Cutting the Bad with Back to Butter Cookbook
I can’t say that I love cooking. I’ve been trying to find ways to make it more enjoyable for me and that’s lead me to review a few cookbooks on the blog. I have to say that Back to Butter really had a huge impact on me and the way I see food. I was sent a copy of the book for review purposes and to share my thoughts with my readers and I have to say if you’re looking for a book to help you start on a path to healthier eating this is the book. When the book arrived it took me a few weeks to finally pick it up and start going through the pages. I didn’t even realize that almost two hours had passed and I was still reading the book. It’s broken down into two parts. The first part helps you understand traditional eating and helping you prepare your pantry for making that transition. In the section alone I learned about things like fats and oils: their smoke points, the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats, and what types of food they would be ideal for.
That was only the beginning of my lessons that day. I was born in Trinidad. Growing up there as a child we didn’t call things organic or grass-fed. I didn’t realize how my parents were teaching us lessons to help fend for ourselves by knowing how to live off the land. My father’s garden was huge and I can honestly say that while I didn’t appreciate it as a child I wish I had it now for my children. Back to Butter took me back to those days of fresh cage free eggs and chicken, produce from our own garden and freshly made meals. I didn’t realize how much foods I was feeding my family from a can. In section one there are basic recipes that helps with prepping meals.
From this book I’ve learned about making homemade whole butter milk, creme fraiche, chicken stock, soft cheeses and so much more. There’s a whole chapter on beans and grains that will tell you how to soak and cook them. I could have used this the first time I made dried black beans, I didn’t know they needed to be soaked so I just put them in the pot. Long story short I had to throw out that whole part of dinner. The natural sweeteners chapter is great for people who have diabetes or if you’re trying to cut sugar from your diet.
The second section of the book is all about the foods and recipes you can try incorporating all you’ve learned in the first half of the book. It covers everything from breakfast, appetizers, lunch, dinner, drinks and desserts. It’s a great book overall and one that will not only help you with your meal choices but it will help you make lifestyle changes. This book would make a great gift for any foodie or anyone looking to make some changes to their diet and lifestyle. I love my copy and I’ve been using it to help make changes in my family meals.
Title: Back to Butter
Author: Molly Chester and Sandy Schrecengost
Publisher: Fair Winds Press
Published: March 2014
ISBN: 978-1592335879
Genre: Cookbook
Price: $24.99
About Back to Butter:
What if butter and other “banished” foods like eggs, cream, and bacon had the inherent potential to restore our health and well-being—and that of future generations? It’s a pretty good question, isn’t it?
Traditional foods are the real, whole, unprocessed ingredients of our ancestors’ kitchens. These simple foods nourished us for centuries, before modern food processing turned our health upside down. Their value is once again gaining recognition.
Traditional foods include:
- Grass-fed Meats and Wild-caught Seafood
- Organic, Farm Fresh Produce
- Pastured, Whole, and Raw Dairy
- Healthy Saturated Fats and Unrefined Oils
- Soaked and/or Sprouted Grains, Nuts, Seeds, and Beans
- Fermented Vegetables and Cultured Condiments
- Unrefined Sweeteners
Back to Butter explores these topics and more. Beautifully photographed and divided into two parts, Part I teaches you how to stock a traditional foods pantry and offers step-by-step guidance on the techniques and preparation methods practiced in traditional foods—including sprouting, soaking, and fermenting. Part II showcases more than 75 mouthwatering recipes, from main meals to side dishes, desserts, and more, including:
- Cultured Cream Cheese Olive Dip
- Red Rice Salad with Cumin Dressing
- Millet Salmon Cakes with Creamy Dipping Sauce
- Meatballs and Mushroom Gravy
- Caramelized Beets with Fresh Chives
- Fresh Corn Pudding
- Red Cabbage Kraut with Fresh Dill
- Sourdough Bread Pudding with Raisin
- Crispy Peach Cobbler
Learn just how nourishing and delicious it can be to revisit the wisdom of our ancestors and return Back to Butter.
If you’re interested in knowing more about the book or purchasing a copy be sure to visit the website.
About the Authors:
Molly Chester and Sandy Schrecengost are the daughter-mother team behind the traditional foods blog Organic Spark (www.organicspark.com). Molly is a graduate of The Natural Gourmet Institute of Health & Culinary Arts in NYC and worked as a personal chef in Hollywood before she and her husband embarked on an organic and biodynamic farming project in Moorpark, CA in 2011. Apricot Lane Farms comprises 160 acres and is being designed to provide a voice and platform to traditional and ecological farming techniques. For more information, visit Apricot Lane Farms at http://www.apricotlanefarms.com/ and Molly and Sandy’s blog at http://www.organicspark.com/.
