine or those who want to know things like why common recipes use certain temperatures for certain lengths of time to create the perfect crust or a tasty steak.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

KitchenWise by Shirley O. Corriher

KitchenWise by Shirley O. Corriher ISBN-13: 9781982140687 Hardcover: 288 pages Publisher: Scribner Released: November 17th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Want to cook fluffier scrambled eggs and more flavorful sauces, keep your greens brilliantly green, and make everything taste more delicious? KitchenWise combines beloved cooking expert Shirley Corriher’s down-to-earth advice with scientific expertise to address everyday cooking issues. Whether you are a beginning cook or a professional chef, Shirley will let you know exactly what to do behind the stove. A gifted teacher with a degree in chemistry, Shirley takes readers through the hows and whys of what she does in the kitchen, explaining the science behind common problems and offering solutions for how to fix them. (For example, salt has an amazing ability to suppress bitterness and allow other flavors to emerge.) Filled with more than 30 of Shirley’s favorite time-tested recipes, in KitchenWise readers learn how to cook more successfully, why certain ingredients work well together, and what makes good food great.

Packed with proven techniques, KitchenWise serves up new ways to get the most from your cooking.


My Review:
KitchenWise explains some of the chemical reactions in cooking and some troubleshooting tips based on this information. The author also included recipes that demonstrated the points she was making in the chapter. She talked about flavor and things that can be done to increase flavor in food. Then she talked about meat, eggs, and other animal products, with much of the focus on using eggs in cooking and troubleshooting possible problems. The next section was on fruits and vegetables, and much of the focus was on potatoes (baked potatoes, French fries, potato salads, etc.) and troubleshooting problems with potatoes. The next section was on beans and grains. The next was on making the perfect sauce, and many of these seemed to involve cream or chocolate. She talked about which foods freeze well and which don't. She finished with a section on baking (mainly cookies, cakes, and baguettes) and a section on chocolate, ice cream, and other desserts.

Apparently, getting the "perfect" dish very often involves a lot of butter, cream, egg, or sugar. No wonder most commercial cakes taste so extremely sweet since they use more sugar than flour (by weight)...and that's not including the icing. Since I'm more interested in healthy (but still tasty) eating, much of her advice wasn't helpful for me. Overall, I'd recommend this book to people with an interest in science and cooking who are most interested in how food tastes.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Naturally Fermented Bread by Paul Barker

Naturally Fermented Bread by Paul Barker ISBN-13: 9781631599132 Hardcover: 160 pages Publisher: Quarry Books Released: October 13th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Learn to bake healthy, gut-friendly loaves and sweet fermented buns using wild yeasts cultivated from fruits, flowers, vegetables, and plants. To bake naturally fermented bread—fruit, vegetables, plants, or flowers are submerged in water and left for a few days to a few weeks to ferment. Yeasts living in this newly fermented water, or botanical water, will, like a sourdough starter, raise the dough more slowly than commercial fresh or dried yeast resulting in a more flavorful and gut-friendly bread.

You can use this technique to make traditional long-fermented loaves and also a range of sweet fermented buns that showcase the subtle and surprising flavors of your own botanical starters. Recipes include: Tomato and Basil Pizza Dough, Cucumber Burger Buns, Chocolate Orange Brioche, Botanical Laminated Pastry, and much more!


My Review:
Naturally Fermented Bread is a cookbook that describes how to use wild yeasts found on fruit and vegetables to make bread. The author started by describing how to culture these wild yeasts found on various fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and flowers. He then gave step-by-step instructions on how to make your own breads using this instead of prepackaged yeast. The breadmaking part is basic enough to help those not used to baking as well as those simply not used to working with higher hydration doughs or wild yeast cultures.

Most of the book was recipes for yeast breads and sweet buns that included tips on making that ferment (using raisins or figs or whatever) and things like how to modify the hydration levels as well as the recipe for that type of bread. Each recipe included a picture of the finished loaf. The author also included some recipes for sourdough breads. Overall, the author made naturally fermented bread making sound relatively easy and doable, and I will soon try making some bread using apples. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in trying this process.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The No-Waste Vegetable Cookbook by Linda Ly

The No-Waste Vegetable Cookbook by Linda Ly ISBN-13: 978-1558329973 Hardcover: 192 pages Publisher: Harvard Common Press Released: April 7th 2020

