Book Review: "The Lost Art of Real Cooking -Rediscovering the Pleasures of Traditional Food One Recipe at a Time"

Find this fantastic little
cookbook in the carousel above!

"This wins my vote as the funniest, most eclectic, and most exotic collection of recipes to have been published in a century or more. A lot of these arts are indeed lost and deserve to be brought back." ~Nancy Harmon Jenkins, food writer and author of The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook.

******************************************************

Co-Written by Ken Albala and Rosanna Nafziger of  the "Paprika" blog, (see among links at bottom of page.), this small book is full of fun and enlightening recipes!

It is here that I learned to catch wild yeast for my sourdough and make the most simple tomato sauce that turns out to taste like a rich meat sauce. I learned how super hot ovens + steam = deep brown, crispy crusts with tender insides.

Here, one can learn how to smoke meats, cure meats and prepare organ meats...and for the adventurous... those "other" meat parts most of us normally shy away from. Learn to make your own pastrami and beef jerky. Need more fish in your diet? You're sure to find a traditionally prepared dish here, such as codfish fritters and nutrient-dense fish stock.

Not only for the pioneer spirit, some recipes come to us from France, such as brandade de morue, a dip that is actually a sort of egg-less, fluffy mayo to be served with a crusty bread.

Learn to make wonderful dairy products including cheeses and creme' fraiche. There are condiments, pies, strudels and doughnuts...How to prepare digestive aids like tasty sauerkraut and other fermented veggies. Even learn about how to care for your cast iron cookware, which many of us pounce on without understanding the need for pre-care and upkeep.

And for those who prefer something stronger than kombucha, water kefir and beet kvass, there is even a section for you. There, learn to make your own wines and beers, not just for drinking, but for adding to your cooking. One carries the name of  "Psychic Love Wine" - a name reminiscent of the days of "The Dating Game", "Flower Power", maxi skirts, floppy hats, VW vans and "Peace, Baby! Peace!" (Any other baby- boomers out there chuckling?)

I think the most charming thing about this cookbook, aside from the personalities portrayed by its writers, and it's vast array of interesting, healthful recipes, is the manner in which the recipes are presented...a format I have adopted because I am so delighted with it.

Most recipes today are written in the "Boston Cooking School" manner, with ingredients first and instructions next. Most of us are used to it and just accept it as is. But have you ever felt a bit frustrated at the going back-and-forth from the next ingredient to finding your place in the instructions? Before the Boston Cooking School format, recipes were written out in almost story-like fashion. This is the way it's done in The Lost Art of Real Cooking. (I have made one change to this as I try to remember to highlight ingredients and steps as I go so they are easier for the reader to distinguish from the parts that aren't quite as important to the recipe.)

One of the reasons for writing a recipe this way is that in traditional cooking, some dishes span days of time due to fermentation or other methods of cooking. Also, we all know that we should read the entire recipe before embarking upon the act of creating the dish, but often, the less experienced, (or more impatient of us), do not. A recipe written in the older, traditional format, such as those in  The Lost Art of Real Cooking, encourages that...and it is, quite frankly, more entertaining and enjoyable to read.

I realized that this is a matter of opinion, but hey, it's a book review and that's how I view it. I give this book a total thumbs up. You don't even have to cook anything in order to enjoy it.

If you want to see more about The Lost Art of Real Cooking, check out the book carousel at the top of the page...It's in there! (And for the record, I am only allowed to put 10 books in the carousel at a time. I do not choose books according to how well they sell or do not sell. I choose them according to what I have read and found entertaining or enlightening...or what I want to read as soon as possible!)

~Happy Reading...AND traditional cooking!

Book Review Tuesday: "Eat Fat, Lose Fat-The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats"-by Dr. Mary Enig & Sally Fallon

I think the main thing we need to remember is to keep the main thing the main thing. Traditional eating and food preparation is about nutrient-dense eating. Weight loss comes slowly and gradually, as a by-product of this lifestyle and has never been the primary goal.


