What do you think?
Rate this book
Pure Food: A Chef's Handbook for Eating Clean, with Healthy, Delicious Recipes
2017 Gourmand Award Winner of “US National Cookbook of the Year”
You are what you eat. And what you're eating isn't good.
With the proliferation of artificial additives, hormones, antibiotics, and the thousand other man-made substances and chemical cocktails lurking in our grocery bags, eating healthy, natural foods is trickier than ever. It's no coincidence that America's health is flagging, with obesity and type 2 diabetes now at epidemic levels.
Taking control of your diet doesn't have to be a challenge. Pure Food will show you how easy—and how much healthier—it is to cook clean, delicious foods.
Kurt Beecher Dammeier, chef, restaurateur, food entrepreneur, retailer, and educator has spent the past 30 years of his life working to rid his own diet of food additives, and nearly 20 creating and selling pure, unadulterated foods through his Seattle-based family of food businesses (including Beecher's Handmade Cheese, Pasta & Co, and Bennett's Restaurant). In Pure Food, Kurt shares his own story, as well as providing a roadmap for readers to forge a diet based on pure, additive-free foods.
Part handbook and part cookbook, Pure Food contains more than 70 delicious and natural recipes for pure living.
Unlike most cookbooks, Pure Food 's recipes are organized in threads—which start with a primary meal component like chicken, and progress through a series of dishes that use the primary ingredient in different ways—to help you get the most from your cooking. Make Braised Beef Chuck Roast for Sunday supper, followed up by Monday night Beef Chili , and Beef and Mushroom Lasagna to use up the leftover roast on Tuesday. It also contains an assortment of sauces and sides, from Red Fresno Sriracha and 4 Year Flagship Aioli to Red Cabbage Peperonata and Wilted Collard Greens . And leave room for dessert, like Apple Pear Crisp and Beecher's No-Bake Super-Light Cheese Cake .
Whether you're a serial dieter or trying for the first time to improve the way you eat, Pure Food will revolutionize how you approach food and lead you down the path to a healthier life.
You are what you eat. And what you're eating isn't good.
With the proliferation of artificial additives, hormones, antibiotics, and the thousand other man-made substances and chemical cocktails lurking in our grocery bags, eating healthy, natural foods is trickier than ever. It's no coincidence that America's health is flagging, with obesity and type 2 diabetes now at epidemic levels.
Taking control of your diet doesn't have to be a challenge. Pure Food will show you how easy—and how much healthier—it is to cook clean, delicious foods.
Kurt Beecher Dammeier, chef, restaurateur, food entrepreneur, retailer, and educator has spent the past 30 years of his life working to rid his own diet of food additives, and nearly 20 creating and selling pure, unadulterated foods through his Seattle-based family of food businesses (including Beecher's Handmade Cheese, Pasta & Co, and Bennett's Restaurant). In Pure Food, Kurt shares his own story, as well as providing a roadmap for readers to forge a diet based on pure, additive-free foods.
Part handbook and part cookbook, Pure Food contains more than 70 delicious and natural recipes for pure living.
Unlike most cookbooks, Pure Food 's recipes are organized in threads—which start with a primary meal component like chicken, and progress through a series of dishes that use the primary ingredient in different ways—to help you get the most from your cooking. Make Braised Beef Chuck Roast for Sunday supper, followed up by Monday night Beef Chili , and Beef and Mushroom Lasagna to use up the leftover roast on Tuesday. It also contains an assortment of sauces and sides, from Red Fresno Sriracha and 4 Year Flagship Aioli to Red Cabbage Peperonata and Wilted Collard Greens . And leave room for dessert, like Apple Pear Crisp and Beecher's No-Bake Super-Light Cheese Cake .
Whether you're a serial dieter or trying for the first time to improve the way you eat, Pure Food will revolutionize how you approach food and lead you down the path to a healthier life.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published July 5, 2016
19 people are currently reading
784 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 6, 2016
A special thank you to BenBella and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Well known, chef, restaurateur, food entrepreneur, retailer, and educator, Kurt Beecher Dammeier’s exciting new cookbook PURE FOOD, A Chef's Handbook for Eating Clean, with Healthy, Delicious Recipes — reflects his tremendous passion for healthy food, including insightful education into the food industry; additives, preservatives, processed foods and its critical health connections; from inspiring recipes, as well as his personal journey, with helpful tools and cooking tidbits, for an all-in-one guide to addictive-free foods.