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Learn how to make the most of the edibles in your garden or the farmer's market bounty! The No Waste Vegetable Cookbook will help you cook your way through greens, beans, roots, and herbs with seasonal recipes that utilize every edible part of the plant. Author Linda Ly shares a wide variety of recipes and techniques from her popular CSA Cookbook, from creative pickling (think watermelon rind) to perfect pestos. Chapters and recipes include:

Tomatoes and Peppers: Spicy Minty Tomato Sauce Infused with Tomato Leaves, Spicy Fermented Summer Salsa, Ginger-Spiced Chicken Soup with Wilted Pepper Leaves, Blistered Padron Peppers and White Onions

Leafy Greens: Kale Stem Pesto Spring Bulgur Salad with Kale Buds, Stuffed Collard Greens, Potlikker Noodles with Collard Greens, Broccoli Green and Baked Falafel Wrap

Peas and Beans: Pea Shoot Salad with Radish and Carrot, Pan-Charred Beans with Bean Leaf Pesto, Yardlong Bean Curry with Wilted Spinach, Fava Leaf Salad with Citrus, Feta, and Walnuts, Charred Fava Pods with Parmesean

Bulbs and Stems: Fennel Front and Ginger Pesto, Kohlrabi Home Fries with Thyme Aioli, Leek Green, Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Crostini, Scallion Soup, Green Onion Pancake with Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce

Roots and Tubers: Carrot Top Salsa, Beetza Beetza, Quick-Pickled Sweet 'n Spicy Radish Pods, Savory Sweet Potato Hummus, Creamy Sweet Potato Soup with Maple Syrup, Hasselback Potatoes, Vietnamese Carrot and Daikon Pickles

Melons and Gourds: Watermelon Rind Kimchi, Stir-Fried Watermelon Rind, Gingered Butternut Bisque, Four Ways to Toast Pumpkin Seeds, Sicilian Squash Shoot Soup, Drunken Pumpkin Chili, Pan-Fried Cucumber in Honey Sesame Sauce

Flowers and Herbs: Chive Blossom Vinegar, Nasturtium Pesto, Cilantro Pepita Pesto, Chimichurri, Marinated Feta with a Mess of Herbs, and "All In" Herb Dressing Whether you're excited to make the most of the farmer's market or use every bit of your garden's bounty, this is the book that keeps the food on your table and out of the trash can (or compost bin)!


My Review:
The No-Waste Vegetable Cookbook is a cookbook focused on using all parts of the vegetable in a recipe. The author described how you can use the leaves on many vegetables, like tomatoes, peppers, peas, beans, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, etc. I already knew a lot of this, and that you don't necessarily have to peel vegetables. That part probably is best for someone who doesn't have a lot of experience in the kitchen and is unaware of just how much of the vegetable you can use. The author also included recipes that use these various vegetable greens, though I was surprised that some of these recipes were simply for leafy greens or used herbs. I was interested in the many different ways one can make pesto and a few of the other recipes. Overall, I recommend this book to beginners interested in learning more about this topic.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The Artisan Kitchen by James Strawbridge

The Artisan Kitchen by James Strawbridge ISBN-13: 978-1465499363 Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: DK Publishing Released: September 8th 2020

Source: review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Rediscover traditional culinary skills made accessible for the creative, contemporary cook. This cookbook is for people who like to escape to their kitchen and plan a new culinary project; who would be proud to feed their sourdough starter, culture their next batch of kefir, salt and hang their curing sausages; who are happy to leave their chutney to mature and their home-brewed wine to mellow; who are up for the challenge of building their own smoker and rigging up a turning spit to roast over an open fire.

The Artisan Kitchen is a compendium of culinary projects, each explored in three stages to spark your creativity: "The Science" explains the science and technical know-how; "The Practice" gets you started on an enticing recipe, with action shots of tricky techniques; and "The Possibilities" provides further recipe ideas plus the tools and inspiration to devise your own recipes.


