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My Pinewood Kitchen, A Southern Culinary Cure: 130+ Crazy Delicious, Gluten-Free Recipes to Reduce Inflammation and Make Your Gut Happy
It’s microbiome-friendly meals with a Southern spin in this follow-up cookbook to the life-enhancing My Kitchen Cure so you can heal your gut and fight inflammation while enjoying 130+ delicious whole foods recipes with a farm house spin.
Mee McCormick, real food cooking expert and author of My Kitchen Cure, brings a Southern twist to comfort food classics with more than 130 recipes that heal your gut, reduce inflammation, and reverse chronic autoimmune diseases. Best of all? Mee offers a completely customizable approach to adapt recipes for different dietary needs, whether you’re gluten-free, Paleo, keto, or vegan.
From immune-boosting smoothies to gut-friendly soups, salads, dinners, and desserts, this four-color cookbook will become your go-to kitchen resource, freeing you from bland-tasting healthy food and the nightly question: “What’s for dinner?” Recipes include:
Kentucky Caramel Chicken, Cranberry Hot Wings, Grain-Free Fried Chicken, Sizzlin’ Short Ribs, Super Creamy Veggie Mac & Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Polenta Fingers, Roasted Squash & Sweet Potato Soup, Summertime Zucchini Soup, Black Rice Salad with Snap Peas and Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette, Caramel Apple Pancakes, Raspberry Lemon Keto Muffins, Farm Fresh Eggs & Sausage-Stuffed Bell Peppers, Berry Cobbler, Chocolate Lava Cake, Key Lime Tart, Chocolate Brownies, White Bean Cupcakes, and Chocolate Avocado Mousse.
Mee first started cooking when Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and Hashimoto's brought her debilitating daily pain. When conventional treatments couldn’t help, Mee found relief in a surprising place: her kitchen. Through relentless recipe testing, she put her condition into remission and completely restored her health with gut-friendly whole foods, most of which she grew and harvested on her family’s farm outside of Nashville, Tennessee.
Once Mee was well, she opened a farm-to-table restaurant, sharing locally grown and seasonal foods with her community—some of whom drive hours to get a taste of Pinewood’s Grain-Free Fried Chicken. Pinewood Kitchen is unique in that every meal is created with the intention to serve everyone with the same deliciousness regardless of dietary restrictions.
Whether you want to eat healthier or you have diabetes, lupus, celiac, Crohn’s, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, or another autoimmune issue, you’ll find a wealth of delicious, nutritious recipes. You’ll also discover:
· The importance of intestinal health and how to improve your own gut microbiome
· Which foods are nutritional powerhouses and which you must avoid
· How to eat real food every day without breaking the bank
Mee is living proof that you can change your fate by what’s on your plate—her recipes will help you prepare delicious food that brings you and your family together around the table.
Mee McCormick, real food cooking expert and author of My Kitchen Cure, brings a Southern twist to comfort food classics with more than 130 recipes that heal your gut, reduce inflammation, and reverse chronic autoimmune diseases. Best of all? Mee offers a completely customizable approach to adapt recipes for different dietary needs, whether you’re gluten-free, Paleo, keto, or vegan.
From immune-boosting smoothies to gut-friendly soups, salads, dinners, and desserts, this four-color cookbook will become your go-to kitchen resource, freeing you from bland-tasting healthy food and the nightly question: “What’s for dinner?” Recipes include:
Kentucky Caramel Chicken, Cranberry Hot Wings, Grain-Free Fried Chicken, Sizzlin’ Short Ribs, Super Creamy Veggie Mac & Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Polenta Fingers, Roasted Squash & Sweet Potato Soup, Summertime Zucchini Soup, Black Rice Salad with Snap Peas and Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette, Caramel Apple Pancakes, Raspberry Lemon Keto Muffins, Farm Fresh Eggs & Sausage-Stuffed Bell Peppers, Berry Cobbler, Chocolate Lava Cake, Key Lime Tart, Chocolate Brownies, White Bean Cupcakes, and Chocolate Avocado Mousse.
Mee first started cooking when Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and Hashimoto's brought her debilitating daily pain. When conventional treatments couldn’t help, Mee found relief in a surprising place: her kitchen. Through relentless recipe testing, she put her condition into remission and completely restored her health with gut-friendly whole foods, most of which she grew and harvested on her family’s farm outside of Nashville, Tennessee.
Once Mee was well, she opened a farm-to-table restaurant, sharing locally grown and seasonal foods with her community—some of whom drive hours to get a taste of Pinewood’s Grain-Free Fried Chicken. Pinewood Kitchen is unique in that every meal is created with the intention to serve everyone with the same deliciousness regardless of dietary restrictions.