“Commit yourself to the simple goal of avoiding additives. The rest falls into place.”
The food photography is excellent by Barnard & Meyer in Dallas, a critical element for a superior cookbook, with high resolution color images.
His work with Beecher’s Pure Food Kids Foundation is amazing, along with all his business models; with an ultimate goal to help change the way we eat in American. To arm families with the tools they need to cut additives from their lives.
For me, the most exciting part of the book: The ongoing education and initiatives regarding additives and preservative, processed foods, and The Pure Food Nation efforts--Call to Action. It is always a pleasure hearing from a chef’s point of view, the difficulties for many of us who have chosen to lead a pure food life, without these nasty additives and preservatives.
You have two choices: you can wait for science to catch up to what you already instinctively know, or you can take the artificial stuff out of your life now. I agree with the author: There is one thing you can do above all else-- to take your health into your own hands.
Pure Food is geared toward helping adults remove additives from their diets by changing the way they shop, cook, and eat. Even though I have been doing this for the last five or more years, I still enjoy keeping abreast of updated information, while supporting ongoing efforts. We all have to work together to change the way America eats- a collaborative effort.
In addition, to the education, insights, and personal experience, the author gives us tools and equipment tidbits, and delicious recipes. Since I am a vegan, not able to indulge in some of the recipes, but enjoyed the ones I tried, and of course the interesting subject material, and the stunning food photography.
Many of you who have read my previous reviews or blog are aware I chose more than five years ago to make the choice of pure foods, and never regretted it. As a vegan (no dairy, breads, meats, or processed foods, sugars, alcohol, chemicals, additives or preservatives), I maintain a healthy lifestyle and would never go back. It took years of food journaling, targeting the food problems, and slowly eliminating all the bad things. It is a lifestyle choice and one I would recommend to others. As we age our bodies cannot fight, the way it does when we are younger (plus over time gets worse).
Much like the author, foods I had never had any issues with previously, began bothering me. Things I thought were healthy too. Then one day all the food allergies started with serious consequences, leading to ongoing severe allergic reactions, analyphaxis, and heart problems, plus more.
As the author reiterates, the current debate over food additives—and their presumed safety, unless otherwise proven unsafe— is a reminder of another major public health crisis. "Cigarettes." For some, it was far too late for those who had succumbed to their poison. He believes and I agree, that food additives will chart a similar course.
I found the chef’s journey fascinating. The wake-up call, the ingredients and additives used in restaurants, using industrial powders which are not good for us. The chemical flavorings, and the eye-opening behind the scenes-things diners cannot imagine.
From Pasta & Co, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Beecher’s Pure Food Kids Foundation, which use 1% of sales from the company to educate school children about how to be savvier consumers of processed foods.
From 2006 his cookbook, Pure Flavor, Bennett’s a casual bistro, then Maximus/Minimus—a food truck. Since then he has expanded Beecher’s to New York City and opened another bistro in Seattle called Liams. His company name is Sugar Mountain, homage to the Neil Young song. Sugar Mountain is committed to offering pure, full flavored, additive-free food.
You have to want to make a change. Like diets, addictions or anything you set your mind to do. However, by educating our kids to be a “detective “and teaching them how to read ingredients in foods, nutrition labels, investigating packaged foods for nutritional content, understanding chemical additives, consumption, health risks, and serving size—creates awareness. To arm kids with the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy food choices.
Empower them to make a healthier world with fruits and vegetables (not chemicals). Hopefully they will educate their parents and influence them in their buying decisions. If the parents do not educate themselves, we have to work through our children. In the end, it may be years down the road, they will find the harmful effects of years of abusive eating.
Our industry makes the bad things appear sexy and appealing. Like cigarettes, by the time the food industry finally admits the health consequences, will be too late for many. Start educating now and making changes!
There are many harmful chemical interactions and most people eat over a hundred different chemicals in a single day. Alarming! The food industry is free to dump additives into our food virtually unregulated. Many implications of the food people sell are slowly rising to the surface with lawsuits, food poisoning, and outbreaks. Accountability.
As we all are aware, food companies use industrial additives to lower their costs and increase consumption by engineering textures, flavors, and shapes designed to impossible to resist and consumer buy it.
We have to demand better products and force more transparent disclosure of what’s in them. We then vote with our wallets. Our greatest power over food companies and our general health is where we spend our next dollar.
