LadyD Books: Review: A Good Food Day

WHAT IS A GOOD FOOD DAY? A day when feeling good and eating well go hand in hand.

Imagine a whole day in which every meal was full of healthy and delicious ingredients. After years of thoughtless eating that led to weight gain and poor health, chef Marco Canora knew he had to make every day a good food day—but he wasn’t willing to give up flavor for health. Instead of dieting, he decided to make simple, natural recipes fit for a food lover’s palate.

Marco explains the secret powers of good-for-you ingredients (such as low-GI carbohydrates and alkaline-forming greens), and then builds them into recipes that are all about satisfaction, such as Amaranth Polenta with Tuscan Kale, Black Rice Seafood Risotto, Citrus-Spiked Hazelnut and Rosemary Granola, and Chickpea Crepe Sandwiches. He covers techniques to coax natural flavor out of dishes, including infusing seasoning into vegetable salads and pounding fresh herbs and spices into lean meats.

To make a lasting change in your diet, the food you eat has to be delicious. A Good Food Day is for people who love real food, and know that healthy and flavorful can go hand in hand.

A Good Food Day: Reboot Your Health with Food That Tastes Great

The Friday #56

"The beauty of the alkaline approach is that it's about balance, so eating a moderate amount of unrefined acidic foods is still okay."

The Book Nook

Having reviewed quite a few cookbooks and having them all in a cupboard, I guess it's obvious to say that I love cookbooks! I have a cool display, with yellow-painted chicken bookends, of my very finest ones. To continue with A Good Food Day...

Here's an example of Marco's writing.

"Take the word breakfast at face value: The meal is meant to "break the fast" you've been in while sleeping. It kicks your metabolism into gear, lessening your likelihood of turning into a ravenous pig later in the day."

My Review

I love the introduction about the author's warm testimony of moving towards better health and empowering readers to do so with creating food that tastes good and makes us feel good, too. First off, the road map for a good food day is laid out in 10 principles, along with an outline for necessary pantry supplies. I spent lots of time going over the salad, vegetable, beans and grain section and found it top notch. I came away with new delicious recipes in the snack and sweets section. The Lamb Stew and Mexican Chicken Soup are great choices. In addition, the Mushroom Barley Kale Soup is full flavored and leaves you wanting more. I especially like the Cream-Free Creamed Corn and learned how to remove corn kernels without them flying all around. Overall, you'll find delicious, simple, healthy meals inside. The author's writing style is down-to-earth, too.

5/5 stars! Highly recommend.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

About The Author

Marco Canora's Italian-inflected cooking at Hearth and his former restaurant Insieme has earned him critical acclaim. His first cookbook, Salt to Taste, was nominated for a James Beard Award. He has been profiled in the New York Times, Food and Wine, and The Huffington Post. He was a finalist on The Next Iron Chef and a judge on Chopped and Top Chef; and has appeared on Today, Martha Stewart, and Nightline. He lives in New York with his family.
www.agoodfoodday.com

Apple Walnut Spice Muffins (Makes 12 Muffins)

Unsalted butter, for greasing the muffin tin

1 cup rye flour

1 cup oat flour

2/3 cup ground flaxseed

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of fine sea salt

3 medium Gala apples

1 extra-large egg, beaten

1/2 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts plus 12 walnut halves

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon unsulfured blackstrap molasses

1/2 cup honey

1. Preheat the oven to 325. Butter a standard 12-cup muffin tin.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flours, flaxseed, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt until they're well combined.

3. Chop one of the apples into a small dice. Grate the remaining 2 apples on a box grater into a bowl. Add the diced apples, egg, yogurt, chopped walnuts, olive oil, molasses and honey and whisk together.

4. Add the wet ingredients tot he flour mixture and stir until they're just combined. divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups; the filling should be almost level with the top of the tin. Lightly press a walnut half into the middle of each muffin.

5. Bake until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the walnut comes out clean, 28 to 30 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then take them out to finish cooling on a wire rack.

A Good Food Day: Reboot Your Health with Food That Tastes Great.

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me." C. S. Lewis

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