December 19, 2014

My favorite foodie read of 2014: The Nourished Kitchen

Last winter was long and cold, and one of the things I most looked forward to about spring was the release of the much anticipated cookbook, The Nourished Kitchen. As one of many avid followers of Jennifer McGruther's traditional foods website, I wasn't alone in my wintery anticipation. I already had a foodie web crush, but her book made me fall head over heels. Anyone who has section in their book entitled "In Defense of Lard" and a recipe for Bone Marrow Custard is a rockstar in my universe. So this was pretty much how I spent every waking moment after receiving my copy in the mail.


Like her website, Jennifer's book celebrates whole foods focussing on bone broths, fermented foods, grass-fed meats, traditionally prepared grains, a broad assortment of veggie dishes and some mouth-watering yet healthy desserts. What I love about the Nourished Kitchen philosophy is that instead of approaching healthy eating in a restrictive way that forbids a huge amount of food groups (gluten, grains, meat, dairy, etc.), it instead embodies a wholistic approach that shows you how to prepare good wholesome mineral and vitamin-rich foods from scratch. This excerpt from the book's introduction rings especially true:
"There's a deeply pervasive disconnect in the collective relationship with food that persists in American culture: We often view healthy eating as synonymous with restrictive eating, and we likewise view joyful eating as a guilty pleasure, something that begs for strict limits. I believe that real food allows us both the gift of nourishment, and the gift of pleasure, without unnecessary restrictions. Eating a diet of traditional foods helps us to develop a positive relationship with our food, not one born out of guilt and denial; rather, the traditional foods movement teaches us to purchase, prepare, and enjoy our food with intention."
Instead of making sweeping statements ("all meat is good") or throwing out the baby with the bathwater ("all meat is bad"), the book teaches us instead to understand the nuances and the vast difference in nutrition, environmental footprint, and flavour, between conventional beef and grass-fed beef, between conventional white flour and soaked whole grains, between refined white sugar and unrefined wholesome sweeteners.

When I thumb through a new cookbook, I often cherry-pick the recipes I want to make. With The Nourished Kitchen, I literally want to make every single recipe in the book. And I'm well on my way there. So far, my favourites are the Sherried Chicken Liver Pâté with Apple and Sage, the Stinging Nettle Soup with Cream, the Chicken Foot Broth (best chicken stock I've ever made!!), and the Baked Oatmeal with Pistachios, Figs and Honey. I'm still dying to try the Roasted Beet and Walnut Salad with Kombucha Vinaigrette, the Concord Grape Sorbet with Rosemary and Black Pepper, the Whole Mackerel Roasted on Potatoes, and so many others. Swoon.



This is a jewel of a book that is sure to become a classic, and it belongs on every food lover's bookshelf. If you don't own it yet, or if you're looking for a perfect Christmas gift for a foodie you know, GET THIS BOOK NOW! You won't regret it one bit. 


7 comments:

  1. Would you believe I have never seen her site? Thanks for the tip. This is what I am all about philosophically and will definitely be getting the book. She must have had her site recently redone and its not finished or something as I cannot find her recipes or how to access them.... but have reconfirmed that I have been living in a hole, lately. Love the cover alone! And, waiting for YOUR book! Oh - I make chocolate salami every other year or so, for gifts. Love yours - take a look at mine, too - I used the bamboo mats to get lines in them... and the little puffed quinoa makes a great addition to fat bubbles. :)
    :)
    Happy Holidays!
    Valerie

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    1. Valerie, you're going to love Nourished Kitchen! So glad to be able to introduce you to her. I love your salami rolling technique, I'll definitely try that next time I make it! Happy holidays to you and warm wishes from here :-)

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  2. Yeah I have also read The Nourished Kitchen cookbook and it have number of amazing recipes, I have tried some of them, and all of them comes out great in taste. Yeah it is true that I always prefer online cooking videos if I need to cook something new.

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  3. Aube,
    Thank you so much for this recipe. I haven't tried it yet. I am a long time fan of corn fritters. I've just purchased a small amount of amaranth seed to "play with it" as you have done and this post will save me a lot of wasted cooking time. I was wondering, since you compare it to teff which has a very different flavor whether you think amaranth flour might be an acceptable substitute for making Ethiopian injera bread? I am also an organic gardener with a very modest raised bed production site, where I have experimented with food plants that one does not normally find in Florida supermarkets. It has been a delightful mix of happy surprises and unexpected disappointments and resembles my cooking in that respect. Your writing and photos are quite professional and compliment your recipes well.
    It is comforting to know that the fat favorite of our grandparents, "lard" is still defensible. Coconut oil is an enjoyable substitute, but it needs to have its flavor tempered with other fats in order to keep the coconut from dominating. Maybe lard as well as vegetable fat are possible "mixers" that will provide 'tasteful' and healthful solutions. They may also constitute an appealing evolution of traditional cooking styles in combination with more recent ones.

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    1. Hi David, thanks for your lovely note and happy cooking and gardening in 2015! As for amaranth being used for injera, I've never tried it, I have a suspicion it might behave and taste quite differently than teff, but that's not to say it wouldn't work.. please let me know how it goes if you end up trying it! :-)

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  4. as above so below14 January 2015 at 14:54

    Is your nom de plume 'Aube' a contraction of "aubergine" the veg you use to decorate this site or is it derived from something more exotic and eclectic like "Aube Juan Cannoli?"

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    1. It is my for-real name! Aubergine is my 'nom de plume' :-)

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