Stuff I Like: 3 Great Cookbooks to Learn Fast, Nutrient-Dense Cooking

Since it’s kinda a life goal to teach people how to cook and prepare nutrient dense cooking without selling their souls to their kitchens, I decided to share with you a few of my favorite cookbooks for motivation and inspiration in my kitchen.

But first…can we all just take a minute to talk about cookbooks and why you should own them?  Because there is this thing called Pinterest, and it is really, quite awesome for finding any recipe that you need in a flash.  So, why would anyone need to actually buy a cookbook these days?

Especially if you’re just starting out and want to learn how to cook, here are a few reasons why you need to get some cookbooks.

1. Pinterest recipes are not always well-tested.  You might find a blogger that you just love with drool-worthy photos of the most delicious meal, and then, when you try to make it, the meal just flops for some reason.  Every wonder why?  I have found that a lot of food bloggers do not test and re-test their recipes to make sure that they work well with a variety of factors.  Gas heat versus electric heat?  Yep, that will affect cooking times for sure.  Altitude or sea level?  Definitely.  Glass pan versus dark metal pan.  Also a factor.  And these are just three of many factors that could throw things off a bit if you aren’t aware that these are even factors in your cooking!  Cookbook writers tend to do a better job of, either explaining these factors and giving you necessary adjustments as needed, or just testing and re-testing to find a sort of “happy medium” in their recipes that works for most every kitchen.
2. You may encounter some new ingredients, and it helps to get the advice of someone who has used these ingredients quite a bit.  Cookbooks teach you to cook much better, in my opinion, than a motley assortment of pinned recipes that you’ve collated from around the web.  Not that there is anything wrong with doing this.  I do it, too.  And, hey, I mean, if you’re pinning Sprinting Spoon recipes, you just go right ahead.  But seriously.  If you want to really learn how to cook, I suggest getting a few cookbooks.
3. They’re just so darn pretty while being inspirational.  I mean, come on.  At least just set them on the coffee table or something, because there are some really beautiful cookbooks out there.  When I dive into one that has all kinds of great pictures, I get so inspired.  Usually, I’m imagining myself in all those scenarios where the cookbook author is.  In reality, I’m in my kitchen, maybe sweaty from a pre-dinner workout, sprinting back and forth between the stove and the high chair feeding Landon his dinner while I cook ours.  But hey, I can dream, right?

So which cookbooks should I buy?  Here are a few of my suggestions and ones I’ve been loving lately.

• How to Cook Everything Fast by Mark Bittman.  Bittman is a bit of a legend.  This guy really is a teacher.  When I cook out of this cookbook, I feel like he’s sitting right there talking me through it in a “please do not ever stress about preparing food” sort of way.  I do not, in fact, own his original book, How to Cook Everything, but I am positive that it would be a fantastic resource, too.  I just really like this new version that teaches you how to just get that dinner on the table!  One thing I love is that he shows you how you can save yourself tons of time by multitasking.  (Waiting for that steak to sear?  Dice up the onion!)  He offers so many ways to modify his recipes, too.  So, you can learn one cooking technique and then make a bunch of variations on that recipe so you’re never bored, but you also don’t have to spend time learning new techniques each time you cook.  Note: I almost never buy cookbooks that don’t have pictures, but I made an exception for this one, and I’m really glad that I did!  It won’t look quite as pretty as other cookbooks on your coffee table, but it’s a great resource worth owning.

• Meals Made Simple by Danielle Walker.  You know what I said about food bloggers not testing their recipes quite as well as cookbook authors, leaving many “Pinterest cooks” wondering why their recipes flopped so hard?  Well, forget that, when it comes to Danielle Walker of Against All Grain.  Her recipes are spot on, and, folks, sometimes grain-free cooking (and particularly, baking!) can be quite challenging, but she always seems to nail it!  I’ve learned a lot cooking my way through this book.  Some of the ingredients might seem weird if you’re not used to them, but I encourage you to give them a try.  For one, she uses many of the same pantry staples throughout the cookbook, so you’ll learn how to incorporate them often.  You won’t be left thinking, “Great, now I’ve got this random thing in my pantry taking up space, and I’ll never use it again.”

• It’s All Easy by Gweneth Paltrow.  I was super stoked for this cookbook to come out this year because it’s a follow up to her It’s All Good cookbook which I also completely love.  She’s got the same style in this cookbook, but she’s got the weeknight cook in mind here.  Maybe a little gluten, maybe a little dairy, maybe a few grains or legumes, and maybe that is perfectly okay, too.  If you have some strict dietary restrictions, this cookbook may not be quite as helpful as Meals Made Simple, but if you’re just looking to make more nutrient-dense foods that are absolutely delicious without slaving away in the kitchen, this one’s for you.

Note: There are some very different dietary philosophies in these three cookbooks.  Danielle Walker deals with an autoimmune condition, so her recipes are quite a bit more “strict” than, say, Mark Bittman’s.  Keep in mind that any time you’re cooking at home rather than eating out, you’re boosting the nutrition of your meals, most likely.  And whenever you cook at home using whole, real foods (not things that come in a bunch of boxes, pouches, and bags), you’re boosting the nutrient density of your foods yet again.  Start right where you are, with a little leading and guiding from people who spend hours in their kitchens so you don’t have to!

How about you?  Have you tried any of these cookbooks?  What are your favorite cookbooks for nutrient dense cooking?