Whether you want to eat healthier or you have diabetes, lupus, celiac, Crohn’s, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, or another autoimmune issue, you’ll find a wealth of delicious, nutritious recipes. You’ll also discover:
· The importance of intestinal health and how to improve your own gut microbiome
· Which foods are nutritional powerhouses and which you must avoid
· How to eat real food every day without breaking the bank
Mee is living proof that you can change your fate by what’s on your plate—her recipes will help you prepare delicious food that brings you and your family together around the table.
304 pages, Paperback
Published April 14, 2020
8 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
October 24, 2020
A feast for the eyes with beautiful, vivid photos of many of the dishes featured in this well-crafted Southern cookbook with a bit of international flare here and there.
The Falafel burger had me intrigued. The Farmhouse Ground Beef Stroganoff sounded enticing, especially with all of the gluten free noodles and the use of cashew sour cream.
am definitely going to try to whip up some Kentucky Caramel Chicken - using brown sugar or coconut sugar for the glaze.
Pea, Bacon and Mint soup is made even more flavourful with ground pistachios. I can't wait to try this chef's version of Hot and Sour Soup - one of my all time favourites.
There is something for everyone here. The vegetable dishes looked so appetizing, I had to go into the kitchen and fix myself a quick snack of carrots and dip!
The desserts are sinful and I think I gained weight just reading these simple to follow recipes with plenty of interesting and exotic ingredients to tempt your palate. There are also plenty of recipes that won't have you searching for items that will have to clear customs before they can reach your kitchen pot.
A visual feast of really wonderful, inspiring recipes. I'm off to sharpen my knife and dust off my wooden spoon! This one is a winner!
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Falafel burger had me intrigued. The Farmhouse Ground Beef Stroganoff sounded enticing, especially with all of the gluten free noodles and the use of cashew sour cream.
am definitely going to try to whip up some Kentucky Caramel Chicken - using brown sugar or coconut sugar for the glaze.
Pea, Bacon and Mint soup is made even more flavourful with ground pistachios. I can't wait to try this chef's version of Hot and Sour Soup - one of my all time favourites.
There is something for everyone here. The vegetable dishes looked so appetizing, I had to go into the kitchen and fix myself a quick snack of carrots and dip!
The desserts are sinful and I think I gained weight just reading these simple to follow recipes with plenty of interesting and exotic ingredients to tempt your palate. There are also plenty of recipes that won't have you searching for items that will have to clear customs before they can reach your kitchen pot.
A visual feast of really wonderful, inspiring recipes. I'm off to sharpen my knife and dust off my wooden spoon! This one is a winner!
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 1, 2020
I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
This book is a beautiful cookery book full of deliciously mouth watering meals that I can't wait to try out in 2020. I've always had an interest in southern cooking and if my meals turn out anything like the ones in this book I'm on to a winner!
The best thing about this book is its gut friendly. My family have many autoimmune illnesses and i cant wait to share some of the recipies in this book with them and try them out together.
This book is a beautiful cookery book full of deliciously mouth watering meals that I can't wait to try out in 2020. I've always had an interest in southern cooking and if my meals turn out anything like the ones in this book I'm on to a winner!
The best thing about this book is its gut friendly. My family have many autoimmune illnesses and i cant wait to share some of the recipies in this book with them and try them out together.
January 6, 2020
I'm quite picky when it comes to cookbooks but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this one. The author runs a popular TN restaurant that caters to people with food allergies and health issues even though it's a southern country restaurant. She knows what she's talking about (and cooking about), as she fixed her own severe health issues with this kind of cooking. She's gluten free and dairy free, but her recipes are fantastically approachable and tasty. I can see why people drive over an hour to eat at her restaurant. This is all classic comfort food made healthy and fun. And while she eats vegan almost all of the time since that keeps her health the best, she also offers recipes that use meat and seafood to keep everybody happy.
The color photos are fantastic and many of the recipes do have a picture. My one gripe is that this is yet another health-based cookbook without nutritional information. Even if you personally don't care about factors like calorie count, protein count, fiber, sodium, etc., many people need this information to manage illnesses or take control of health issues. There's no excuse for a major publishing house not to put somebody in charge of plugging in these numbers and including them at the end of recipes.
All that said, I do love this cookbook and plan to cook from it often. Also, do be sure to read all her information about healing foods and how to incorporate foods like beans into a healthy diet even with gut issues. She's been researching this for decades and has incorporated it into her own life and she has really good information that debunks a lot of common misconceptions about foods and autoimmune illness. If you're struggling to heal chronic illness for yourself or a family member, she's done a ton of the work for you.
Great book, likeable author, really fantastic read. Well recommended.
I read a digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
The color photos are fantastic and many of the recipes do have a picture. My one gripe is that this is yet another health-based cookbook without nutritional information. Even if you personally don't care about factors like calorie count, protein count, fiber, sodium, etc., many people need this information to manage illnesses or take control of health issues. There's no excuse for a major publishing house not to put somebody in charge of plugging in these numbers and including them at the end of recipes.
