We love fall; the deciduous trees are in full colour, the kids are back in school, and most importantly, a whole new batch of cookbooks is hot off the press and cooling on the shelves of your favourite cookbook store.
Today we look at three new cookbooks that run the gamut from raw vegan cuisine to sweet and savoury mini-pies, and a book that examines the diet and lifestyle changes that can help sufferers of migraine and headache pain.
Raw, Quick & Delicious! is the second book by Douglas McNish, author of the award winning bestseller, Eat Raw, Eat Well. RQ&D is the perfect book for anyone who wants to enjoy the heath benefits of a raw, vegan diet, but maybe hasn’t got a lot of expertise in the field. This book is great for the beginner, and seasoned veteran as well, focusing on dishes that have only five ingredients and require just fifteen minutes to prepare. This fun, user friendly book includes recipes for breakfast, smoothies, fruits and juicing, snacks, pastas, main courses, and of course, dessert!
In addition to the recipes, chapters include an introduction to Raw Food, Equipping and stocking a Raw Food kitchen and pantry, tips on buying Raw ingredients and sourcing Raw Food products. The biggest complaint I’ve heard about the raw food diet is that everything takes so long to prepare, so this book is here to address those concerns.
With so many delicious recipes in this colourfully photographed book, it is difficult to pick just one, but we like this super easy recipe that shows you how to make your own nut milk; perfect for smoothies, for use in any of the recipes in this book or just drinking plain. Instead of “shelling out” for premade nut mik, make your own!
Nut Milk- (Doug McNish)
Makes 4 cups (1 L)
1 cup whole raw almonds
4 cups filtered water
pinch fine sea salt
1) In a blender, combine almonds, water and salt. Blend at high speed for 45 seconds or until liquid becomes milky white and no visible pieces of almond remain.
2) Transfer to sieve and strain. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Discard pulp or use for another use.
For a sweeter version, omit the salt and add a pinch of cinnamon and 1 or two pitted dates. Doug also suggests using other nuts such as cashews, hazelnuts or even coconut in lieu of almonds.
175 Best Mini Pie Recipes by Julie Anne Hession. Ms. Hession is a chef and food writer whose creations have been featured in O, the Oprah Magazine and Food Network Magazine and Better Homes and Gardens to name just a few, and this scrumptious collection of 175 mini-pies, satisfyingly savoury or irresistibly sweet-proves that good things do indeed come in small packages.
This is the book for you if you don’t have a lot of dough (ha!). Because Ms. Hession includes recipes for you to make all sorts of it: flaky pie dough, all butter dough, vegan pie dough, Gluten free pie dough….shortcut puff pastry. All the dough that’s fit to eat. Full colour photographs take you step by step through the technique of making tart shells, galettes, hand pies, phyllo triangles and more. From classics like spanakopita to seasonal favourites like Hannukkah Rugelach Hand pies, this book will convince you that a pie in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Seriously, that is the title. Not really catchy, but there is nothing catchy about a migraine. This fact-filled, no nonsense book combines years of research, medical experience and information to help users understand their headaches and reduce their frequency, and discusses a plan of action to help come up with management strategies, among them, choosing low-histamine, antihistamine and histamine blocking foods to assist in removing significant “headache triggers”. In one sidebar they talk about how low magnesium can sometimes trigger migraines and suggest foods high in the mineral to avoid this, things like okra, milk, almonds,chard and molasses. Some of the high histamine foods they suggest to avoid include pickles, canned tuna, tomatoes, vinegars, mature cheeses and processed foods. The book contains a great deal of recipes from Iron Builder Juice to Baked Fish and Vegetables en Papillote or Bulgur Pilaf. A great resource for anyone trying to manage their migraines.