My Review:
The Artisan Kitchen explained how to do various traditional cooking skills like fermenting, breadmaking, curing, and smoking. For each skill, there was a page explaining the science (chemical reactions and such), one or more recipes teaching how to do the skill along with expert tips, then two pages exploring possible variations on the ingredients. The skills taught were how to do or make: sour-fermented pickles, vinegar pickles, chutney, jams, jellies, and syrups, fruit curds, dehydrating, vinegar, fermented soft drinks, alcoholic cider, flavored spirits, yogurt, butter, cheese, sourdough, flat breads, confit, potting, dry curing, wet curing, sausages, cold smoking, hot smoking, campfire cooking, spit roasting, and wood-fired oven. The information was not difficult to understand, and there were many pictures that helped to show the process (though these weren't full step-by-step illustrations). Overall, I'd recommend this book to those interested in learning these skills.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Whole Food Vegetarian Cookbook by Ivy Stark

Whole Food Vegetarian Cookbook by Ivy Stark ISBN-13: 978-1646118847 Paperback: 3063 pages Publisher: Rockridge Press Released: August 25, 2020

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Amazon:
Vegetarian cooking has never been so nutritious and delicious. The Whole Food Vegetarian Cookbook makes it quick and easy to cook up tons of fresh and tasty meals every day that will boost energy levels and optimize your overall health.

From Vegan Sloppy Joes to Vegan Macaroni & Cheese, this complete vegetarian cookbook gives you everything you need to get started, including the holistic health benefits of vegetarian cooking, tips for stocking your pantry, kitchen and prep essentials, and more. Switching to a plant-forward diet and a healthier lifestyle will give you lots of flexibility so you can fit it into your active, everyday schedule.

The Whole Food Vegetarian Cookbook includes 135 Tasty recipes―Discover dozens of delicious vegetarian cookbook delights made with natural, whole-food ingredients. Explore essential information on prep time, cook time, and nutritional information. Learn substitution tricks to make these flavorful meals vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free.


My Review:
Whole Food Vegetarian Cookbook is a vegetarian cookbook that focuses on using minimally-processed, whole-food ingredients. She used dairy and eggs, but she also included recipes for making your own soy or nut milk, dairy-free soft cheese, nondairy yogurt, butterless butter, eggless mayonnaise, as well as tips in the actual recipes for making substitutions for eggs and dairy. She occasionally used ingredients like tempeh bacon or vegan cheese. I was disappointed that she did not warn to avoid GMO soy, canola oil, corn, and other GMO ingredients though she did mention avoiding rBGH in dairy. She tended to make the dishes spicy, and so far I haven't really cared for the spice combinations even when I greatly reduce the amounts to levels that my family can tolerate. Others may enjoy them, though.

Most of the recipes served between 4 to 8 people and took around 20-70 minutes to make. Most of the ingredients in the recipes should be easy to get, but there were a few ingredients I've never even heard of. She included 18 recipes for staples and snacks, 17 recipes for sauces and dressings, 15 recipes for breakfast, 14 recipes for sandwiches, burgers, and handheld, 18 recipes for bowls, salads, and sides, 15 recipes for soups and stews, 25 recipes for dinner mains, and 14 recipes for drinks and desserts.

The recipes provided the preparation time, cooking time, how much is made, ingredients, instructions, cooking and substitution tips. Recipes were sometimes labeled gluten-free or dairy-free. Each recipe included "per serving" information on calories, total fat, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, and zinc. There were only two or so pictures of finished recipes per each section of recipes. At least one picture was paired with the wrong recipe.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Ultimate Pasta Machine Cookbook by Lucy Vaserfirer

The Ultimate Pasta Machine Cookbook by Lucy Vaserfirer ISBN-13: 9781592339488 Paperback: 208 pages Publisher: Harvard Common Press Released: August 4th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Making pasta by hand at home lets you create and enjoy dozens and dozens of different flavors of noodles. Cooking teacher and food blogger Lucy Vaserfirer explains the methods of master chefs in simple-to-follow, step-by-step instructions that let home cooks cook like the pros. Lucy shows you how easy it is to use a sheeter, extruder, and cavatelli maker of any type, manual or electric, to create tasty pastas that will please everyone from grown-up gourmands to picky kids who want pasta at nearly every meal.

Lucy shares in these pages terrific purees that you can make, using a blender or a mixing bowl, that you then can turn into all sorts of flavored pastas, from the familiar tomato or spinach pastas to noodles flavored with herbs like basil or chives, spices like pepper or saffron, and other flavors, such as beet, sweet potato, corn, and even, surprisingly enough, chocolate. She teaches you how to make every kind of pasta shape with your pasta machine, including ones you can't find in stores. She includes durum and semolina pastas, the most common kinds, as well as buckwheat and ancient-grain pastas. She even shows how to make Asian noodles, such as udon, soba, and ramen, with your pasta machine. There are recipes, too, for fillings for ravioli, tortellini, and other stuffed pastas, as well as a feast of sauces for finished pasta dishes.

