This kindle book is available just for today at 99p (- Sunday 1st August 2021.) You can also download a free sample first, to see if it it suits, as I did, but as this doesn’t get to the recipes chapter - and because I find the rest of it a good read, especially the supplements advice, about which I know little) I decided to throw caution out of the window and buy it. And, I think it’s really good - the dietary advice is very similar to Michael Mosely’s - the Fast 800 recipe books are brilliant, but are rarely available on offer, ( or I keep missing them by a day when PMRpro has kindly alerted us!) - and I ended up paying about £20 for them - but they are worth it. ) I’ve lost over 1.5 stone since January following this way of eating, and I think it’s helped my GCA/PMR symptoms immensely.
Anyway, for an almost-freebie, on Kindle Daily Deals ( you may have to sign-up for notifications, not sure!), I think this full of interesting info. I’ve added some pics of the cover and random pages.
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Jonimoroni
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You’re re right, it doesn’t call itself “Low Carb” anywhere - maybe I should change my header!! But I find it good all the same, and broadly in agreement with my changed eating. And I do think she is definitely in the M.Mosley/ C.Bailey/ J Pattison camp. Mosely et al certainly give more detail on nutrient values, listing proteins, fat, fibre and carb values, as well as calories, for their recipes - this book only lists calories and prep time. I think it’s a good ‘starter’ book for all that, - and a bargain! - and as I say I know little about ‘supplements’, so for me it’s useful. I’m not really sure I’m following a “proper” low-carb diet - I must look up the qualifiers! But using most of the principles has had good results. Good steady weight loss, though now I’ve had to increase Pred back up to 40 mg, I notice my weight loss is a quarter what it was over the month, though my diet is the same. I suffer terribly (!) if I do not have a daily slice (50g) of homemade very course wholemeal soda bread, made with Kell’s flour I have sent from Ireland ( 25kgs still in the bag, so I’m not giving up anytime soon!) Keeps me regular, and possibly emotionally ‘together’ too. That - and potatoes once a week, now the garden is producing- are my diet breakers - I otherwise make sensible choices about starches.
Someone here is going to say “You can take the woman out of Ireland, but you can’t take Ireland ……..etc”!
M Mosely, in his ‘Clever Guts’ book refers to a very interesting article about ‘Resistant Starches In Foods’ @ free the animal.com - so I’ve been trying out some of those suggestions to make potatoes - as I must have some!- more ‘resistant’ to digestion, by cooking and freezing - it’s an interesting study, but I’m sure you probably know it already!
Oh gosh yes! All those lovely potato salads, and ( just as in Ireland, and here in Scotland too, ) - cooked potatoes sliced and fried next day.. - Bratkattoffen? …. I think there are many Polish great ways with cooked cooled spuds too -my favourite is a generous salad dressing, made with creamy mash, thinned (with dairy, or whatever you have), seasoned with lots of dill herb. Brilliant if you need a bit of ‘comfort’ with yet another salad….👌
Yes, Bratkartoffeln which can be made with raw and previously cooked potatoes. Or Knoedel - dumplings which have a slightly rubbery consistency and are an acquired taste but I do like them. They can be made with mixed raw and cooked spuds. And they freeze - so presumably that also helps the effect on the carbs.
Just went down a rabbit hole!! Not spuds - but I wish I could be bothered to make these!
So it isn't - HU playing up again! It was courgette nests with a bell pepper, onion, feta cheese filling with a parmesan topping. Lot of grating and faffing about but looks nice.
Just finely grated courgette and egg and seasoning to make the cups in large muffin-sized pan, blind bake 15mins at 180C, Soften diced pepper, onion in pan, add feta cheese for filling, top with lots of grated parmesan and another 15 mins in oven
Agreed! What I find great is the absence of pre-occupying cravings once I lowered the carbs- that helps so much. Those cravings to eat triggered by carbs prevented me from getting into ‘flow’ with almost any activity - it’s been a revelation to me that they ( cravings ) are a re-action, not a real need!
Yep...but I only have time to look at the forum once a day, so think it will go on happening! Happy on my 5:2, really, and don’t mind paying full amount if I really want it!
The big advantage of the 5:2 is that 5 days are supposed to be "normal eating" so you don't need as many recipe options. I found the 5:2 cut how much I ate without really trying - I just didn't want as much on the 5 days. I also adapted my existing cookery to avoid carbs - don't really use recipe books as such, I have a few favourite book that I have used maybe 2 or 3 specific recipes but they are a wonderful read - Anna Conte's Italian books for example. And, of course, Elizabeth David
I don't really use cookery books, I just read recipes for ideas, when it’s savoury items! Only ones I follow are for baking cakes, biscuits etc. I was raised on Delia...Mum preferred her to Elizabeth David!
Never liked Delia - a cousin (male) swears by her books which he used as a student. She's very good for learning basics but I knew that sort of stuff, I did DS/HE at school so the theory was there too. Didn't learn much above the basics from my mother!
I like cookery books that are both reading and eating - so Elizabeth David is high on my list too. I have (since they were new) some 1960’s editions of hers, so I’ve loved them a long time - another huge favourite is another 1960s book called Kind Cooking, by Maura Laverty - great reading, and sharing with Elizabeth David a good common-sense approach to using what you have. Also Plats du Jour by Patience Gray and Primrose Boyd…The only modern that comes to mind just now, that I enjoy reading in the same way, is Nigella Lawson - can’t bear the TV series though. Here’s a bit of a transcript from Maura Lavertys book that I love and illustrates my meaning - hope you enjoy, for I’m a slow typist!
