Cookbook Roundup - Super Natural Cooking
I’m the kind of food nerd that checks out other people’s cookbooks when I go to their house… I just can’t help it. I can usually get a good sense of a person by the kinds of cookbooks they have, if any, and if I’m lucky, I’ll stumble across some new books to fill my shelves. Such was the case this past Christmas when I was visiting my brother and sister-in-law, who’s a great cook, and as such, bound to have great cookbooks. It was there that I found her copy of Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson. Her website, 101cookbooks.com is hugely popular, showcasing her own recipes as well as those from her large, and always growing collection of cookbooks.
I love this book, and her website because she focuses on whole food ingredients that are vegetarian, and decadent without being too difficult. She uses natural sweeteners like maple syrup, and prefers oils or butter to margarine, which I fully back. The only downside to this book, and this is a personal remark coming from a vegan, is that a very many of her recipes have both eggs and cheese in them (a flaw that most vegetarian cookbooks are prone to). That said, replacements for both ingredients are easily found, so vegans can still make most of the recipes in here.
My favorite by far, and one that I’ve made enough times for the book to automatically open on that page is Otsu - a Japanese inspired buckwheat noodle dish with an incredibly tasty ginger-sesame sauce. The ingredient list is a little on the long side, but once you’ve thrown it together, it’s well worth the extra few minutes it takes to whip up. Lightly grilled tofu adds a great protein kick to this dish, and I’ve found the addition of sauteed shiitake mushrooms makes it perfect.
Other favorite recipes include Farro with Green Onion Sauce, Toasted Walnuts, and Asparagus, her simple Spring Minestrone, and super flavorful and warming Roasted Tomato and Paprika soup. I think next time I drag this book off my shelf, I’ll make her Big Curry Noodle Pot, and tasty combination of coconut milk (my favorite), curry, turmeric, lime, and cilantro. Sounds Perfect!
I’m dying to make her Coconut Panna Cotta with Summer Berry Coulis, but I’ll have to wait for summer for that one!
I’m a sucker for great food photography and this book does not disappoint, however, I would have loved to have seen a picture for every recipe. Heidi writes a lot of non-recipe stuff in this book - stuff about whole grains, eating by color, and natural sweeteners, which I suppose one day I’ll get around to reading, but really…. I’m just interested in the actual recipes!
While this book is not used as frequently as say, Vegan Planet, it does get extra points for being well put together, beautifully presented, and a good source of inspiration. A book like this would make a perfect gift to the beginning natural foodie or someone who wants to transition to a more vegetarian diet.
Tags: cookbook roundup
March 6th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Hey, I’m Christine’s sister and a fan of your blog! I just started one myself and I’ve just enrolled in culinary school. I just wanted to say that I really appreciate all of your recipes and the the way that you approach food. It’s so nice that this style of cooking is really starting to gain recognition! I saw that you went to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, which I plan on doing eventually, I’d love to be a holistic health counselor. Well, I just thought I would finally leave a comment and let you know that I think your blog is super awesome! I also thought this post was very cool because I love Heidi’s blog too and have been meaning to pickup this cookbook.
March 7th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Hey Jessie!! So glad you’re enjoying my posts!
If you ever want to chat about IIN, feel free to give me a call or email me