Whether you are a first-time owner of a pasta maker or a seasoned pro looking for exciting new ideas, this book has more than 100 splendid recipes, plus loads of clever tips and tricks, that will make you love your pasta machine and use it often.


My Review:
The Ultimate Pasta Machine Cookbook explained how to make a variety of pastas using three different types of pasta machines: a sheeter pasta machine, an extruder pasta machine, and a cavatelli pasta machine. The author talked about tools, equipment, and ingredients for making pasta. She included many recipes for different types of pasta dough (egg dough, chocolate dough, spinach dough, etc.), pasta fillings, sauces, and even completed dishes. This is a useful, informative book about using these pasta machines.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

This Is Your Brain on Food by Uma Naidoo

This Is Your Brain on Food by Uma Naidoo ISBN-13: 9780316536820 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Little, Brown Spark Released: August 4th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
How to eat for mental health, from a go-to expert on the impact of food on the brain. Did you know that blueberries can help you cope with the aftereffects of trauma? That salami can cause depression, or that boosting Vitamin D intake can help treat anxiety? When it comes to diet, most people's concerns involve weight loss, fitness, cardiac health, and longevity. But what we eat affects more than our bodies; it also affects our brains. And recent studies have shown that diet can have a profound impact on mental health conditions ranging from ADHD to depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, OCD, dementia and beyond.

Dr. Uma Naidoo is a board-certified psychiatrist, nutrition specialist, and professionally trained chef. In This Is Your Brain on Food, she draws on cutting-edge research to explain the many ways in which food contributes to our mental health, and shows how a sound diet can help treat and prevent a wide range of psychological and cognitive health issues. Packed with fascinating science, actionable nutritional recommendations, and delicious, brain-healthy recipes, This Is Your Brain on Food is the go-to guide to optimizing your mental health with food.


My Review:
This Is Your Brain on Food explains what foods can positively or negatively affect your brain health. The author covered depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, dementia, brain fog, insomnia, fatigue, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, OCD, and libido. For each problem, she talked about scientific studies using nutrition to treat the issue, cases that she's treated successfully, and advice about what foods should be avoided and what foods help heal the problem. About a fifth of the book was some recipes along with cooking advice for people that are beginners at cooking. Since I'm interested in food as medicine, I've heard some of this advice before. She generally recommended whole food over refined foods and getting your nutrition from food rather than supplements. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those who want to try changing their diet to heal. However, she doesn't mention avoiding GMO's even though she does recommend canola oil and soy foods. I strongly suggest anyone eating those foods buy organic or become informed about genetically modified foods.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

A Dark History of Tea by Seren Charrington-Hollins

A Dark History of Tea by Seren Charrington-Hollins ISBN-13: 9781526761606 Hardcover: 248 pages Publisher: Pen and Sword History Released: June 19th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Renowned food historian Seren Charrington-Hollins digs into the history of one of the world's oldest beverages, tracing tea's significance on the tables of the high and mighty as well as providing relief for workers who had to contend with the ardours of manual labour. This humble herbal infusion has been used in burial rituals, as a dowry payment for aristocrats; it has fuelled wars and spelled fortunes as it built empires and sipped itself into being an integral part of the cultural fabric of British life. This book delves into the less tasteful history of a drink now considered quintessentially British. It tells the story of how, carried on the backs of the cruelty of slavery and illicit opium smuggling, it flowed into the cups of British society as an enchanting beverage.

The story of tea takes the reader on a fascinating journey from myth, fable and folklore to murky stories of swindling, adulteration, greed, waging of wars, boosting of trade in hard drugs and slavery and the great, albeit dark engines that drove the globalisation of the world economy. All of this is spattered with interesting facts about tea etiquette, tradition and illicit liaisons making it an enjoyable rollercoaster of dark discoveries that will cast away any thoughts of tea as something that merely accompanies breaks, sit downs and biscuits.