All that said, I do love this cookbook and plan to cook from it often. Also, do be sure to read all her information about healing foods and how to incorporate foods like beans into a healthy diet even with gut issues. She's been researching this for decades and has incorporated it into her own life and she has really good information that debunks a lot of common misconceptions about foods and autoimmune illness. If you're struggling to heal chronic illness for yourself or a family member, she's done a ton of the work for you.
Great book, likeable author, really fantastic read. Well recommended.
I read a digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
October 28, 2020
Very allergy and sensitivity geared recipes and the pictures are amazing.
July 14, 2020
I'll admit, I looked at the cover and title and expected something very different. It's incongruous to hear about southern and down home and also gut healthy.
McCormick has an interesting history, though.
I thought this was going to be more traditionally comfortable comfort food, whereas she’s basically the anti-Pioneer Woman.
After the clinical start, there were a number of recipes I was eager to save and try thanks to the enticing photos. And a number of fun facts.
She had me sold on the entrees and sides - the savory stuff - but I’ll admit to still being a bit skeptical on the baked goods.
McCormick has an interesting history, though.
I thought this was going to be more traditionally comfortable comfort food, whereas she’s basically the anti-Pioneer Woman.
After the clinical start, there were a number of recipes I was eager to save and try thanks to the enticing photos. And a number of fun facts.
She had me sold on the entrees and sides - the savory stuff - but I’ll admit to still being a bit skeptical on the baked goods.
February 15, 2021
Originally I requested this due to my cousin who was diagnosed with gluten allergy about a year ago. I wanted to see if there was anything new we could get on her menu instead of the same ol' recipes. Boy did I get a lot more than I bargained for. This is a very well written cookbook-I enjoyed the recipes the part 1,2,3 honestly did nothing for me and I skimmed that but the recipes are very well written and easy to follow. If you have gluten allergy or are just looking for a better eating habit this is the book
#pinewoodkitchen #netgalley
#pinewoodkitchen #netgalley
January 14, 2020
This may be the first GF/DF cookbook I've ever read where the recipes looked like food I'd order at a restaurant even if I didn't have to. I loved all the information on healing foods and the photos make every dish look great. My family will be very happy with these recipes! I thought it was great she included so much information about the alpha gal allergy to meat that's becoming more common down south these days.
I wish there were more vegetarian main meals, especially since the author said she eats meat very rarely since it helps her health to eat mostly vegetarian. Maybe in the next book? :)
I wish there were more vegetarian main meals, especially since the author said she eats meat very rarely since it helps her health to eat mostly vegetarian. Maybe in the next book? :)
January 1, 2020
Well -written with citations for relevant research and a friendly voice giving history behind the reasons, this cookbook makes me want to detour on our drive home from Florida to Toronto to try the Pinewood Kitchen in person. The recipes are simply written and include a variety of homecooked, health-happy, hearty southern classics.
December 31, 2019
I loved this book. For the first 1/3 of the book, we learn about why it’s important to have a healthy gut.
The rest of the book is filled with mouthwatering photos with delicious recipes that support a healthy gut. I personally plan to make the Grilled Peach Salad.
The rest of the book is filled with mouthwatering photos with delicious recipes that support a healthy gut. I personally plan to make the Grilled Peach Salad.
April 22, 2020
My Pinewood Kitchen, A Southern Culinary Cure by Mee McCormick is my absolute favorite kind of cookbook - a good story told in a friendly voice with a lot of fun and inventive recipes that I'll actually commit to making at home.
The story part of the book explains the author's passion for allergy-aware and gut-friendly cooking. Not surprisingly, it started with her own digestive issues, and ramped up when she realized she wasn't the only one dealing with the fall out from an over-processed and unhealthy diet. After a stint on TV and a cookbook, the next logical step was to open her own restaurant. And, like all new chef-owners, there were bumps - as she notes, not everyone wanted to eat the ways she wanted them to.
It also shares her philosophies about everything from farm-to-market menus to the family table to food as a conveyor of kindness. These sections are both charming and inspiring, an make the journey to the recipes all the sweeter.
The second part of the book gets into the nuts and bolts of gut-friendly cooking and eating. This section is clear and informative and has the proper tone for what is, essentially, a scientific discussion on digestive enzymes and biomes. There's enough meat here to convince someone new to the movement to give gut-friendly eating a go, without overwhelming them with too much technical stuff. The author uses this section to talk about her own choices and lay out the basic foods and food groups in the approved group and why they're there. This section is highly sourced and the book has a comprehensive bibliography at the end, which I think is important when you're talking about specific health benefits of foods. Information is power, and the author - although a practical expert - is not a scientific expert, so including those experts is important.
The remainder of the book is filled with a delightful mix of Southern recipes, how-to's and basics of a gut-friendly kitchen.
