Book Recommendations
Introduction to Food
I have always loved to eat and cook. I am also passionate about good nutrition.
These are my two favorite books about food that combine both these elements.
Book recommendations
“Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health” by Jo Robinson
Jo Robinson is an investigative journalist who specializes in science and health. Looking through thousands of journal articles written for the scientific community, she finds ones that are relevant to the public and makes them accessible. I love this book and learned so much from it. It’s practical and realistic as well.
In this video, Jo explains why she wrote her book. She talks about how some varieties of fruits and vegetables have more nutrition than others. For example, cherry tomatoes are more like wild ones—both in appearance and nutritional content. They have more lycopene, a plant nutrient with antioxidant properties, compared to beefsteak tomatoes. Additionally, we can enhance the foods we buy at the grocery store by preparing and cooking them the right way to get the most nutrition from them.
Here is a summary of her book.
Ever since farmers first planted seeds 10,000 years ago, humans have been destroying the nutritional value of their fruits and vegetables. Unwittingly, we’ve been selecting plants that are high in starch and sugar and low in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants for more than 400 generations.
Eating on the Wild Side reveals the solution—choosing modern varieties that approach the nutritional content of wild plants but that also please the modern palate. Jo Robinson explains that many of these newly identified varieties can be found in supermarkets and farmer’s market, and introduces simple, scientifically proven methods of preparation that enhance their flavor and nutrition. Based on years of scientific research and filled with food history and practical advice, Eating on the Wild Side will forever change the way we think about food.
Jo’s website has many tips and resources. It’s a great place to start learning more about the science of food.
“Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn’t Cook from Scratch” by Jennifer Reese
This is one of the funniest books I have read. I literally laughed out loud as I turned the pages.
Here is a summary of her book.
When Jennifer Reese lost her job, she was overcome by an impulse common among the recently unemployed: to economize by doing for herself what she had previously paid for. She had never before considered making her own peanut butter and pita bread, let alone curing her own prosciutto or raising turkeys. And though it sounded logical that “doing it yourself” would cost less, she had her doubts. So Reese began a series of kitchen-related experiments, taking into account the competing demands of everyday contemporary American family life as she answers some timely questions: When is homemade better? Cheaper? Are backyard eggs a more ethical choice than store-bought? Will grinding and stuffing your own sausage ruin your week? Is it possible to make an edible maraschino cherry? Some of Reese’s discoveries will surprise you: Although you should make your hot dog buns, guacamole, and yogurt, you should probably buy your hamburger buns, potato chips, and rice pudding. Tired? Buy your mayonnaise. Inspired? Make it.