 Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson. Cover image courtesy Hardie Grant Sometimes the (low) cost of cookery books amazes me and this is especially so with Heidi Swanson's latest offering, Super Natural Every Day. Take a look at this cookery book, as well as the author's blog, 101 Cookbooks, and you will see an award winning writer, photographer and cook who is dedicated to her craft. Super Natural Every Day is Heidi's second book and focuses on her everyday cooking, featuring recipes built around whole and natural foods, seasonal ingredients and 'an inkling of nutritional balance'. In her introduction, Heidi says she 'tends to cook with whole, natural foods (food straight from the plant or animal, such as wholegrains, wholegrain flours, minimally processed sweeteners, and fresh produce), ingredients that are as seasonal and as nutritionally intact as possible'. Chapters are broken down into meals: breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, drinks, treats and accompaniments. Heidi's sensible guidelines include shopping tips, using all of your senses when shopping and cooking, trusting your culinary intuition, seasonally adapting recipes, checking oven temperature, measuring flours carefully and ensuring baking powder is fresh, and using the freezer to store foods. Following Heidi's philosophy to try new recipes, I have flagged several pages and I promise that I will not simply pop the book onto my shelves and never look at it again! Among the dishes I am planning to road test are a Cucumber Cooler (p 166), which Heidi describes as 'a refreshing, non alcoholic slushie, punctuated with a pop of lime... perfect for a hot day; and Honey and Rosewater Tapioca (p 201), a treat that includes pistachio nuts and lemon zest in the ingredients. This is a sweet that can be eaten hot or cold. Little Quinoa Patties made with goat's cheese, garlic and herbs (p 121) is on my list. These can also be served hot or cold. And I mustn't forget the Watermelon Salad (p184), which has medjool dates, lime juice, pistachio nuts and rosewater. This sounds divine and is my kind of recipe. The accompanying photographs, and indeed all those throughout the book, taken by Heidi, simply whet the appetite for more. Nourish yourself with a copy of Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson, Hardie Grant Books (Australia) $29.95. For more information about Heidi Swanson and her work, visit here. Many thanks to Hardie Grant Books. 
8 Comments
23/1/2012 10:19:12 am
I find Heidi's writing very inspiring. I've made the avocados and mustard seeds and the pan-fried mung beans and tempeh. I've marked the quinoa patties too. Great to get into more beans, I say ;)
Lizzy
23/1/2012 10:40:52 am
Thank you. That sounds delicious. Heidi's book is very inspiring. Thanks for stopping by. 29/1/2012 05:15:38 pm
I love this book, in fact Heidi Swanson has been one of the biggest influences for my own style of cooking and eating. I just love the way she can balance a recipe making it both delicious and nutritionally sound.
Lizzy
29/1/2012 06:21:01 pm
Erin, hello. That's excellent... I love Heidi's work too... she is indeed an inspiration. Yum to the white beans and cabbage salad... the entire book is delicious! 8/2/2012 09:57:53 am
I have been wanting to get this book for a little while now. Thanks for the great review! That watermelon salad sounds amazing, I hope you make it!
Lizzy
8/2/2012 02:10:04 pm
Hi Anna, I did make it and we loved it!
isn't it a great book? one of my faves, this year thus far. have a good feeling about this year's food publishing!
Lizzy
15/4/2012 07:48:36 pm
I agree, Lucy, there are some beautiful books coming out this year... which poses a problem for me... my shelves are spilling over. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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