Eat Fat, Lose Fat is not on my carousel at the top of the page. I could only chose ten books for that, and this one just didn't make it to my 'Top 10' list. However, that's not to say it isn't packed full of some fantastic information.

Eat Fat, Lose Fat is written by the same great authors as Nourishing Traditions, so it has to be good. Dr. Enig is an international expert on fats and Sally Fallon (Morrell) is the president of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

Although much smaller, this book covers much of the same materials as Nourishing Traditions...much of it in more detail. It hones in on the truth about fats and especially applauds the natural goodness of coconut oil. The book is divided into three parts, 'The Truth About Fats', 'Real Foods-for Healing and Health' and 'Recipes and Resources'.

Inside, you will find three options for traditional eating: One is for rapid weight loss, another is for health recovery, and the third is for maintenance of both with gourmet recipes.

My only real objection with the book is in knowing how difficult it could be for the newcomer to traditional foods and traditional food preparation. It's almost as if it were written for those already on the traditional path.  For a newcomer, the changes required to switch from the modern American diet to a traditional diet can be drastic and include a major culling and replacement of pantry foods, learning to plan ahead much more than we do with processed foods, and also learning a new way to prepare and cook these different foods. You have to admit, that's a lot of changes. Changes generally equal stress and stress often triggers us to react in old, unhealthy ways.

The financial expense of a sudden change can be great, and most of the people I know who have successfully  made the changeover to a traditional diet, have done so gradually...My WAPF Chapter Leader and I like to call it 'baby steps'. Eat Fat, Lose Fat  allows a week for the pantry overhaul and gives great details on how to go about it, but to my simple thinking, it's not enough time, so if you feel pressured, I would think this is an area that could be curbed according to your own ability to embark upon a transformed food lifestyle.

For me, it's important to keep transitions as simple and easy as possible, whenever possible. Otherwise, discouragement may set in causing us to stray from new commitments...no matter how healthy that commitment may be.

There may be many who are kitchen whizzes and maybe just a bit more organized with their day than I am, who will get this book and easily follow every page. For the rest of us, who may feel a little overwhelmed, take heart. It really is packed with healthful, helpful information and the recipes are more than just tasty. And there are many testimonies of how well it has worked.

Do be sure to glean the knowledge and information imparted about fats. If you are unfamiliar with these truths, it may take some time to wrap your head around it. You will be pleasantly amazed by the information supplied about the superfood/superfat, coconut, and you will likely learn some new things about the harm that can be and has been brought to our bodies via the supposedly healthy, polyunsaturated fats. You will read firm research and studies as well as personal testimonies. You will also learn the reason behind failure in fad diets as well as the 'made-to-fail-so-you'll-have-to-pay-good-money-to-come-back-and-lose-weight-again' programs.

The 'Health Recovery' section tells about bone broths, how to get non-synthetic, non-toxic A & D into your diet, lacto-fermented beverages that give beneficial enzymes and nutrients, raw foods like milk and marinated meats/fish, superfoods and soaked grains. Here, you will also find listed several illnesses and what they tell us our body needs. It is really quite amazing.

The weight loss section tells how to achieve weight loss and I was relieved that it discusses what is right for us as far as 'correct' weight loss. There are two phases here...a two week plan that goes into a second phase, but only if needed. The 'core principles' here are to eat three meals each day...ALWAYS breakfast, eat traditional fats-including (especially) coconut oil, eat nutrient-dense foods, and moderate...not immense...calorie restriction. There are some other important factors as well: no in-between snacks, listening to your body...head hunger or true hunger? The core principles are explained in detail and 25 ways to incorporate unrefined coconut into the diet are included. Amazing, again.

Phase One, Phase Two and Health Recovery all offer 14 days worth of meal planning, with recipes to all in the back of the book. But be prepared, a recipe often calls for something else that must be made-from-scratch before the recipe can be completed. And this isn't for one meal a day, (many of them are gourmet), but for three. This is where planning comes in, and you will have to be quite diligent in that

Also included in the book is a section full of resources for things like unrefined coconut oil, and why to use unrefined as opposed to refined...and a host of other coconut products. Other resources are for raw milk, Pasture-raised egg and meat products, dolomite, milk and water kefir grains, kombucha mushrooms, lacto-fermented condiments, stocks, acceptable sweeteners, and pages or 'other' food products.

