Food for Thought

Today, Rosie serves a mixed stew of NJ food and dining information. Read about a new cookbook, “Back to Butter.”

BACK TO BUTTER
A TRADITIONAL FOODS COOKBOOK—NOURISHING RECIPES INSPIRED BY OUR ANCESTORS
By Molly Chester and Sandy Schrecengost

Everything in moderation has always been our credo. We eat butter, meat, cheese and eggs—all the no-no’s in the diet world. So when this book came across my desk I was intrigued. Can the aforementioned foods be healthy? Well, the answer is yes, according to the authors who feel that the traditional foods that nourished our ancestors are healthier than the processed foods that became popular with industrialization. So raw, unrefined, naturally raised, unprocessed, grass-fed, wild-caught, sustainable, healthy saturated fats and unrefined oils, are the buzzwords of this movement. Lard, butter, bacon, bones for broth, organ meats, all high in vitamins are used in the recipes. The book includes information on what foods should be in your pantry, techniques and preparation of traditional foods such as sprouting, soaking and fermenting and lovely photographs that will inspire you to try the recipes which range from Roasted-Shrimp Salsa to drinks such as Continuous Brew Kombucha, a fermented beverage.

My eye caught the Nourishing Chicken Stock recipe that was not that different than mine, except for chicken feet (which my mom and grandmother always added when making chicken soup), and the addition of 2 tablespoons of apple-cider vinegar, which pulls gelatin and nutrients from the bones used. Also, the recipe calls for 12 to 24 hours of cooking, but that is not a problem if using a crockpot. A few of the other recipes that will be tried are Red Rice Salad with Cumin Dressing; Baked Acorn Squash with Kale & Pancetta Stuffing; and the Sticky Chicken.

Author Molly Chester, attended the Natural Institute of Health & Culinary Arts and owns a 160-acre farm in California called Apricot Lane Farms. Co-author Sandy Schrecengost is Molly’s mother and a traditional food activist. They also write a blog

***********************
Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].

Read more Table Hopping articles.

By submitting comments you grant permission for all or part of those comments to appear in the print edition of New Jersey Monthly.

Required
Required not shown
Required not shown