We are seeing some hope! With books, like this, online bloggers, education, and awareness, people are waking up to the potential dangers of food additives--demanding change from companies that use them. The more people do so, the easier it will be to force changes.
From chronic illnesses such as heart disease or diabetes, asthma or allergies--- all these plus more will benefit from a diet free from food additives. They are known to cause these health problems. I am living proof of this. I support and applaud every book and initiative to help further this cause.
Taking control of your diet doesn’t have to be a challenge. PURE FOOD will show you how easy—and how much healthier—it is to cook clean, delicious foods. Recommend!
JDCMustReadBooks
Well known, chef, restaurateur, food entrepreneur, retailer, and educator, Kurt Beecher Dammeier’s exciting new cookbook PURE FOOD, A Chef's Handbook for Eating Clean, with Healthy, Delicious Recipes — reflects his tremendous passion for healthy food, including insightful education into the food industry; additives, preservatives, processed foods and its critical health connections; from inspiring recipes, as well as his personal journey, with helpful tools and cooking tidbits, for an all-in-one guide to addictive-free foods.
“Commit yourself to the simple goal of avoiding additives. The rest falls into place.”
The food photography is excellent by Barnard & Meyer in Dallas, a critical element for a superior cookbook, with high resolution color images.
His work with Beecher’s Pure Food Kids Foundation is amazing, along with all his business models; with an ultimate goal to help change the way we eat in American. To arm families with the tools they need to cut additives from their lives.
For me, the most exciting part of the book: The ongoing education and initiatives regarding additives and preservative, processed foods, and The Pure Food Nation efforts--Call to Action. It is always a pleasure hearing from a chef’s point of view, the difficulties for many of us who have chosen to lead a pure food life, without these nasty additives and preservatives.
You have two choices: you can wait for science to catch up to what you already instinctively know, or you can take the artificial stuff out of your life now. I agree with the author: There is one thing you can do above all else-- to take your health into your own hands.
Pure Food is geared toward helping adults remove additives from their diets by changing the way they shop, cook, and eat. Even though I have been doing this for the last five or more years, I still enjoy keeping abreast of updated information, while supporting ongoing efforts. We all have to work together to change the way America eats- a collaborative effort.
In addition, to the education, insights, and personal experience, the author gives us tools and equipment tidbits, and delicious recipes. Since I am a vegan, not able to indulge in some of the recipes, but enjoyed the ones I tried, and of course the interesting subject material, and the stunning food photography.
Many of you who have read my previous reviews or blog are aware I chose more than five years ago to make the choice of pure foods, and never regretted it. As a vegan (no dairy, breads, meats, or processed foods, sugars, alcohol, chemicals, additives or preservatives), I maintain a healthy lifestyle and would never go back. It took years of food journaling, targeting the food problems, and slowly eliminating all the bad things. It is a lifestyle choice and one I would recommend to others. As we age our bodies cannot fight, the way it does when we are younger (plus over time gets worse).
Much like the author, foods I had never had any issues with previously, began bothering me. Things I thought were healthy too. Then one day all the food allergies started with serious consequences, leading to ongoing severe allergic reactions, analyphaxis, and heart problems, plus more.
As the author reiterates, the current debate over food additives—and their presumed safety, unless otherwise proven unsafe— is a reminder of another major public health crisis. "Cigarettes." For some, it was far too late for those who had succumbed to their poison. He believes and I agree, that food additives will chart a similar course.
I found the chef’s journey fascinating. The wake-up call, the ingredients and additives used in restaurants, using industrial powders which are not good for us. The chemical flavorings, and the eye-opening behind the scenes-things diners cannot imagine.
From Pasta & Co, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Beecher’s Pure Food Kids Foundation, which use 1% of sales from the company to educate school children about how to be savvier consumers of processed foods.
From 2006 his cookbook, Pure Flavor, Bennett’s a casual bistro, then Maximus/Minimus—a food truck. Since then he has expanded Beecher’s to New York City and opened another bistro in Seattle called Liams. His company name is Sugar Mountain, homage to the Neil Young song. Sugar Mountain is committed to offering pure, full flavored, additive-free food.
You have to want to make a change. Like diets, addictions or anything you set your mind to do. However, by educating our kids to be a “detective “and teaching them how to read ingredients in foods, nutrition labels, investigating packaged foods for nutritional content, understanding chemical additives, consumption, health risks, and serving size—creates awareness. To arm kids with the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy food choices.
