and headaches. If you experience any of
these, I suggest working with a health-care
professional to cut gluten out of your diet for
Cruciferous
vegetables,
like cabbage,
kale, Brussels
sprouts, and
radishes, are a
fantastic defense
against chronic
inflammation.
3 to 4 weeks, then reintroduce it slowly. Pay
attention to how it makes you feel.
Personally, wheat and gluten don’t bother
me when I have them in moderation, so I do.
However, you have to figure out what works for
you. My recipes are mostly gluten-free, and I
can guarantee you won’t miss it.
DAIRY
I love me some dairy, but it doesn’t agree
with some people. Many people are allergic
to dairy, in which case their bodies react
negatively to the dairy protein casein. Dairy
intolerance to the milk sugar lactose is also
common. Dairy allergy and intolerance
symptoms overlap and usually appear
somewhat quickly in the form of stomach
pain, bloating, gas, nausea, or diarrhea (or
more severe in the case of allergy). Consult
with your doctor to determine your condition
if you think you and dairy aren’t a good
match. You won’t be alone, and the good news
is—the vast majority of my recipes are dairy-
free, and almost all can be made dairy-free
with appropriate substitutions!
On a different note, most factory-farmed
dairy is the result of inhumane practices
that I don’t want to support, and the products
themselves are poorer quality. Worse yet,
many of the industrial dairy animals are
injected with hormones, which compounds
with the natural hormones found in cows
already. Throw this on top of our own
endocrine system, and we have a hormonal
mess . . . which often shows up as acne and
oily skin. In addition, “low-fat” yogurts and
ice creams, as well as skim milk, are higher in
sugar to make up for the lack of flavor, which
isn’t doing anyone any favors.
As with gluten, try eliminating and
reintroducing dairy with the help of a
professional to note any ill effects. If you are
going to consume dairy, it should be full-fat,
unsweetened, and from grass-fed, pasture-
raised cows. My life would be a little sadder
without grass-fed cheddar. I also find that
people tend to digest goat’s milk and cheese
better than cow’s, so that can be a good option
if you have a trusty purveyor. If you can’t find
pastured and grass-fed, organic is the next
best thing to look for. In the book, you will see
a few recipes with cheese, and I certainly don’t
shy away from grass-fed butter. I use the best
quality available in moderation, and I suggest
the same for you.
CORN, PEANUTS & SOY
Be picky when it comes to corn, peanuts, and
soy. These popular crops are mostly grown on
large-scale industrial farms, where they are
treated with pesticides and other chemicals,
and often they are genetically modified. As a
result, these foods are among the top allergens
and food irritants, causing mild as well as
severe immune system reactions and digestive
upset. I enjoy all three of these foods, but I
make sure to buy organic, non-GMO versions,
and I eat them in moderation.
2 Properly supply yourself with the basic kitchen
equipment and ingredient staples.
Much of the stress that people feel around
cooking comes from not having what they need
to make a dish. This leads to multiple grocery
runs, often last-minute, making the idea of a
pleasant kitchen experience seem impossible.
However, there’s an easy fix for this major
cooking roadblock: take the time and invest in
pantry and kitchen staples. I have purposefully
streamlined the tools and ingredients I use so
that I know I have the building blocks of my
dishes handy. The purpose of this guideline
is to create the same ease for you.
Cooking Equipment Staples
FOOD PREP BASIC EQUIPMENT
• Chef’s knife: This 8- to 10-inch knife with a
wide blade and pointed tip is a home cook’s
best friend, and it is worth springing for
a high-quality one if you can. I have several
knife sets, and I rarely use any knife besides
this and my paring knife. I like Orblue
and Wüsthof.
• Paring knife: This is a mini chef’s knife that
comes in handy when you need to peel or
chop more delicate and smaller fruits and
vegetables, such as garlic or strawberries. I
suggest the same brands as for the chef’s knife.
• Vegetable peeler
• Kitchen shears: I use kitchen shears to
trim fat off meat, snip herbs, and open
plastic packaging.
• Can opener
• Colander: I suggest two large stainless-steel
colanders, one with micro-perforations for
smaller grains, and one with slightly larger