The newest member of the AIP cookbook family can be described in one simple word....
B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!
As someone who loves food and loves to travel and loves to take pictures of food when I travel, this cookbook combines the best of all those worlds with amazing pictures of France along with scrumptious looking recipes for everything from meatball to crepes and everything in between.
In this book, Sophie introduces her readers to the simple flavors of the south of France with the reminder that AIP food doesn't need to be bland, boring or complicated. She presents food the way it should be as it's shared around the family table and this cookbook makes you wish that you were sitting around her family's table and enjoy these meals with her. In this book you'll find 90 recipes that are 100% AIP compliant and 100% full of flavor.
You can read more about "Simple French Paleo" and get your hands on the ebook here. The print version of this book is also available on Amazon here.
Some of the recipes I'm excited about trying are:
Marinated Olives
Garlic & Herb Stuffed Mushrooms
Nicoise Salad
Vibrant Pork Belly Salad
French Onion Soup (one of my all time favorites)
Celeriac Remoulade
Tarragon Provencal Chicken
Crepes and a 'Layered raspberry Crepe Cake'
Honey Lavender Roasted Peaches
Citrus Ice Cream
The inspiration for this book comes from the author's Belgium roots where she grew up eating simple, flavorful french food. This is real food for real people. And this is french food that you can (and should) cook at home.
As I was flipping through the book I was mesmerized by Sophie's photography - both her food photography and her pictures of the trip to France that she took while writing the book. It immediately took me back to a day I spent in the south of France a couple of years ago and made me wish I was there again. My mom and I were on a cruise through the Mediterranean. We started in Venice and ended in Barcelona, with several stops along the way. As we looked at the itinerary, we planned which days we would take tours and which days we'd just hang out and explore the port cities.
One of the days we planned on just hanging out with in Toulon, France. As soon as we were off the ship I knew that this was going to be a great day. We walked off the ship and right into the beautiful marketplace full of spices and herbs, olives, fresh olive oil, produce, seafood, ready made meals and more. Below are a few of the many pics I took that day as we wandered through the stalls marveling at the beauty of the food. If I said it once, I said it 100 times, that I would love to live and cook in proximity to a place like that.
"Simple French Paleo" isn't just a cookbook, it's so much more.
Along with all of the amazing recipes in this beautiful book, you'll also find tons of AIP resources:
Sophie's story of her AIP journey
Lists of foods to include or exclude on the AIP diet
AIP lifestyle hints - like the importance of sleep, exercise and reduced stress
A look into her AIP pantry
Cooking conversion charts - for interpreting recipes from around the world (LOVE IT)
and much, much more!
Sophie was also kind enough to allow me to share one of her beautiful recipes with you. This 'basil and mint pesto' is perfect on top of a simple piece of baked salmon and it's great on burgers and roasted veggies to add a flavor punch. It's a simple way to switch up a standby recipe and turn it into something special.
Mint & Basil Pesto
Prep time: 15 minutesCook time: n/a
Yield: 1⁄2 cup
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cups mint leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup + 2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 t lemon juice
pinch of fine sea salt
Method:
- Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Mix on medium speed for 30 seconds or until pesto reaches your preferred consistency.
- You may have to stop once or twice to scrape down the sides with a spatula
- Transfer pesto to an airtight container and refrigerate until needed.
Get your copy of "Simple French Paleo" here.
**Sophie was kind enough to gift me a copy of her ebook,
but all of the opinions expressed in this post are mine.