“There is a sect among pastry-makers who, when they die, needn’t expect to go where the the good cooks go. They are the Unholy Rollers. Women who belong to this sect suffer from the queerest kind of mental twist. At all other times they cook with self-respect and propriety, but let them get a rolling-pin into their hands and they go berserk. Did you ever watch them in action? They weigh the ingredients carefully, they rub or cut the precious shortening into the perfectly good flour. With Christian restraint, they add the bare amount of liquid prescribed by the recipe, and with decent sobriety they roll the dough into a ball and turn it out onto a floured board. Then they pick up the rolling pin, and here self-control ends and the mad dervish act begins. The rolling pin is applied with the pressure and wildness of a steam-roller gone crazy. After a spasm of this, the dough is grabbed as if it had the resistance of a piece of sheet iron. It sticks and breaks, whereupon it is rolled vengeful into a ball, covered with flour, and again put under the steam-roller. This treatment five or six times gives it the resilience of rubber, so finally it submits to being lifted into the pie plate. It sulks in the oven for half an hour, and emerges prepared to get its own back on eyes, teeth and digestion….”
(*PMRpro -This particular passage comes to mind - and almost a tear to my eye- when I’m presented with the local potato bread, so different from the soft pillowy Irish kind I have no resistance to…as you mentioned - the joy! )
Oh I love it! I've never come across her. Can't really warm to Nigella either really. Marcella Hazan is good too. And I detest J.O. Got his Italy book - just irritates me
I had to lose many of my books when we moved here - just not enough room. Thank goodness for Kindles for the ordinary stuff ...
A niece told me about a fabulous pastry for mincepies on the BBC site I think it is - no liquid, no rolling, just press it into the cases. Have to roll the lids a bit but fingers work too. Best mince pies I have ever had. I use a similar recipe for shortbread and my FIL used its twin for the case for his lemon meringue pie - made with condensed milk, egg yolks and lemon zest and juice. Fantastic hot or cold But definitely not on a low carb diet ...
I have a battered second hand Elizabeth David cookery book, French country cooking. She has an interesting recipe using potatoes to make the pastry for a quiche. I haven’t made it but I’m tempted.
Ah-no wonder I can’t find it - Im looking in French Provincial Cooking - different book! I’ll have a look to see if I have French Country Cooking - I think I might well have - or I’ll find it online maybe.But I shouldn’t even think of it really - not just potatoes, but pastry too!! And I expect she throws in a bit of cream for good measure…my (ex) waistline!!!
Now that sounds like my kind of food!! Dangerous to know, you are 🥰!I won’t try it until my weight loss graph is heading a bit more sharply downhill again, ( I’ve gone from losing 3 + lbs a month to less than 1 lb, due probably to increased Pred - about 6 weeks ago going from 5 mg back up to 40mg due to a relapse. )
Her books are just inspiring though - after looking through for this recipe today I was reminded how wonderfully unctuous and tasty and easy are the Roasted Onions she writes of - so I’m about to get them out of the oven now! Thank you 🙏
Now THEY sound good ... I used to h ave French Country Cooking - wonder if I still have it ... Ah - it's Salt, Spices and Aromatics - isn't the internet wonderful
It is when you’re such a whizz with it!!! I struggle a bit, though I’ve got myself well kitted out with Apple products, which are apparently easier. - ( LOVE ’em!) being able to touch type would help immensely of course. Wonder if it’s too late to learn….The onions smell fantastic! Will be having a sunset supper outside with those, home grown spuds all floury and buttery, and a glass of red..
Did you find that on an ‘ordinary’ type of google search - like “Elizabeth David Roast Onions’” -or is that a specialist website you knew of? It would make getting rid of the physical books easier knowing I could find things like this easily! But also -I love those old stained well used cookery books with their memories of the kitchen in a half- derelict farmhouse, with a S.F. range, in deepest countryside and 2 free-range home schooled kids…..they ( E David’s books)are a touchstone to a happy bit of family life, before we got it all ‘done-up’ and back then there was so much more time ahead. Ah me! Better keep them! Also,
better go eat - this is a lovely red, but I’ve not practiced due diligence re: the order in which to do things. 🤗
You are doing well to still be losing weight, sorry you have had a relapse. I hope you are able to try it, there are a couple more quiche type recipes which look good too. I think one was asparagus and the other onion.
Old cookery books are interesting to look through even if you don’t use many of the recipes. I’m pleased you’ve enjoyed some roasted onions, they’re nice and sweet cooked in that way.
I’ll look for that. It sounds like a proper Christmas treat. But restraint till then - I have another 15 lbs to lose first. Aiming for those mince pies (AND slipping easily into my best 1970’s bias crepe dress) might be just the motivation that works for me! The wrench of parting with books I know too well- we have just boxed up and had Oxfam collect c.3000…OH and I have been massive bibliophiles, collectors and at times, when needs must’ed, dealers. We’re having a big cull to ease having some building work done ..and it’s time.. but the letting go is hard, and decisions on one day are different from next…and remembering that ‘oh it’s gone!’ after a days search,,,so frustrating.. but after said work we will have a good dedicated library, (and heating!! etc!)-properly shelved and accessible, if much reduced. Been carrying boxes around forever!
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It is interesting that Germanic recipes tend to use spuds that have been cooked and cooled for potato dishes ...
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