Recipes are grouped as salads, soups, main dishes, veggies, dips, spreads, saudexs, faux cheez and more, farmhouse breakfast favorites. and gluten-free baking and sweet endings. Since much of gut-friendly and allergy-aware cooking relies on substitutions, the recipes and ingredient lists are somewhat more complicated than most cookbooks. That said, the instructions are well organized, clear and logical. Many include additional substitutions or variations. They do not, however, include nutritional information which many readers might find helpful.
And, the author's previous work as a stylist is on display with beautiful photos!
Several of the recipes are already on my to-do list, including Shawty's Pressure-Cooker Short Ribs, Full-on Falafel Burgers, Celebrations Brussel Sprouts, Orange Spice Carrots, Baked Egg and Avocado with Sauerkraut, and my grandkids have long been fans of Carrot Wieners!
If you have digestive issues, or cook for someone who has them, My Pinewood Kitchen, A Southern Culinary Cure by Mee McCormick offers some great gut-friendly options that still provide the enjoyment and flavor of home cooked Southern-inspired meals. Even if you're just trying to eat more intentionally or wanting to try a more gut-friendly way of eating, this cookbook has a place on your shelf.
This review is based on an advance copy read.
The story part of the book explains the author's passion for allergy-aware and gut-friendly cooking. Not surprisingly, it started with her own digestive issues, and ramped up when she realized she wasn't the only one dealing with the fall out from an over-processed and unhealthy diet. After a stint on TV and a cookbook, the next logical step was to open her own restaurant. And, like all new chef-owners, there were bumps - as she notes, not everyone wanted to eat the ways she wanted them to.
It also shares her philosophies about everything from farm-to-market menus to the family table to food as a conveyor of kindness. These sections are both charming and inspiring, an make the journey to the recipes all the sweeter.
The second part of the book gets into the nuts and bolts of gut-friendly cooking and eating. This section is clear and informative and has the proper tone for what is, essentially, a scientific discussion on digestive enzymes and biomes. There's enough meat here to convince someone new to the movement to give gut-friendly eating a go, without overwhelming them with too much technical stuff. The author uses this section to talk about her own choices and lay out the basic foods and food groups in the approved group and why they're there. This section is highly sourced and the book has a comprehensive bibliography at the end, which I think is important when you're talking about specific health benefits of foods. Information is power, and the author - although a practical expert - is not a scientific expert, so including those experts is important.
The remainder of the book is filled with a delightful mix of Southern recipes, how-to's and basics of a gut-friendly kitchen.
Recipes are grouped as salads, soups, main dishes, veggies, dips, spreads, saudexs, faux cheez and more, farmhouse breakfast favorites. and gluten-free baking and sweet endings. Since much of gut-friendly and allergy-aware cooking relies on substitutions, the recipes and ingredient lists are somewhat more complicated than most cookbooks. That said, the instructions are well organized, clear and logical. Many include additional substitutions or variations. They do not, however, include nutritional information which many readers might find helpful.
And, the author's previous work as a stylist is on display with beautiful photos!
Several of the recipes are already on my to-do list, including Shawty's Pressure-Cooker Short Ribs, Full-on Falafel Burgers, Celebrations Brussel Sprouts, Orange Spice Carrots, Baked Egg and Avocado with Sauerkraut, and my grandkids have long been fans of Carrot Wieners!
If you have digestive issues, or cook for someone who has them, My Pinewood Kitchen, A Southern Culinary Cure by Mee McCormick offers some great gut-friendly options that still provide the enjoyment and flavor of home cooked Southern-inspired meals. Even if you're just trying to eat more intentionally or wanting to try a more gut-friendly way of eating, this cookbook has a place on your shelf.
This review is based on an advance copy read.
May 30, 2020
My Pinewood Kitchen - A Southern Culinary Cure - By Mee McCormick
Pam - Who I Met Today
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA0obzwnZLL/ (Review posted May 30, 2020)
HCI Publishing - April 2020
Author, restauranteur, rancher, and community food advocate Mee McCormick is a warm and welcoming new friend as she dishes out the science behind the farm-grown foods we should eat to reduce inflammation, heal our guts, and increase our overall health. The best part? Even if you don’t have food sensitivities or digestive issues, you will love the recipes in this beautiful cookbook—and the stories behind them.
Mee, struggling with several health problems, runs a restaurant on her family farm. She serves up “consideration and empathy” and caters to those who suffer from disrupted systems and food allergies. And that’s a real thing.
As a health fanatic, I devoured the first two portions of the book. Mee focuses on her superfoods list and how they balance each other to keep our bodies running like finely-tuned machines. It was interesting to learn the steps Mee takes to guarantee the food her family grows—and serves—is packed with vitamins and minerals.