Empower them to make a healthier world with fruits and vegetables (not chemicals). Hopefully they will educate their parents and influence them in their buying decisions. If the parents do not educate themselves, we have to work through our children. In the end, it may be years down the road, they will find the harmful effects of years of abusive eating.
Our industry makes the bad things appear sexy and appealing. Like cigarettes, by the time the food industry finally admits the health consequences, will be too late for many. Start educating now and making changes!
There are many harmful chemical interactions and most people eat over a hundred different chemicals in a single day. Alarming! The food industry is free to dump additives into our food virtually unregulated. Many implications of the food people sell are slowly rising to the surface with lawsuits, food poisoning, and outbreaks. Accountability.
As we all are aware, food companies use industrial additives to lower their costs and increase consumption by engineering textures, flavors, and shapes designed to impossible to resist and consumer buy it.
We have to demand better products and force more transparent disclosure of what’s in them. We then vote with our wallets. Our greatest power over food companies and our general health is where we spend our next dollar.
We are seeing some hope! With books, like this, online bloggers, education, and awareness, people are waking up to the potential dangers of food additives--demanding change from companies that use them. The more people do so, the easier it will be to force changes.
PURE FOOD outlines some immediate steps to help reshape how food companies advertise to kids and how kids learn about and consume food and beverages:
• Vote for legislators who prioritize a pure food agenda and keep them accountable. FoodPolicyAction.org.
• Improve transparency by requiring both food manufacturers and restaurants to list ALL ingredients in the food and beverages they sell, including liquor, beer, and wine.
• Implement a ban on the advertising, and all marketing of food, and beverages to youth.
• Vote with your dollars. Buy the purest products that you can afford, produced by companies that prioritize ingredient transparency.
• Empower schools to model healthy food choices. Join the conversation at PureFoodRevolution.org.
From chronic illnesses such as heart disease or diabetes, asthma or allergies--- all these plus more will benefit from a diet free from food additives. They are known to cause these health problems. I am living proof of this. I support and applaud every book and initiative to help further this cause.
Taking control of your diet doesn’t have to be a challenge. PURE FOOD will show you how easy—and how much healthier—it is to cook clean, delicious foods. Recommend!
JDCMustReadBooks
July 6, 2016
I received a copy of the ebook for review through NetGalley and am so glad I did. The author is a restaurant owner, cheese maker, and advocate for "clean eating." The beginning of the book is about his views related to processed foods. He talks about what foods, labels, and product approaches that he particularly dislikes. He also describes a children's program he supports.
However, I most enjoyed the recipes. Most have lovely photos, though not all. And he has several recipes that are designed for leftovers to be used in other recipes, so some are large and make a LOT of food. The foods required are mostly easy to find in a supermarket, except for his own branded cheeses. However, I suppose he'd be fine if you used a similar locally-sourced high quality cheese. Perhaps because of accessibility of the recipes and the use of leftovers, I ended up making quite a number of recipes, far more than usual.
I made up the Butcher's Table Seasoning Blend, which I then used to make the Pan Seared Rib Eye steaks. They were amazing. The technique was new to me, but they turned out to be cooked perfectly and were delicious. I also made the Bennett's Burgers, which were simple and very tasty.
In addition, I made the Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts, and a couple of recipes with them. Neither my husband or I particularly care for chicken breast, but they turned out juicy and flavorful. The chicken stock was simple to make from the breast and rib bones. And the Chicken Salad Vindaloo was very good with great flavor (though the vindaloo spice took a special trip to the spice store).
The Red Quinoa Pilaf was simple to make and very tasty, even a couple of days later. And finally I made the Quick and Easy Cookies, which were exactly that. I made mine with almond butter, sunflower seeds, and cinnamon chips.
These recipes are very accessible to the regular cook. They don't require the purchase of expensive equipment, and most of the ingredients are easy to find. In addition, the recipes all turned out wonderfully as written. The only issue I might have is that most of the vegetable recipes are roasted, which is uncomfortable in the summer. Even though I've completed my review, I still have recipes I'm planning to make in the next week. I definitely recommend it.
However, I most enjoyed the recipes. Most have lovely photos, though not all. And he has several recipes that are designed for leftovers to be used in other recipes, so some are large and make a LOT of food. The foods required are mostly easy to find in a supermarket, except for his own branded cheeses. However, I suppose he'd be fine if you used a similar locally-sourced high quality cheese. Perhaps because of accessibility of the recipes and the use of leftovers, I ended up making quite a number of recipes, far more than usual.