If you buy this book, do so with the consideration that you will need to give yourself time to study it, plan well, buy well, (often via online ordering), and please, give yourself time to learn how to make some of the recipes in the back. I would suggest trying them out before you actually embark on the plan so when you do eat, you'll be choosing the recipes you love. If you haven't set aside a great deal of funds to change the products on your shelves, then start by doing as the book teaches, only do so gradually. Our Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter Leader recently spoke some very wise words to a mutual friend regarding this transition and financial stewardship. She told her not to throw away everything in her pantry, but instead, as items are used up, replace them with those recommended by the Weston A. Price Foundation.  I had already used, and continue to use, that system. I know it doesn't make everything perfect fast, but it is less daunting and certainly spreads the cost out over time. And let's be real, it's less about perfection than progress in the right direction.

You may want to cull some things immediately, (we chose canola oils, shortening and boxed cereals first), and replace them with better foods. The trick for some of us is to do what we are comfortable with and then, maybe push a tiny bit more, just to prevent inertia.

Consider the process in the book as an ideal, not a mandate. Consider the information excellent for your health. In this way, you may save yourself from becoming overwhelmed and giving up. Use the marvelous truths found within the text to form better eating habits and reach toward a healthier you. If you eat as prescribed in the book, you will lose weight. But newbies to traditional eating may want to take a little time to get the concepts, (and proper foods), under the wing a bit before trying to fly.

Eye-Opener Thursday: SOY, BABIES & BEYOND

Soy has been touted as a great American food. Supposedly good for menopause, babies and those attempting to avoid meat in their diet, soy is the soapbox tonic for just about everything.

Or is it?

1-Soy and Corn are the two largest industrialized products of America. We grow a lot and most is genetically modified. It's good for business to find many uses for it. Soybeans are used as a base for a great deal of food products, including everyday condiments such as salad dressings and mayonnaise, (one of the reasons I make my own mayo now. See, "Busy Days and Mayonnaise"), and the unsuspecting baby formula.

2-We have been lead to believe that the use of soy as a food dates back several thousand years, but the truth is, it wasn't used until the Chinese figured out how to use it to make soaked/fermented products: tempeh, natto, and tamari, (late Chou dynasty, 1134-246 BC). To this day, these are among the limited ways in which soybeans can truly be safely used. Although Asians are often considered to be huge consumers of soy, the fact is that the Chinese average about two teaspoons soy intake a day and the Japanese, only one to two. Even then, it's not consumed as a meat substitute, as western civilization has tried to use it, but rather, as a condiment.

3-The idea that the soy foods in general use today produce the same benefits as fermented soy foods of  the past, is fallacy. The majority of modern processed soy products comes from non-soaked, non-fermented soybeans. This fact is of utmost importance. Soybeans cannot deliver nutrients without proper preparation, and they contain toxins that cannot be neutralized without these traditional methods of preparation. Furthermore, the methods used to soak/ferment other beans/legumes/grains, aren't effective for soybeans. They require longer, more aggressive efforts for neutralization. In addition, modern methods used to process soybeans over-processes their proteins and even increase carcinogenic levels.

4-Without getting into the nitty-gritty, scientific wording about types of amino acids, (you are welcome to get into it at "Soy Alert!"), know this: Contrary to popular belief, soybeans are NOT a complete protein.

5-The vegetarian diet needs sources of vitamin B-12, and many believe they can be obtained from soybean products. Not so. Although there is a compound in soybeans that is similar to B-12, it is not B-12 and the human body cannot use is. The real truth here is that the intake of soy products causes a greater need for B-12.

