…And we’re back from a rejuvenating vacation to southern California, where I was able to spend some time browsing through an adorable and charming bookstore in Laguna Beach one day. Stumbled upon some new and beautiful healthy cookbooks and wanted to share them with you. These books are inspiring for the new and seasoned cook alike, and all are pure pleasure to look through: Elizabeth Gordon’s, The Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook; David Tanis’s A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes; & Tamara Adler’s An Everlasting Meal. 

Top Cookbooks

There are so many resources out there these days to learn about healthy eating and using food as medicine for the body. I have learned most of my cooking tricks, recipe ideas, techniques, and knowledge from books, people, websites, and also school… but always go back through a few cookbooks that offer me guidance and inspiration over and over again. My top 5 “most used” cookbooks (in order):

Healing with Whole Foods

Nourishing Traditions

Chez Panisse Vegetables

Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook

Super Natural Cooking

My blog (obviously) does NOT focus on technical, succulent recipes that take hours to prepare and involve a lot of steps or ingredients – it’s about teaching people that healthy is EASY. It can be quick, affordable, tasty, and loved by the whole family. These books above have helped me to know what is the ideal of pure health from food - and I have helped myself in learning what is achievable for a normal person! For everyday inspiration for the household cook - I would definitely recommend Chez Panisse and Super Natural Cooking. They are more playful and less clinical. Form your own library of go-to cookbooks that will help transform your kitchen into a place of creativity and wholeness.