I made up the Butcher's Table Seasoning Blend, which I then used to make the Pan Seared Rib Eye steaks. They were amazing. The technique was new to me, but they turned out to be cooked perfectly and were delicious. I also made the Bennett's Burgers, which were simple and very tasty.
In addition, I made the Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts, and a couple of recipes with them. Neither my husband or I particularly care for chicken breast, but they turned out juicy and flavorful. The chicken stock was simple to make from the breast and rib bones. And the Chicken Salad Vindaloo was very good with great flavor (though the vindaloo spice took a special trip to the spice store).
The Red Quinoa Pilaf was simple to make and very tasty, even a couple of days later. And finally I made the Quick and Easy Cookies, which were exactly that. I made mine with almond butter, sunflower seeds, and cinnamon chips.
These recipes are very accessible to the regular cook. They don't require the purchase of expensive equipment, and most of the ingredients are easy to find. In addition, the recipes all turned out wonderfully as written. The only issue I might have is that most of the vegetable recipes are roasted, which is uncomfortable in the summer. Even though I've completed my review, I still have recipes I'm planning to make in the next week. I definitely recommend it.
August 10, 2016
What a gorgeous cookbook! The beautiful pictures drew me in and the amazing recipes will keep me glued to this cookbook for years to come! I have been trying to eat clean on Paleo for about two years now. It is not always easy and, like anyone else, I have fallen over the edge quite a few times. After reading the intro of this book, it will definitely be much easier from here on out! Chef Kurt has opened my eyes even more to the harm of toxins in processed foods and how these processed foods are quite literally killing us. It also made me question how since I only drink pure tea, why don't I eat only pure food? Simple answer...because it is difficult.
Pure Food will teach you how not only to love clean eating, but it will completely change your mindset!
*I received a Digital Review Copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Pure Food will teach you how not only to love clean eating, but it will completely change your mindset!
*I received a Digital Review Copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 15, 2017
My partner is a chef and teaches at one of the most well known culinary schools in the country. He lectures me all the time when grocery shopping to buy from the outside aisles which always are Produce, Dairy, Meat, Seafood, etc. Chef Dammeier enforces that principles with easy, clean and healthy dishes.
Chef Dammeier his basic recipe for roasted vegetables should be a staple for every household dinner. He also shows in his main dishes as long as the ingredients are fresh, you only need a few simple ingredients to make a great dinner.
He fill the book with simple tips, that can make your life easier in the kitchen. He does this through telling stories of his life and lessons learned.
My partner and I have enjoyed making the recipes in the book. This book is for every level chef, who really wants to cook for a healthier way of life.
Chef Dammeier his basic recipe for roasted vegetables should be a staple for every household dinner. He also shows in his main dishes as long as the ingredients are fresh, you only need a few simple ingredients to make a great dinner.
He fill the book with simple tips, that can make your life easier in the kitchen. He does this through telling stories of his life and lessons learned.
My partner and I have enjoyed making the recipes in the book. This book is for every level chef, who really wants to cook for a healthier way of life.
October 5, 2017
2.5 stars
I wanted to give this book higher marks, but the author's ignorance about the medical conditions involving gluten ruined it from the beginning. Plenty of people do have a reaction to gluten that necessitates a gluten-free diet. Given the author's backstory about a food allergy, I was disappointed with his dismissive and uneducated opinion. I agree that many GF products on the market are no more healthful than their gluten-containing counterparts, but eating whole foods with a gluten-free focus is not a fad for many people working to improve their nutrition and health. I'd love to see more books on eating whole foods that embrace the various food restrictions many people have, rather than dismissing them.
I wanted to give this book higher marks, but the author's ignorance about the medical conditions involving gluten ruined it from the beginning. Plenty of people do have a reaction to gluten that necessitates a gluten-free diet. Given the author's backstory about a food allergy, I was disappointed with his dismissive and uneducated opinion. I agree that many GF products on the market are no more healthful than their gluten-containing counterparts, but eating whole foods with a gluten-free focus is not a fad for many people working to improve their nutrition and health. I'd love to see more books on eating whole foods that embrace the various food restrictions many people have, rather than dismissing them.
June 9, 2017
Great tips, nutritional facts, and recipies.