I’m working my way through the cookbook’s third section—the delicious “Mee-ified” healthy recipes. Blueberry Almond Salad, Ground Beef Stroganoff, Chicken Piccata. Tasty, cleaned-up comfort food. Who knew chicken thighs, when roasted with rosemary and purple potatoes, create a bioactive feast? And Mee makes it easy to substitute ingredients according to health issues (or none), personal taste, or pantry stock.
As soon as the world reopens, I can’t wait to drive to Pinewood Kitchen and Mercantile, in a tiny town about an hour outside of Nashville. I’ll have a meal, maybe stroll around the farm, hopefully say “hi” to Mee. In the meantime, I’ll continue to experiment with A Southern Culinary Cure.
Thanks to Net Galley and HCI Publishing for sending me this galley to review.
Pamela Lamp
@whoimettoday
Pam - Who I Met Today
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA0obzwnZLL/ (Review posted May 30, 2020)
HCI Publishing - April 2020
Author, restauranteur, rancher, and community food advocate Mee McCormick is a warm and welcoming new friend as she dishes out the science behind the farm-grown foods we should eat to reduce inflammation, heal our guts, and increase our overall health. The best part? Even if you don’t have food sensitivities or digestive issues, you will love the recipes in this beautiful cookbook—and the stories behind them.
Mee, struggling with several health problems, runs a restaurant on her family farm. She serves up “consideration and empathy” and caters to those who suffer from disrupted systems and food allergies. And that’s a real thing.
As a health fanatic, I devoured the first two portions of the book. Mee focuses on her superfoods list and how they balance each other to keep our bodies running like finely-tuned machines. It was interesting to learn the steps Mee takes to guarantee the food her family grows—and serves—is packed with vitamins and minerals.
I’m working my way through the cookbook’s third section—the delicious “Mee-ified” healthy recipes. Blueberry Almond Salad, Ground Beef Stroganoff, Chicken Piccata. Tasty, cleaned-up comfort food. Who knew chicken thighs, when roasted with rosemary and purple potatoes, create a bioactive feast? And Mee makes it easy to substitute ingredients according to health issues (or none), personal taste, or pantry stock.
As soon as the world reopens, I can’t wait to drive to Pinewood Kitchen and Mercantile, in a tiny town about an hour outside of Nashville. I’ll have a meal, maybe stroll around the farm, hopefully say “hi” to Mee. In the meantime, I’ll continue to experiment with A Southern Culinary Cure.
Thanks to Net Galley and HCI Publishing for sending me this galley to review.
Pamela Lamp
@whoimettoday
August 3, 2020
What a pleasure it was to read this cookbook! Author takes us on a story about one woman’s plight to eat well with the issues that her health plagued her with. With similar issues of my own fight for gut health I applaud the author’s commitment to help others eat better.
What did I like? This book is wholesome... good food done right should be a pleasure to consume. Author sticks to her commitment to educate, and lead a fight towards healthier foods. Too many restaurants care about the bottom dollar rather than the food we eat. I have ate out many times and always leave feeling worse than I came because better dishes or gluten sensitivity is not wholly recognizable. The author gives you a wealth of information and some beautiful recipes to help you on the road to eating better. Out of all the recipes though I really liked that the book came with dinner rolls, cornbread and a gluten free loaf. Leaving bread behind is the hardest for me but these looked phenomenal!
Would I recommend or buy? I would love a copy of this book... not just for the helpful hints but some gorgeous looking pictures.... but also for obvious health reasons. The author has quite the introduction and this isn’t her first cookbook so it’s a lovely collection. Gut health is becoming a bigger and bigger issue....so many people are trying to get relief. With the popularity of the restaurant, this cookbook seems like a win!
I received a copy to read and offer an opinion. I’m a huge ketchup lover, and I went to the pinewood mercantile page to see if it can be bought versus making your own. Instead I ended up with a strawberry jam purchase. I will just have to make the recipe from the book. I would have loved to get the ketchup from the store to see how close it is to a batch I could make. Five stars! Great book!
What did I like? This book is wholesome... good food done right should be a pleasure to consume. Author sticks to her commitment to educate, and lead a fight towards healthier foods. Too many restaurants care about the bottom dollar rather than the food we eat. I have ate out many times and always leave feeling worse than I came because better dishes or gluten sensitivity is not wholly recognizable. The author gives you a wealth of information and some beautiful recipes to help you on the road to eating better. Out of all the recipes though I really liked that the book came with dinner rolls, cornbread and a gluten free loaf. Leaving bread behind is the hardest for me but these looked phenomenal!
Would I recommend or buy? I would love a copy of this book... not just for the helpful hints but some gorgeous looking pictures.... but also for obvious health reasons. The author has quite the introduction and this isn’t her first cookbook so it’s a lovely collection. Gut health is becoming a bigger and bigger issue....so many people are trying to get relief. With the popularity of the restaurant, this cookbook seems like a win!
