Hello and Happy Sunday!
Thanks to Blogging for Books and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I read Andie Mitchell’s memoir It Was Me All Along and loved it. This fact, as well as the cover and title drew my attention to her latest book. This does not affect my opinion of the content or the book in my review.
“At first, I tried to lighten the desserts I loved. I traded the real ingredients for sugar substitutes, butter substitutes, and the worst-tasting ingredients of all: fat-free cream cheese. My mom would try them, her smile as fake as the taste of aspartame. I learned the hard way that most of my efforts at lightening tended to, ironically enough, result in a leaden dessert. And worse, I realized that I wasn’t satisfied after eating them.”
Andie Mitchell struggled with weight loss and obesity since her childhood. She never found a way to eat in balance. In her memoir she described her journey in detail and now her cookbook has been published. With these dishes she was able to reach her weight goal and maintain it, she claimed. In this cookbook she shares approximately 80 recipes and explains what ingredients are important to her and how she eats.
I have a bunch of cookbooks and also reviewed a lot on my blog. However, there are cookbooks I fell instantly in love with. They are just beautiful to look at, with nice pictures, great stories and of course recipes that I instantly want to try. Cookbooks just do have something special, even though most recipes can be found online. In a way, Andie Mitchell’s style of cooking and some recipes she shares are similar to what I cook and like so I did not find it too inspiring. I found myself not in the target audience range. She shares recipes for a fresh breakfast, lunch, vegetables & sides, dinner or party dishes and of course sweet desserts – because life is sweet. However; honestly, nothing that I have not heard of.
“Eating in the Middle is structured the way I eat and live my life. So, the vast majority of the recipes in this book are healthy, wholesome, and made from read food ingredient, with a focus on big, boisterous flavors. You’d swear most of them are richer than they are, like Lemon-Herb with Crispy Oven Fries or Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts & Pancetta Cream.”
After Andie Mitchell lost 135 lbs she felt transformed but also stopped herself from eating certain things. No more chocolate, cakes and she wondered if life is a constant diet. She missed all the foods she always loved – all those comfort dishes that are rich, creamy and cheesy. She had no idea how to incorporate those dishes in her new lifestyle and diet plan. In Eating In The Middle she explains how she dealt with this problem, as well as emotional eating, overeating and cravings.
The dishes are easy to prepare but again, nothing inspiring or new to me simply because I consider myself an advanced cook. Also, there are many recipes that include meat and I am not a big fan of that. She also shares 3 fish recipes. If you are interested in the book I would advice you to flip through it at the bookstore before purchasing it.
What initially drew my attention to the book was that she kept her weight down for such a long time while eating this mix of indulging, yet healthy recipes. This book is beautifully done, with tons of great food photography and a gorgeous layout. Sometimes I thought I would love to sit at this table right now, in front of all the food even though I would not try everything.
Would I like this book?
I do recommend this book if you are a fan of Andie Mitchell’s writing. She has a very lovely, likable personality. You might also like this book if you want to know about nutritional information which Mitchell includes at the end of every recipe. Also, there are many weight loss/maintenance tips throughout the book. You may like the book if you have never heard of Kale Chips before and would like to make some. Also if you have never heard of Chia Pudding, roasted broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, carrots or sesame green beans.
Personally, a cookbook has to give me a bit more to remain in my cookbook shelf in the kitchen. It has to be a cookbook I love to go back to because the recipes are special, new, mouth-watering and don’t seem like they are taken right out of a Cheesecake Factory menu. Recipes that are not new to me but that I liked are: the Bagel & Lox Salad (page 64), the Creamy Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato & Artichoke Omelet (page 38) and the All The Greens Frittata (page 33)
