The full title of the book is "Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats"
Through a local (Loudon County) farmer Chicama Run Farms I found this book. It's part cook book, part nutritional history, part college education text book, and part lifestyle/homemaker book. YES all of those things in one. AND YES it's quite thick so I have to say I'm glad it was a soft back and on sale and available through Amazon Prime. :)
The author has about four pages of references and nutritionists, dieticians and doctors as well as historians at the end of her introduction alone that give her credibility above and beyond most of the diet or "diet lifestyle" books out there. She refers to valid clinical trials as well as historical realities. She does get preachy at times and there are recipes and areas in which I think "Well, I'll substitute good old refined white sugar or turbinado sugar" instead of her recommendation of rapadura or something similar.
She has a section for each of the parts of nourishment that we as humans take in. This isn't a way of justifying poptarts or demonizing butter. It is pointing out proteins in all their different forms and counterparts, vitamins and their uses and in some cases overuse issues, minerals, carbohydrates (here she includes fruit and veg), dairy, fats, beverages-I love that she makes this a category of nourishment, enzymes, spices and salt.
She then breaks "food" into three categories, nourishing traditional foods, compromise foods, and "newfangled" foods. It really makes you realized that the more your basic meat, fruit, veg, grain, water, spice, salt is messed with the less it is good for you NO MATTER WHAT ANY ONE SAYS.
The other fun part of the book is that throughout she puts up the ingredients of products that are relatively common in the local grocery store without putting up the name of the product. This is a fun challenge as I have read a few of these to my 4.5 year old and he thinks I'm making up names and that it can't possibly be part of an actual recipe for a food item. When we find out what it is he is shocked and I am appalled and that item is promptly listed as NEVER COMING INTO OUR HOUSE AGAIN. In some cases we are pleasantly suprised with the small ingredient list and how it is something we really love. With no reason to wonder why!
I haven't made a recipe out of the book. Mainly as I still have all of my kitchen items in storage as we are still living with the in-laws until next week. After that I cannot wait to get the kitchen set up and the cooking to begin.
I hope you take the time to read and enjoy the book as much as I did.
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