No, it’s not a mistake. Food GLorious Food is the correct title for this book. Note the GL. That’s the clue. This is full of low-GL recipes and I am sure that is music to your ears if you only knew what GL was, either high, low or average. I confess that I wasn’t sure!.
GL is short for glycemic load and though it’s not talked about as often as, say, fat, carbohydrate or even glycemic index it remains key to health. It all sounds very technical but the authors of Food GLorious Food, Patrick Holford and Fiona McDonald Joyce, give us all the information to allow us to make good choices.
Patrick is one of the UK’s leading nutrition experts and has penned 30 or so books on healthy living. He is a media spokesman on nutrition and has 2 million hits on his web site (www.patrickholford.com) every year. Fiona is a nutritional therapist and cookery consultant.
Food GLorious Food is divided into two parts. The first is the facts on healthy eating and nutrition. You might be tempted to skip this section but it’s important to know how food works. It’s not just volume of food that encourages weight gain but it’s the combination of food types that causes health problems.
Part two of this book is what you’ll want to delve into. Have a nice cup of tea and put your feet up. Relax and read some scrumptious recipes that happen to be good for you. These dishes don’t have that “your body is a temple so make a sacrifice” sort of feel. These are seriously great recipes that you will want to eat because they are delicious.
It’s quite an international selection of dishes. Thai Steamed Prawn Pots, Chicken Satay, Greek-style Stuffed Pork Tenderloin are just a few of the exotic recipes and they are all simple to prepare and flavourful. This food is far from dull. It mirrors modern eating trends and tastes.
We all know that we should be eating more fish, and Food GLorious Food has a good selection of fish dishes. Seared Harissa Tuna Steak is spicy and easy to make. Seared Salmon with Garlic and Coriander is fresh and light.
Vegetarians will be pleased to know that they are not forgotten. Baked Falafel is a healthy alternative to the fried traditional. Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry is rich and comforting and the authors tell us to use the full-fat coconut milk. I love this book!
We should all be thinking about what we eat. Food prices are high so let’s get the most out of our groceries. You don’t have to spend a lot to eat well. You just need to have support and advice. Food GLorious Food will give you all you need to make informed choices and enjoy doing it.
Food GLorious Food
Authors: Patrick Holford and Fiona McDonald Joyce
Published by: Little Brown Book Group, Piatkus
Price: £14.99
ISBN 978-0-7499-0995-6
Cookbook review by Chrissie Walker © 2018