September 29, 2011

Cookbook Swap – Eat Good Food

Eat good food.

Makes sense, right?

But what  seems like a simple commandment (much easier than “eat without your hands”), turns out to be advice that, until recently, wasn’t readily followed.

Sure, people have always eaten food that tasted good. We’re wired to do that. But that’s something entirely different. Grammatically and in practice.

That’s enjoying a box of powdered doughnuts after eating a burger animal style at In N’ Out, which high school me is totally guilty of.

That’s guzzling down a slushie on a really hot day. Or going through a bag of buttered popcorn before the movie actually starts. Which is something we’ve all done before. And if I still had high-functioning kidneys, I’d probably have partaken in such an activity before 11 am today. No judgment.

So don’t feel bad. We’re not talking about bad today. We’re talking about good.

We’re talking about tabby-orange-striped delicata squash, purple tomatillos, and ruby red peppers.

Meat that is full of the nutrients and not hormones or other gross stuff. Fresh pasta that must be sold within the day because it was made that morning and isn’t filled with preservatives. Ingredients that are so pretty, sometimes it’s hard to take a knife and skillet to them.

We’re talking about recognizing your bag checkers (who you actually stop and have a conversation with when paying the bill), and knowing the men and woman who are growing, raising, harvesting, and delivering all these goodies to a store near you.

This is good food.

And Sam Mogannam at SF’s notoriously awesome Bi-Rite Market wants to help you find it and eat it.

For all those who say good food is hard to find, good food is too time consuming to cook, good food never actually tastes good…well, gosh darnit, he has answers. And recipes. And tips. And a wonderfully written story about his own journey in food that will put a face on every page and plate you make.

But I’m preaching to the choir here. (Can I get an amen?) Because as low-sodium eaters and readers of this blog, you already know how delicious good food can taste. And you know just how impactful eating it can be.

My ingredient list may be shorter than others, but by using fresh, colorful, and naturally flavor-filled products, I can make simple, quick dinners that blow any microwaved meal out of the park. Without salt. Without packaged ingredients. Without using up too much brain power, money, or coveted time.

And that is the point of this book. Cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be expensive or laborious. It can be as simple as wilting collard greens in a pan for five minutes and tossing it with some crisp purple cabbage. A side dish which would hardly cost me the loose change in my purse and which is impressive-looking enough to serve to guests. Trust me. They’ll be blown away.

And good food can be easily elevated by coaxing out the sweet tang of purple tomatillos and red peppers with a quick, oven roast. And then using the mouth-melting results as a chunky sauce for fish, chicken, steak, or even a bowl of quinoa. Depending on how you roll with your proteins.

So it’s time to celebrate good food.

And like other cookbooks, this one definitely makes use of salt. But because of its fundamental message – eat real, eat simple, eat well – it is a perfect addition to a low-sodium library. Especially for those that do not live in San Francisco and have a harder time locating good food. This manual will help you get the ingredients you need to make the meals your body will love.

So just another suggestion to help you lead a limitless low-sodium life.

You can pre-order the book through Bi-Rite here or support a local bookstore by picking one up here. And if you aren’t ready to commit, I’ll be happily reviewing some of the advice and recipes over the coming months as I eat my way through this guide.

Thanks for listening and chow on.

waiwa September 29, 2011 at 12:21 pm

Looking forward to the book coming out!

Kirsten Bourne September 29, 2011 at 12:43 pm

Love your photos Jess–the seeds oozing out of the tomatillos, high art! And couldn’t agree more about how a simple veggie cook up draws the highest praise from dinner guests…thank you for your support of Eat Good Food–you are the GREATEST.

Mary October 2, 2011 at 6:10 pm

THAT… is what good food is all about. Colorful, tasty and tempting to all of the senses. Can’t wait to check out the book.

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