I received a copy to read and offer an opinion. I’m a huge ketchup lover, and I went to the pinewood mercantile page to see if it can be bought versus making your own. Instead I ended up with a strawberry jam purchase. I will just have to make the recipe from the book. I would have loved to get the ketchup from the store to see how close it is to a batch I could make. Five stars! Great book!
April 7, 2020
This is a beautiful cookbook with gorgeous pictures and great recipes. It's full of whole food, cooked with love. The recipes look and sound great with the added bonus of being good for gut health.
I appreciated that all recipes are gluten free and many have modification instructions to also make them meat free or dairy free. Although I eat gluten, meat and dairy, it's nice to have options when cooking for others who may have restrictions.
The cookbook has chapters for salads (with homemade dressings), soups, main dishes, veggies, spreads, breakfast and dessert. I liked that soups, salads and veggies had equal amounts of recipes as I personally have a shortage of those recipes in my repertoire.
This book does rely on some uncommon (at least in my home) staples such as hijiki, tahini, miso and tamari. Although there are many recipes that don't use these ingredients, it seems like they'd be worth the investment to get the most out of the book.
This is not only a great cookbook but I found it to be a great resource for gut health focusing on impacts people may feel from certain foods and food categories. In addition, the author provides a wonderful look into her life's journey and what brought her to Pinewood, what she loves about it and why cooking and eating healthfully is so important to her personally.
Thank you HCI books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to start cooking.
I appreciated that all recipes are gluten free and many have modification instructions to also make them meat free or dairy free. Although I eat gluten, meat and dairy, it's nice to have options when cooking for others who may have restrictions.
The cookbook has chapters for salads (with homemade dressings), soups, main dishes, veggies, spreads, breakfast and dessert. I liked that soups, salads and veggies had equal amounts of recipes as I personally have a shortage of those recipes in my repertoire.
This book does rely on some uncommon (at least in my home) staples such as hijiki, tahini, miso and tamari. Although there are many recipes that don't use these ingredients, it seems like they'd be worth the investment to get the most out of the book.
This is not only a great cookbook but I found it to be a great resource for gut health focusing on impacts people may feel from certain foods and food categories. In addition, the author provides a wonderful look into her life's journey and what brought her to Pinewood, what she loves about it and why cooking and eating healthfully is so important to her personally.
Thank you HCI books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to start cooking.
December 29, 2022
This is a different kind of book than I was expecting, it has given me a new appreciation for the struggle people with food allergies go through. Where I can go to any restaurant and order, they have to worry not only about there being options for them, but also about the contamination possibility. Mee McCormick offers people with food allergies a worry free meal, and also lots of helpful tips and recipes in this book. The book is divided into 3 parts, the first gives a brief history on the author and a background as to why she does what she does. Part 2 is lots of info about your gut and bacterias. And part 3 is all the recipes, and there are a lot! Something that makes this book different is that the author struggles personally with food allergies so she is extremely sensitive to those and offers multiple substitutions to help you be able to make any recipe in this book, no matter your allergy situation. Reading through the recipes was a bit daunting, it is definitely not a beginners cookbook, there are a lot of complex recipes that take time and preparation. Overall, a very cool book!
October 27, 2020
This book was received as an ARC from HCI Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
I was so fascinated in Mee's story in My Kitchen Cure that I was waiting for her to come out with a cookbook with some of the recipes she talked about in the book. Now, having read The Pinewood Kitchen I saw a lot of recipes that I am willing to try and some definitely are potential cooking demo especially Roasted Red Pepper Soup with polenta fingers, grain-free fried chicken, the ranch style salad, chocolate brownies and of course the chocolate avocado pudding. I could not contain my excitement when I heard about this book and I know I will be first in line to get it for our collection and share it with everyone.
We will consider adding this title to our TX Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
I was so fascinated in Mee's story in My Kitchen Cure that I was waiting for her to come out with a cookbook with some of the recipes she talked about in the book. Now, having read The Pinewood Kitchen I saw a lot of recipes that I am willing to try and some definitely are potential cooking demo especially Roasted Red Pepper Soup with polenta fingers, grain-free fried chicken, the ranch style salad, chocolate brownies and of course the chocolate avocado pudding. I could not contain my excitement when I heard about this book and I know I will be first in line to get it for our collection and share it with everyone.
We will consider adding this title to our TX Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
November 4, 2020
This cookbook is all Gluten-Free Recipes and is filled with beautiful pictures.
This book has three parts, part one being Mee's journey, part two is about gut health and part three is the Southern recipes you've been waiting for. These recipes are gluten-free. When possible, Mee includes substitutions to make a dish dairy-free, meat-free, or grain-free. I loved how she referred to it as "Mee-ify" 'ing the culinary recipes she learned in culinary school to suit her dietary needs.