January 23, 2018
Informative--maybe more informative for someone who is not already well-studied in clean and healthful eating. A great intro to those looking into eating clean and well--more than just a cookbook.
July 7, 2016
I was sent a copy of this book for review by Ben Bella Books, as always, all opinions are my own.
Recently I've struggled with a host of health problems: epilepsy, food allergies, asthma, severe joint pain that mimics arthritis, and overwhelming lethargy. The list just seems to keep growing as the years pass, which worries me because I've only just turned 33. Countless visits with specialists ruled out a number of diseases that could be causing my current health crisis including: rheumatoid arthritis, vitamin deficiency, and even lupus—which made me chuckle a bit (those of you who are House fans will understand why)—but it wasn't until a few years ago, when I participated in October Unprocessed, that I realized that my diet was root cause of my most recent problems. I knew that if I didn't overhaul the way our family looked at food, my son would eventually suffer the consequences of our poor food choices.
A close look at my pantry staples showed that most of the items I had been relying on, although marketed as healthy options, were filled with non-food items meant to make the food taste better, artificial colors to make things look more appealing, and preservatives to keep everything shelf-stable for obscene amounts of time. This eye-opening discovery set me on the path I am today, it's also one of the reasons that I was so excited to see that Kurt Beecher Dammeier was releasing a new cookbook this month.
For those of you who aren't familiar with his work, he's the founder of Beecher's Pure Food Kids, a foundation that has been working tirelessly over the past ten years to equip children with the information and skills necessary to make healthy food choices. This is a man who understands the struggles I've been going through, because he's struggled with similar issues and he's turned his quest to seek out unadulterated food for his family into a mission to educate America about the impact their food choices have on their health, starting with those most vulnerable to marketing hype and more likely to make poor choices: young children.
Some Alarming Facts:
* Food companies spend over 2 billion dollars annually marketing food to children.
* Obesity rates have more than doubled in adults since the 1960s and tripled in children since the the 1980s.
* For the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children in America may have shorter life expectancies than their parents.
Now take a minute to let that last fact sink in. I'll be honest, it completely blew my mind.
These are just a few of the startling details that are outlined in Pure Food: A Chef's Handbook for Eating Clean, with Healthy, Delicious Recipes. The first few chapters of the book give a close look at the disturbing changes to our food system over the past 50 years, the failings of our regulatory system, the impact this will have on future generations, and what we can do to affect change. But that's not all this book offers, it's full of ideas, tips, and recipes that will help you make smarter decisions about the food you eat. If you're interested in starting down the road to clean eating I'd consider this book a must-read, especially for anyone looking to make long-term changes to their diet, or who is concerned with GMOs, additives, preservatives, and other non-food items that have invaded our food system.
Recently I've struggled with a host of health problems: epilepsy, food allergies, asthma, severe joint pain that mimics arthritis, and overwhelming lethargy. The list just seems to keep growing as the years pass, which worries me because I've only just turned 33. Countless visits with specialists ruled out a number of diseases that could be causing my current health crisis including: rheumatoid arthritis, vitamin deficiency, and even lupus—which made me chuckle a bit (those of you who are House fans will understand why)—but it wasn't until a few years ago, when I participated in October Unprocessed, that I realized that my diet was root cause of my most recent problems. I knew that if I didn't overhaul the way our family looked at food, my son would eventually suffer the consequences of our poor food choices.
A close look at my pantry staples showed that most of the items I had been relying on, although marketed as healthy options, were filled with non-food items meant to make the food taste better, artificial colors to make things look more appealing, and preservatives to keep everything shelf-stable for obscene amounts of time. This eye-opening discovery set me on the path I am today, it's also one of the reasons that I was so excited to see that Kurt Beecher Dammeier was releasing a new cookbook this month.
For those of you who aren't familiar with his work, he's the founder of Beecher's Pure Food Kids, a foundation that has been working tirelessly over the past ten years to equip children with the information and skills necessary to make healthy food choices. This is a man who understands the struggles I've been going through, because he's struggled with similar issues and he's turned his quest to seek out unadulterated food for his family into a mission to educate America about the impact their food choices have on their health, starting with those most vulnerable to marketing hype and more likely to make poor choices: young children.
Some Alarming Facts:
* Food companies spend over 2 billion dollars annually marketing food to children.
* Obesity rates have more than doubled in adults since the 1960s and tripled in children since the the 1980s.