************************************

6-One of the greatest concerns I have in regard to soy is my new found awareness of its dangers when given to infants, although much of what I am sharing here also pertains to the health of adults.
Soy contains 'trypsin inhibitors'. These interfere with the work of the pancreas and inhibit the digestion of proteins. Tests have shown that this can cause stunted growth and pancreatic disorders.
7-Just as we have learned that more B-12 is needed when soy is ingested, so it is with vitamin D...without which, we have disruption of normal growth and development of strong bones.
Phytic acid is a huge problem with soy products. It interferes with assimilation of iron and zinc. Both of these are essential ingredients for the development of the brain as well as the nervous system. The brain and nervous system also are in need of cholesterol, which is not supplied by soy products.
8-In addition, another serious area of concern is the megadose level of phytoestrogens in soy formula. This has been scientifically implicated in the 'epidemic' of premature sexual development in girls and delayed or retarded sexual development in boys.
~~~It is important to understand that there is a short span of time in a male infant's life, the first six months, when he experiences a natural 'testosterone tide'. At this time, the infant is 'flooded' with testosterone hormone at about the level of the male adult. At this time, the infant's brain, reproductive system and other organs are being 'programmed for maleness' which is to later manifest during puberty. Consider then, what the consequences might be when a male infant's body at this stage is also being bombarded by concentrations of estrogen at levels 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than infants on milk-based formula or breast milk.~~~ 

******************************************************

9-Some believe that the phytoestrogens in soy enhance mental capabilities, but a recent study showed that women having the highest levels of estrogen in their blood had the lowest levels of cognitive function. Also, a study of Japanese Americans who consume tofu in mid-life showed and association with Alzheimer's in later life.

10-Once again, the estrogen-factor of soy comes in to play regarding postmenopausal women. It's been believed for decades that soy will help a woman through the menopause and postmenopausal stages. However estrogen-dependent tumors can be stimulated by soy, and thyroid work is inhibited by soy. The latter problem  causes menopause difficulties. Therefore, the use of soy to relieve menopause and postmenopausal symptoms doesn't help, but rather, hinders.

11-Yet, some insist that soy estrogen (isoflavones) is good for us. However, these are what is called 'phyto-endocrine disrupters'. They can stimulate the growth of cancer cells, prevent ovulation, and cause hypothyroidism. Just four tablespoons of soy/day can cause hypothyroidism. Some of the symptoms: lethargy, constipation, weight gain and fatigue.

12-Many believe that soy has GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe), status, however, recently Archer Daniels Midland withdrew its application to the FDA for this status. This move was in response to a huge protest-not from consumers-but from the scientific community. The FDA never approved GRAS status for soy protein isolate because of the presence of toxins and carcinogens in modern processed soy.

13-Soy has also been touted as a preventive measure against several types of cancer, but the truth is that there is little evidence that soy protects from breast or any other cancer. The greater, sadder truth is that it can even increase the risk of cancer.

14-What about heart disease? Isn't soy good for that? Well, it can lower cholesterol. (It doesn't always.) However, as yet, there isn't any evidence that lowering cholesterol via soy intake lowers the risk of heart disease.

15-And then there are the libido claims of soy. (If that won't make it sell, what will?) Let's please get this straight...SOY CONSUMPTION LOWERS TESTOSTERONE levels in men. (See #7.) Here's a fun fact for you: Buddhist monks consumed tofu in order to reduce libido. Animal studies have shown that soy foods make animals infertile.

16-Then there is the 'Let's-get-the-Greenies-on-our-side' approach...with claims that soybeans are good for the environment. Yep, good, alright. Think: Genetically Modified=large amounts of herbicides= toxic run-off.
-'Nough said.

17-And finally, let's talk about this matter from a global standpoint. Soybeans replace traditional crops in third world countries. The processing of the beans is moved from that country and its local population to multinational corporations instead...that would be the guys getting the biggest cut. Don't believe the claims that soybeans are good for developing nations. Like all these other claims about the greatness of soybeans, it's balderdash.

All information contained in today's 'Eye-Opener' came from information obtained through "Soy Alert", a division of the Weston A. Price Foundation, and Nourishing Traditions, side-bar, p. 603. If you'd like to go deeper, please check these resources.