A Kitchen Fairytale - cookbook

[andyswarbs]

My postbag yesterday included a copy of "A Kitchen Fairytale" book which is just out and available on Amazon. This is a recipe book by someone who follows a whole food plant based lifestyle. I started my path using the Paddison Program, as did the author of this book, to recover from Rheumatoid Arthritis etc.

Let me contrast it with another book. When I first started down my healing path a friend had a copy of Deliciously Ella and, as it was vegan I was bought a copy. So disappointing that only three recipes were at all useful from that book since it is laden with heavy sugar and coconut oil recipes - and they needed modification.

Instead A Kitchen Fairytale is bang on and full of fresh ideas, excepting I cannot eat those recipes that have nightshades in them without modification. This is a no-oils vegan cookbook that I hope to proudly trawl through over the coming months.

I think it should appeal to anyone at the ultra-healthy end (possibly for health reasons) of veganism.

[Hidden]

Hi Andy, this sounds an interesting and informative book so thanks for telling us and here's a link as its on offer at Blackwells:

blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/p...

[Agoodenough]

This looks interesting Andy. So do you just replace oil for water when you are cooking? Do you use a ceramic pan? I avoid sugar but very occasionally make a banana loaf or something with a little coconut sugar but I suppose sugar is sugar at the end of the day. What would use use instead, or would you just not eat anything like that? Do you have natural sugars which would occur in fruit for example dates. Sorry for all the questions, I hope you don’t mind me asking but I find it very interesting to hear how others cook and what they like and avoid. Ali 🌱

[andyswarbs Volunteer in reply to Agoodenough]

I have some le crueset pans, but I want to gradually replace them with steel pans. Given that I now have an induction hob that change makes sense anyway. I have bought a couple of expensive baking trays and bread tins, but mostly use silicon mats in the oven. These are far less sticky to use than cheap aluminium and clean a lot more easily.

I use water as a direct replacement for oil. The main trick is to keep an eye on the pan and add water as you go - you don't want it to go dry!

The one exception to using water is when you want to brown onions. This needs some faith. In go the chopped onion in a good quality non-stick pan and get it very hot. Stir occasionally for around 5 minutes to brown evenly. Do not add water!!! If you want to add garlic then do so ad the end, the garlic won't deal with the heat! But the onions will brown easily. As they onions brown a residue will stick to the bottom of your pan, but once they are brown enough reduce the heat, add some water and the residue will be absorbed nicely.

I have gradually reduce my dried fruit intake to almost nil, but if I want added sweetness to a dish then I do not mind adding dried fruit. Dates, esp medjool dates are fabulous. Dried fruit I consider much better than refined sugar (of whatever form!) Tonight I walked in after a weekend visiting family up in Yorkshire and I devoured through six good apples. As well as the nutrition there was lots of good purified water for my body. Most days I try to have at least three different types of fresh fruit.

[Agoodenough in reply to andyswarbs]

Thank you for your reply Andy. We have moved the oil so we don’t just automatically use it and will buy more avocados to use instead of vegan spread and give it all a go.

We don’t have any non stick pans as not sure about them but I’ll look into it or just use my steel ones. Thank you for the advice 🙂 Ali

[andyswarbs Volunteer in reply to Agoodenough]

Cheap non-stick pans should be avoided. The teflon etc eventually comes off and then some of it goes down your throat. Here's a review of some expensive ones independent.co.uk/extras/in...

[grace111]

i saw you on a video and you look really healthy.

[andyswarbs Volunteer in reply to grace111]

That's very kind! I have actually met Iida, the author of the book. It was the health that she radiated that inspired me further. I no longer wanted just to beat my arthritis, but instead to have gradual improvement in my health each and every day as my life's goal.

[Hidden]

Thank you for sharing and it sounds really interesting. I try to avoid too much sugar and fat apart from the Gut Healing Soup I make which has avocado in it, it's yummy.

I'm going to look for that book do thank you.

[andyswarbs Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

I cannot have avocados, but for most people they are a fabulous food. Especially for someone who has liver problems, or is underweight they can be very useful. I think they are also good for babies and children.

[Hidden in reply to andyswarbs]

Oh no what a shame you can't eat them. The foods that I love but can't eat are some raw foods like carrots, lettuce, peppers etc, I have IBS and get tummy pain. There are so many other foods I can eat though😀

[andyswarbs Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

I continue to wonder each day why I cannot eat foods that I previously had no problems with (as far as I knew.) Is it

a) a problem possibly genetic I had from birth that I never knew about?

b) a gene that was triggered during my lifetime due to ill-health?

c) a physical issue possibly irreseversible, eg gut biome damage?

d) a specific lack of diversity in my gut biome?

e) a matter of too much in too short a space of time, that is I can dabble occasionally!

These I think are the ways my body has entered its current state. My hope is by continuing the healing process one day I will try a foodstuff such as tomato and have no reactions. Gosh, to eat tomato without risk of a problem would be heaven.

I do test my body occasionally by going "off piste." Last night, for example I had a West Cornwall vegan pasty from a service area on the M1. No reactions at all, even though it had oil and potato in it! I have had these occasionally when travelling, but on some occasions I have felt the wrath of arthritis by the next morning. This morning is good though.

[Hidden in reply to andyswarbs]

Oh how life would be easy if there was a test that was 100% reliable that could tell you exactly what you could and could not eat. We maybe wouldn't have so many health problems.

I am sat here with a hot water bottle on my lap, I had a couple of pieces of raw carrot last night, I knew I shouldn't have🤔.