* For the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children in America may have shorter life expectancies than their parents.
Now take a minute to let that last fact sink in. I'll be honest, it completely blew my mind.
These are just a few of the startling details that are outlined in Pure Food: A Chef's Handbook for Eating Clean, with Healthy, Delicious Recipes. The first few chapters of the book give a close look at the disturbing changes to our food system over the past 50 years, the failings of our regulatory system, the impact this will have on future generations, and what we can do to affect change. But that's not all this book offers, it's full of ideas, tips, and recipes that will help you make smarter decisions about the food you eat. If you're interested in starting down the road to clean eating I'd consider this book a must-read, especially for anyone looking to make long-term changes to their diet, or who is concerned with GMOs, additives, preservatives, and other non-food items that have invaded our food system.
July 6, 2016
**ARC provided by publisher for review**
3.5 stars.
Jamie Oliver is usually the chef you think of when people talk about a "food revolution" and getting people to eat less processed food. But obviously that kind of campaign doesn't start and end with one man, or one chef.
Pure Food, Kurt Beecher Dammeier's latest, moves the ball forward with a building block approach focused on flavor. The good news is, Pure Food is about eating clean. No one's saying it's non-fat. And in fact, Beecher's Cheese -- you remember their Mac and Cheese from Oprah's Favorite Things a few years back -- is used in several recipes.
I've already discovered a new summer grilling favorite in the book -- Maximus/Minimus' grilled chicken thighs. We'll make be making 'em all summer.
Full review + recipe at DailyWaffle.
3.5 stars.
Jamie Oliver is usually the chef you think of when people talk about a "food revolution" and getting people to eat less processed food. But obviously that kind of campaign doesn't start and end with one man, or one chef.
Pure Food, Kurt Beecher Dammeier's latest, moves the ball forward with a building block approach focused on flavor. The good news is, Pure Food is about eating clean. No one's saying it's non-fat. And in fact, Beecher's Cheese -- you remember their Mac and Cheese from Oprah's Favorite Things a few years back -- is used in several recipes.
I've already discovered a new summer grilling favorite in the book -- Maximus/Minimus' grilled chicken thighs. We'll make be making 'em all summer.
Full review + recipe at DailyWaffle.
August 8, 2017
Great photos and a beautifully designed book; what I especially liked where the “handwritten” notes found in the book from the author. Having a brief history of processed foods, it’s not so much a cookbook but it’s more of a way of living that should be incorporated by everyone; a “Call to Action”. The author even breaks down “Worst of the Worst”, “Biggest Liars” (on which I found a brand name that I really enjoyed - so disappointing!); it is kind of a “Rehab” book. I can definitely see this as a subtle (or not so sublet) gift to my friends and family who scoff at the idea of pure eating – it’s informative (slightly scary) but has great recipes and thoughts/suggestions how to combat trash eating.
June 24, 2016
I feasted on the photography of this cookbook. It drew me in, encouraged me to believe I could improve my relationship to cooking.
The author seems focused on creating the "whole picture" of creating meals from foods without additives. Extensive writing informs the reader of additives and their impact and the orientation to coordinating cooking tasks. For example, a chuck roast incarnates into chili or participates in lasagna. Old Bay Turkey Breast becomes a new soup.
The author wants the home cook to be at ease cooking quality meals. He includes "Pro Tips" and sources of specific ingredients. I felt as if he were standing by my side, saying "You can." If only he'd helped me stir the soup and grind the spices...
This cookbook will feed me for a long time to come.
The author seems focused on creating the "whole picture" of creating meals from foods without additives. Extensive writing informs the reader of additives and their impact and the orientation to coordinating cooking tasks. For example, a chuck roast incarnates into chili or participates in lasagna. Old Bay Turkey Breast becomes a new soup.
The author wants the home cook to be at ease cooking quality meals. He includes "Pro Tips" and sources of specific ingredients. I felt as if he were standing by my side, saying "You can." If only he'd helped me stir the soup and grind the spices...
This cookbook will feed me for a long time to come.
February 9, 2017
Too chefy for me. It seemed above my head and perhaps a tad bit condescending. I can't afford special cheese shipped in from a master cheesemaker, sorry. I'm just getting in to the clean eating, and into cooking, but these recipes seemed too fancy, and while the author/chef says you can all create these, perhaps they are something I just don't want to create.