Gut health is a great topic that the second part of the book is dedicated to. When I saw that this book included this, I was intrigued. I am currently having stomach issues and this is a hot topic for me. With that in mind, the information included is extensive. This is not your typical recipe book.
The first recipe isn't until Page 73, however, there are 306 pages. I have flagged so many recipes that I want to try. I'm excited to get to cooking! The downside was that there isn't any nutritional information listed on the recipes.
**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
This book has three parts, part one being Mee's journey, part two is about gut health and part three is the Southern recipes you've been waiting for. These recipes are gluten-free. When possible, Mee includes substitutions to make a dish dairy-free, meat-free, or grain-free. I loved how she referred to it as "Mee-ify" 'ing the culinary recipes she learned in culinary school to suit her dietary needs.
Gut health is a great topic that the second part of the book is dedicated to. When I saw that this book included this, I was intrigued. I am currently having stomach issues and this is a hot topic for me. With that in mind, the information included is extensive. This is not your typical recipe book.
The first recipe isn't until Page 73, however, there are 306 pages. I have flagged so many recipes that I want to try. I'm excited to get to cooking! The downside was that there isn't any nutritional information listed on the recipes.
**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
September 1, 2020
**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Most of the ingredients are fairly easy to find, and all of the dishes are definitely full of flavor. Favorites include "Coconut-Sweet Potato-Lentil Soup", "Pickled Okra", "Balsamic Butternut Squash with Cranberries", and "Raspberry Lemonade Muffins". Granted, I didn't always follow the recipes exactly, but the basic recipes had a strong base that I worked from.
Not a huge fan of the author's style of writing- it felt like she was talking down to the reader at times, but maybe that was just me.
Overall, 4/5 stars, just because it took a little too long to get to the recipes, but there are some great ones in this book.
Most of the ingredients are fairly easy to find, and all of the dishes are definitely full of flavor. Favorites include "Coconut-Sweet Potato-Lentil Soup", "Pickled Okra", "Balsamic Butternut Squash with Cranberries", and "Raspberry Lemonade Muffins". Granted, I didn't always follow the recipes exactly, but the basic recipes had a strong base that I worked from.
Not a huge fan of the author's style of writing- it felt like she was talking down to the reader at times, but maybe that was just me.
Overall, 4/5 stars, just because it took a little too long to get to the recipes, but there are some great ones in this book.
October 10, 2022
As someone who loves to cook and has had to make changes to my diet in the past year, this cookbook has been amazing! Finding gluten free recipes that I actually like has been hard but with My Pinewood Kitchen a Southern Culinary Cure has given me more options. I like how Mee has allowed some of the most southern staples that you'd find in a kitchen or home to be able to cook allergy free. My favorite recipe that I could cook every day is the Celebration Brussels Sprouts. This is such an easy recipe to cook and it's perfect to go with my dietary needs. If you are looking for a cookbook that has a bunch of allergy friendly recipes, this is the one for you. I plan on purchasing this book to add to my collection so I can continue to cook delicious foods.
January 22, 2023
When I think of Southern Cooking "healthy" is not a word that usually comes to mind. However, Mee McCormick has done a great job of creating southern classics in a way that is healthier.
I tried out the coconut bacon recipe. I don't think it compares to classic bacon, but it wasn't bad either. More importantly, the recipe turned out as intended. The amount of ingredients and cooking time were perfect.
This cookbook is well-organized and easy to follow. It also has plenty of recipes, so everyone will find something to love. Whether you are looking to make healthy changes or not, this is a great one to add to your collection.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.
I tried out the coconut bacon recipe. I don't think it compares to classic bacon, but it wasn't bad either. More importantly, the recipe turned out as intended. The amount of ingredients and cooking time were perfect.
This cookbook is well-organized and easy to follow. It also has plenty of recipes, so everyone will find something to love. Whether you are looking to make healthy changes or not, this is a great one to add to your collection.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.
January 14, 2021
Not only is this a beautiful, cookbook with tasty recipes, but it is educational as well! Many people have issues with digestion and the foods that cause them or irritate them. This is a great book to start your education on gut health, how to reduce the problems in the gut, reduce inflammation, and reverse chronic autoimmune diseases. Best of all? Mee offers a completely customizable approach to adapt recipes for different dietary needs, whether you’re gluten-free, Paleo, keto, or vegan! While I used a quote in her book, it lives up to intentions and delivers healthy, tasty, recipes for better health!
October 17, 2022
Wow! Such a beautiful cookbook full of fantastic looking recipes. Not to even mention that they are gluten-free and help to reduce inflammation. I received an ARC of this recently and read through not realizing that it was published in 2020. This was actually to my benefit because I was able to locate a copy on Amazon. The recipes look delicious and are made with easy to find ingredients that I can easily find at my local, rural grocery store. I look forward to working through them. Since I am now within road trip distance, I am disappointed to learn that The Pinewood Kitchen and Mercantile has since closed. Hoping there are more cookbooks from Mee in the future.
