I’m not ashamed to admit it…I LOVE to cook! Ever since I was a kid growing up in the Southern United States, experimenting with food to see what kind of concoctions I could come up with has been a national pastime for me. Sure, my tastes have not always been the most refined (or healthy!) and not everything I have ever attempted to whip up in my kitchen has turned out exactly perfect. But that’s the sign of a good cook–someone who is willing to take risks in an effort to make great-tasting food. That’s the thrill of cooking for me.
But how can you do that when you’re following a low-carb or Paleo nutritional approach to eating? It’s really not as difficult as people might think. Do you mean it is possible to eat a low-carb, dairy-free, grain-free and gluten-free diet that is both nutritious and delicious? You bet it is and leave it to a couple of Southerners to make those coveted “comfort” foods into something that will nourish your body while making you feel like you are indulging. That’s exactly what Julie and Charles Mayfield have done with their sorely-needed book Paleo Comfort Foods: Homestyle Cooking in a Gluten-Free Kitchen.
The Paleo/primal/low-carb diet has grown in popularity immensely over the past few years thanks to people like Dr. Loren Cordain, Art De Vany, Mark Sisson, Gary Taubes, and many more trailblazers who have outlined why hearkening back to the diet of our ancestors can clue us into how modern man can be optimally healthy in the 21st century. One notable leader in this realm has been Robb Wolf who authored the 2010 New York Times bestselling book The Paleo Solution. Robb was so impressed by the meals prepared by Atlanta, Georgia-based newlyweds Julia and Charles that he encouraged them to write a book filled with their mouthwatering dishes that fit within the Paleo mold. And now they have! This has been a peculiar void that I’m happy to see being filled at last.
Paleo Comfort Foods starts off right away letting you get to know who these two amazing people are by letting them tell you their story about how they came to Paleo after suffering through low-fat, high-carb meal plans for most of their lives. You also get a better understanding of exactly what they mean by the term “Paleo” which can sometimes be a bit vague with so many people so flippantly slinging it around these days. Simply put, it is grass-fed meats, wild game, fresh seafood, veggies of all colors, bits of fruit in season, healthy fats, and the occasional “cheat” that is made consciously and willingly. There’s nothing really that restrictive or extreme about eating this way–it’s just good old-fashioned real food designed by God to give you all the nutrients you could possibly need.
Julie and Charles outline how to get your Paleo kitchen in order first by telling you some of the basics about what foods to buy and what cooking tools you’ll need to help make you most successful. You can’t really think about cooking up anything without first being prepared about what to do. If you’re one of those people who needs guidance when starting something new like a Paleo lifestyle change, then you’ll find plenty of hand-holding through Paleo Comfort Foods. That’s the cool thing about what the authors have done with this book–you never feel like you are alone left to your own devices to follow your instincts. You get to benefit from their knowledge and wisdom from eating this way so you don’t make the same mistakes they did.
The recipes in this book are divided up into six categories: Starters and Snacks, Sauces and Staples, Soups and Salads, On The Side, Main Dishes and Desserts. The format is very readable and the colorful photos of these stunning foods will quickly whet your appetite to get in that kitchen to start cooking! There’s a brief message about the recipe at the top telling a story about it, a listing of the ingredients you’ll need to make it, cooking directions for each step in the process, and some “Tips & Tricks” as well as “Variations” to change up the recipe for the next time you make it. And believe me, you’ll be making these recipes over and over again!
I think my favorite section of the entire book has got to be the “Sauces & Staples” because too many people are still buying these things in grocery stores where there are questionable ingredients in them. Take mayonnaise, for example. Most manufactured mayo is made with soybean oil (EWWW!) which is very high in omega-6 fats and is not at all good for your body. That’s why it’s a relief on page 92 to see “Paleo Mayonnaise” with simple real food stuff like eggs, lemon, mustard powder, olive oil, and avocado oil. They show you how super-easy it can be to make if you follow their instructions precisely. From homemade nut butters, cave ketchup, tartar sauce, turkey gravy and more, these are the things that will add that bit of zing to your meats and veggies so you don’t feel like you’re having to suffer one bit on your Paleo/low-carb diet.
One thing that will stick out like a sore thumb while reading through this book–every recipe you see is made with real, whole foods. Sure, Julie and Charles did a superb job of coming up with some decadent dishes that even your non-Paleo/low-carb friends would enjoy and have no clue they are eating “diet” food. But they haven’t sacrificed quality by including any processed, chemical-based ingredients in any of their dishes. You can feel confident knowing the food you are eating tastes great AND is good for you at the same time. Unfortunately, the same cannot always be said about recipes for a high-carb, low-fat diet. Just sayin’.
As I’m writing this review, I’m eyeing a recipe on page 320 to take to a Sunday School gathering tonight. They said to bring some finger foods and this “Luscious Lemon Squares” recipe will do the trick. The ingredients are stuff I already keep in my Paleo/low-carb pantry and refrigerator: raw almonds, honey, lemon, eggs, coconut oil, and butter (or ghee). What’s funny is most of the people will be none-the-wiser that this dish is gluten-free and oh-so-deliciously-healthy! You gotta love it.
The only thing I wish I had seen in this cookbook that would have made it absolutely perfect would have been the nutritional info. Seeing the amount of calories, carbohydrates, fat, protein, etc. would have been nice for those who are trying to be conscious of those things. But I have come to realize in the course of my own personal Paleo/low-carb journey since 2004 that when you’re choosing quality food like what is featured in Paleo Comfort Foods, you don’t really have to obsess or worry about the nutritional stuff anymore. You’re already feeding your body the best possible nutrition that it needs and I believe the rest will take care of itself. That’s a fantastic lesson more people need to learn if we’re ever going to reverse the tide of chronic disease that is plaguing modern-day society. Thank you to Julie and Charles Mayfield for following through on the challenge from Robb Wolf to write a cookbook. Now there’s absolutely zero excuses why anyone wouldn’t want to give Paleo/low-carb a try!
Wanna see what others are saying about Paleo Comfort Foods? Check these out:
Robb Wolf
Amy Kubal
David Csonka
Melissa Joulwan
Diane Sanfillippo
Mike PaleoVillage
Sarah Fragoso
Stacy at Paleo Parents
Karen De Coster
Hayley Mason
George at Civilized Caveman Cooking