My Review:
A Dark History of Tea is a history of tea from the British viewpoint. The author talked about how the British first imported tea as a medicinal herb and how the desire for more tea led to the Opium Wars and the increased use of opium in Britain, as well. The author talked about the high taxes that led to smuggling, how people added chemicals and leaves of other plants to the tea to make it cheaper and how this led to health problems for those who drank a large amount of tea, how the British tea time developed (etiquette, superstitions, teaware, dresses), and how tea was once linked with seduction. The author also talked about how tea was planted in India, what life was like for the workers on these tea plantations, the tea auctions in Britain, how tea went from being imported in blocks to loose leaf to the development and slow acceptance of tea bags. The book ended with things like the popularity of tea leaf readings and instructions on how to do it. It was an interesting overview of the history of British involvement with tea and how the harm done was hidden by propaganda or advertising.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Spice Apothecary by Bevin Clare

Spice Apothecary by Bevin Clare ISBN-13: 9781635860832 Paperback: 192 pages Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC Released: June 9th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In Spice Apothecary, author Bevin Clare combines her training in herbalism and nutrition to guide readers in a return to the kitchen spice cabinet for better health and healing. Focusing on 19 common culinary spices that are easy to source and prized for their flavour, this practical guide highlights the health benefits of each spice for supporting wellness goals, with information on the best preparation for medicinal benefit, storage recommendations, and daily dosage guidelines. To bolster the immune system, chilli, garlic, ginger, and mustard are best. Kidney health is supported by celery seed, parsley, and sage, while the respiratory system benefits most from ginger, mint, and thyme.

Formulas for dried spice blends that amplify the effectiveness of individual flowers, roots, leaves, and seeds accompany recipes for delicious dips, soups, sauces, and even sweets that deliver flavour and healing. This approachable exploration of the world of spices puts at everyone’s fingertips new creative and impactful ways to incorporate key health-boosting spices into everyday life.


My Review:
Spice Apothecary is a book about how you can use common cooking spices to help improve your health. The author started by talking about the history of spices and where they come from – both what countries they come from and the part of the plant the spice is from. She talked about using spices and details about each spice, including how much a reasonable daily dose would be to get the medicinal effects. Then she talked about common health conditions (heart health, good digestion, etc.) and pointed out which spices would be good for that condition. Finally, she included some spice blends and recipes. I thought she did a good job of explaining the basics of using spices as medicine. Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone interested in using common herbs and spices as medicine.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Healthy Vegan, Happy Body by Tess Challis

Healthy Vegan, Happy Body by Tess Challis ISBN-13: Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released:

Source: review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Go healthy vegan! When you have the foods you love every day, eating healthy is hassle-free. Reap the many benefits of a healthy vegan diet--extra energy, reduced inflammation, and even financial savings! Healthy Vegan, Happy Body can help you discover the uniquely satisfying flavors of a plant-based diet with recipes like Pad Thai, World’s Healthiest Mac and Cheese, and Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream. With go-to information on a healthy vegan lifestyle and recipes that minimize salt, oil, and refined flours and sugars, becoming a healthy vegan using vegan cookbooks has never been so easy or tasty.

Inside one of the most comprehensive vegan cookbooks, you’ll find: Make the transition to healthy eating fast and simple using the included tips to set up your kitchen with pantry essentials and nourishing staples. Find the perfect dishes for you with clearly marked labels to show whether recipes are gluten-free, leftover-friendly, fast to prepare, and more. Look for numerous recipes that eliminate salt, oil, sugar, and other processed foods, plus tips for making other recipes WFPB-friendly.


My Review:
Healthy Vegan, Happy Body is a vegan cookbook that focuses on healthy, tasty recipes. The recipes used minimally-processed, whole-food, plant-based ingredients. She started by talking about how to make plant-based foods that are tasty and fulfill your nutritional requirements. She also talked about the health benefits of eating this way and some basic vegan cooking information, like making nut milk and cooking grains or beans. She didn't use white flour or refined sugar and generally used minimally processed ingredients. She did use some high quality, healthy oils to add flavor, but she didn't use excessive amounts of oil, salt, or sugar. I found a lot of recipes that I'm interested in trying that look both healthy and tasty.

Most of the recipes served 4 to 6 people and took around 20-60 minutes to make. Almost all of the ingredients in the recipes should be easy to get. She included 13 recipes for smoothies, juices, and shakes; 16 recipes for breakfast; 16 recipes for snacks and sides; 15 recipes for salads; 12 recipes for soups and stews; 13 recipes for rolls, tacos, and wraps; 16 recipes using noodles or rice; 9 recipes for special occasions; 15 recipes for deserts; and 14 recipes for staples (sauces, dips, seasonings).