May 14, 2020
I love this book! The photos of the family makes the book more more special and you feel like you know the author! The food photos are gorgeous and mouth-watering! The book layout is very pretty and well organized. The first part of the book is all about Pinewood and the author's story. Then the second part comes with tips and lots of great informations! And then part three: the recipes! yay! Lots of yummy recipes using ingredients from the farm to table! I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
Want to read
December 22, 2022I just love this book!
It combines health and cooking in one book. Mee explains the reasons that we need to follow her example - it is for our health. I have had to be gluten free for a number of years. For a long time it just took the fun and taste out of eating. These recipes will add flavor back into my life and at the same time support my gut.
The book is easy to use and well written. The recipes are divided into categories. There are options to make the recipes meat free, dairy free, etc. The pictures in the book are amazing. I love seeing picture of what I am going to cook.
It combines health and cooking in one book. Mee explains the reasons that we need to follow her example - it is for our health. I have had to be gluten free for a number of years. For a long time it just took the fun and taste out of eating. These recipes will add flavor back into my life and at the same time support my gut.
The book is easy to use and well written. The recipes are divided into categories. There are options to make the recipes meat free, dairy free, etc. The pictures in the book are amazing. I love seeing picture of what I am going to cook.
February 26, 2025
In the first part of this book, the author addresses Crohn's disease and gut health. Going into the main reasons behind the idea for the recipes behind the book. All of that information is very useful and important and once you get into the recipes you can understand the reason behind them. Still want to eat some of the same foods but come up with new ways for the recipes. The recipes are easy to follow and come along with instructions that also make it simple to follow. Pictures in the book are also wonderful. Overall an excellent book.
December 11, 2025
Really solid cookbook if you’re trying to eat cleaner without feeling like you’re being punished for it. The Southern spin actually works — it still feels like comfort food, just… friendlier on your gut. I love that the recipes are customizable because I am not doing five different meals for five different dietary needs in this house.
Some recipes are definite keepers (that caramel chicken caught my eye immediately), and overall it’s a great resource when you want healthier meals but don’t want everything tasting like sad diet food.
Some recipes are definite keepers (that caramel chicken caught my eye immediately), and overall it’s a great resource when you want healthier meals but don’t want everything tasting like sad diet food.
November 3, 2020
I can’t wait to try some of these recipes. My oldest has been complaining about digestive issues but hates missing out of her favorite foods. Mee McCormick gives healthy alternatives to all different sorts of issues. Don’t eat meat? Egg Free? She’s got a fix for that. Oh and every single picture is so pretty. You wouldn’t guess any of these recipes were made with dietary restrictions in mind. They just look like good food.
March 22, 2021
*Special thanks to NetGalley and HCI Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review
5/5
I really like this book! As someone who loves southern comfort food, I was happy to see a book that focused on southern recipes that can be beneficial to one's health. I made the carrot ginger soup and it was AMAZING.
I would recommend this book AND it was easy to use in the e-book format, which is a HUGE bonus for me.
5/5
I really like this book! As someone who loves southern comfort food, I was happy to see a book that focused on southern recipes that can be beneficial to one's health. I made the carrot ginger soup and it was AMAZING.
I would recommend this book AND it was easy to use in the e-book format, which is a HUGE bonus for me.
December 19, 2022
Book received via NetGalley
This book is not a traditional cookbook so unfortunately it did not contain what I was expecting. The first recipe does not appear until page 72. The recipes themselves are very basic and not all of them include a picture (which I believe makes a good cookbook).
All in all this one just wasn't for me.
2.5 stars. I could see this book useful for someone who is VERY new to clean eating or has new major dietary restrictions.
This book is not a traditional cookbook so unfortunately it did not contain what I was expecting. The first recipe does not appear until page 72. The recipes themselves are very basic and not all of them include a picture (which I believe makes a good cookbook).
All in all this one just wasn't for me.
2.5 stars. I could see this book useful for someone who is VERY new to clean eating or has new major dietary restrictions.
April 9, 2020
Very informative and interesting cookbook. Background reads like a story; usually I skip the preliminaries and head right to the recipes. That is not the case here, everything was presented beautifully and held my interest. The reasoning and explanations are done well. Beautiful photos and easy to follow recipes.
The only drawback is a lack of nutritional information.
The only drawback is a lack of nutritional information.
July 28, 2020
What an awesome cookbook!! I have IBS so I love book has gut friendly recipes! The author is so warm and down to earth so the written part is very enjoyable as well! I love hearing her story and not just seeing beautiful pictures of the food, but also of her every day life. Recipes are varied and look great as well!! This is must have!!
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