Read
July 13, 2016Pure Food: A Chef’s Handbook for Eating Clean, with Healthy, Delicious Recipes by Kurt Beecher Dammeier is two books in one. It is a guide to healthy eating and it is a cookbook. It is filled with a magnitude of wise advice for clean additive free cooking and eating. I found the information about healthy eating to be extremely helpful and I know it will help me make better choices when selecting the recipes that I choose to make. Healthy food can be delicious!
Pure Food: A Chef’s Handbook for Eating Clean, with Healthy, Delicious Recipes by Kurt Beecher Dammeier is beautifully illustrated and filled with excellent recipes.
Pure Food: A Chef’s Handbook for Eating Clean, with Healthy, Delicious Recipes by Kurt Beecher Dammeier is beautifully illustrated and filled with excellent recipes.
August 11, 2016
I received this book as a promotion to review on my blog. I had just started The Fast Metabolism Diet (reviewed here on Goodreads) and this cookbook fit right in with the program.
This cookbook is filled with Kurt's story about how he first became aware of food additives when he had an allergic reaction to MSG. This sent him on an exploration to find what, exactly, the manufacturer's are putting into our foods and bodies, which in turn led him to find a better way. It reads easily and is filled with gorgeous photos and handwritten notes.
See my complete review at http://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspo...
This cookbook is filled with Kurt's story about how he first became aware of food additives when he had an allergic reaction to MSG. This sent him on an exploration to find what, exactly, the manufacturer's are putting into our foods and bodies, which in turn led him to find a better way. It reads easily and is filled with gorgeous photos and handwritten notes.
See my complete review at http://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspo...
August 19, 2016
I love the recipes in this book - they are so simple yet so fresh and tasty. I am a big advocate in eating food that has not been adulterated, that is why we are pretty self sufficient with what we eat, the rest is obtain from farmers' market from people who hold the same principles that we do.
It is wonderful to find a book that is educating and living the dream of pure food. I live in Australia so will not be able to visit the shop, but our views are the same. Thank you for the great recipes, it was interested in reading about the additions of chemicals that are in certain manufactured food.
This book was provided to me in return for an honest and unbiased review
It is wonderful to find a book that is educating and living the dream of pure food. I live in Australia so will not be able to visit the shop, but our views are the same. Thank you for the great recipes, it was interested in reading about the additions of chemicals that are in certain manufactured food.
This book was provided to me in return for an honest and unbiased review
September 12, 2016
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Pure food honestly inspired me try to ditch processed food and eat clean. The author gives alot of information on processed foods, takeaways, additives, GM foods... etc which was very insightful and interesting. However I didn't really like the cookbook side as I was more into the information and I have not tried any of the recipes, I do think they would be good if anybody is looking forward to 'Pure Food'.
Pure food honestly inspired me try to ditch processed food and eat clean. The author gives alot of information on processed foods, takeaways, additives, GM foods... etc which was very insightful and interesting. However I didn't really like the cookbook side as I was more into the information and I have not tried any of the recipes, I do think they would be good if anybody is looking forward to 'Pure Food'.
August 28, 2016
I was happy to win a copy of this through goodreads. This book is a great resource on food additives and their dangers. I learned a lot about what to look for when grocery shopping and the recipes look fantastic. Some of the recipes do look challenging, if you are like me and not a great cook, but I am looking forward to giving them a try in the interest of health. The book itself is great, hardback with ribbon markers, and great pictures of delicious looking food. Highly recommend.
Read
September 3, 2016Not only is this book beautiful to look at but the recipes are really simple and easy to follow. I like to cook and I want to cook healthier meals but so many recipes for clean fare are so complicated and time consuming that I give up before I even finish reading the ingredients. This is not the case in this book. While more of a life-plan than a cookbook it has some great recipes that are very doable.
June 24, 2016
I love the pictures in this book. They just make sure you want to cook and in a beautiful and healtby way. The recipes are well written, but I have try some out real soon. I am going to play around with these beautiful recipes.
August 9, 2016
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway. My opinion is just that...mine...and completely unbiased.
Beautifully illustrated, informative and inspirational. Recipes are to die for, with ingredients readily available, and easy to execute. Grab this book and change your taste buds for life!
Beautifully illustrated, informative and inspirational. Recipes are to die for, with ingredients readily available, and easy to execute. Grab this book and change your taste buds for life!
September 9, 2016
Wonderful book.
Thanks Goodreads!
Thanks Goodreads!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews