After scolding such well-known cooks and cookbook authors as Julia Child and Paula Deen for contributing to the bad health of America, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine turned around and hailed five others in its Five Worst/Best Cookbooks of the Decade report. (See January 27th’s blog if you missed the worst.)
You’ll notice a common factor among all the recommended books. Each emphasizes adopting a vegan lifestyle, something which I don’t feel is altogether a great idea. Before doing so, check with your doctor. I think some lean meats, not red all the time, but once a month, along with a steady diet that includes chicken and fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids, are important to include in your diet. The key thing to remember is moderation.
Here’s the list:
* “The Kind Diet” (2009) but Alicia Silverstone makes me want to run and hide. The name alone brings on a guilt trip after my holiday gluttony. The book offers a full range of vegan recipes and details an outline for healthy eating. Vegan is OK, but nonvegetarians such as myself might have to go over to the bad side with Paula Deen’s ham hocks on occasion.
* “Skinny Bitch in the Kitch: Kick-Ass Recipes for Hungry Girls Who Want to Stop Cooking Crap and Start Looking Hot!” (2007) by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. If the name of this cookbook doesn’t attract attention, I don’t know what will, except maybe the recipes for Bitchin’ Breakfast Burrito to Cha Cha Chili. According to the physicians’ group, abundant research has shown that people who maintain a healthy weight over the long-term tend to eat a plant-based diet. I’m thinking ham hocks again, but maybe could go a week without meat if the recipes are as good as these sound. And the book’s a treat to read.