The recipes provided the preparation time, cooking time, how much is made, ingredients, instructions, cooking and substitution tips. Each recipe was labeled with one or more of the following: 30 minutes or less, plan ahead, gluten-free, leftover friendly, nut free, wfpb (no salt, oil, or refined sugar). Each recipe included "per serving" information on calories, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, sodium, and iron. There were only two or three pictures of finished recipes per each section of recipes.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Botanical Kitchen by Elly McCausland

The Botanical Kitchen by Elly McCausland ISBN-13: 9781472969453 Hardcover: 272 pages Publisher: Bloomsbury Absolute Released: April 28th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Elly McCausland guides readers through cooking with botanicals, looking at their culinary history and diverse uses over the years. Weaving through this compelling text will be 90 delicious recipes including relishes and bakes, salads and soups, noodle bowls and breads and everything in between, offering unique and insightful flavour pairings. With chapters including fruits (tropical, Mediterranean and orchard), leaves, flowers, seeds and berries, this beautiful book places botanical ingredients at the fore and showcases exactly how plants can transform your food.


My Review:
The Botanical Kitchen is a cookbook using bought ingredients, some of them potentially hard to find. For some reason, I thought the focus was going to be more on the leaves and flowers (like how to prepare and use them) than on recipes that happen to throw in some herbs, spices, seeds, fruit, or flowers. She did spend a couple of paragraphs on each of the focus botanicals explaining how to know when a fruit is ripe, where to find some of the more exotic ingredients, some cooking tips, and some history of the fruit or herb or a personal recollection about using it. I'm an American, so I will point out that her recipes use milliliters and grams and her oven temperatures are in Celsius. She also referred to some ingredients in a way that will be unfamiliar to Americans (like linseed instead of flaxseed or rapeseed oil instead of canola oil).

Her recipes note how many it serves or makes, and many recipes included a full-color picture of the finished dish. She included some recipes for salads and such or meat dishes (fish, duck, pork, chicken, beef, etc.), but there were also a lot of recipes for tarts, crumbles, cakes, cookies, and ice cream. She used a lot of dairy.

The "botanicals" she focused on were apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches, quinces, figs, apricots, dates, oranges, lemons, bergamot, mango, pineapple, papaya, banana, grapefruit, persimmon, lychees, pomelo, gooseberry, strawberry, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, black currants, red currants, blackcurrant leaves, tea leaves, banana leaves, lemon and lime leaves, basil, thyme, rosemary, lemongrass, and other herbs, saffron, rose petals, chamomile flowers, lavender flowers, vanilla beans, elder flowers, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, cardamon, and nutmeg.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Healing through Nutrition by Eliza Savage

Healing through Nutrition by Eliza Savage ISBN-13: 9781641528139 Paperback: 212 pages Publisher: Rockridge Press Released: March 24th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Natural medicine isn’t just herbs and oils―what you eat every day has the power to support your health and well-being. Healing through Nutrition is your essential guide to 50 plant-based foods packed with vital nutrients like antioxidants and dietary fibers. With this nutrition reference at your fingertips, it’s easy to integrate more plants into your diet―and invite their healing properties into your life. With details for a wide variety of superfoods―vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, herbs and spices, even coffee and tea―you’ll find resources for many common health problems.

Get acquainted with each food’s restorative powers, the medical conditions it may benefit, and how you can use it in your everyday life. 94 nourishing recipes how you to integrate each nutrition source into your life with one or two accompanying recipes, like Apple Cinnamon Ginger Oats, Chickpea-Stuffed Acorn Squash, Grapefruit Avocado Salad, and more.


My Review:
Healing through Nutrition profiled 50 different plants that are known to have healing effects through their nutritional content. The author started by briefly talking about how plants have been used historically all over the world for their healing properties and about how whole food and organic are better choices. She then profiled 15 vegetables, 10 fruits, 10 whole grains, legumes, and nuts, 10 herbs and spices, and 5 coffee, tea, and tisanes. For each plant, she talked about how it had been used traditionally, what compounds are most notable in the plant (like beta-carotene or lutein), what those compounds do, what health conditions the plant is useful for, and what I presume is a suggested serving size. (Her word choice was occasionally confusing.)

She included 1 to 2 recipes for each plant (usually two recipes). She included how many people the recipe serves, prep time, cook time, about the recipe, ingredients and instructions, suggested variations, storage tips, and per serving information (calories, saturated fat, total fat, protein, total carbohydrates, fiber, sodium). There were only a few pictures included of the recipes. These simple recipes usually used only a few ingredients and they were common and easy to find. I'd recommend this book to those new to the idea of plant-based healing.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.