Best Food Writing

This one is a tie because I loved both of these books equally though I’ve had more success with the recipes in Lunch in Paris. (Probably because I am still feeling rather Franc*i*ful after a month-long sojourn in France, foodie heaven.)

I first discovered Elissa Altman through her blog. She’s a brilliant writer and a foodie after my own heart. Poor Man’s Feast touched me on so many levels … Elissa’s relationship with her dad mirrored my own, our mothers had a similar kitchen ‘style’ (well done = burnt), and every time I opened the book I felt like we were taking another romp together through New York City markets procuring the most amazing ingredients for a dish we’d share that evening. When I enter a foodie memoir, I enter a life.

Lunch in Paris is a perfect medley of food, love, and humor. Elizabeth Bard is witty and whimsical and so very wise in her observations of both the food and the culture in France. Adriana Trigiani (best selling author of Very Valentine) called it Eat, STAY, Love with a side of spiced apricots. I suspect this book will be in my kitchen long after it leaves my nightstand.

Best Health Tip

You can’t hate yourself into health. ~Conscious Bites Nutrition (tweet this!) Just kidding.

Best New Year’s ‘Cleanse’

I have been following Byron Katie for quite some time. ‘The Work’ is, by far, the most brilliant mind shifting experience I’ve seen to date. You simply can’t be a victim when you embody this work. Whenever I need an attitude adjustment I listen to Byron Katie or I watch her on YouTube.

Best Chocolate

This is tough because there are so many chocolates I love. Here’s how I choose: I do not look at the ‘number’ (cacao percentage), I look at the characteristics and complexity of the chocolate. Single origin, fair trade, organic, small batch, bean to bar, no soy lecithin are my guiding principles. Here’s one of my more recent loves: “It begins like an evocative tale from old Indochina with two French émigrés crossing paths for the first time while trekking through a Vietnamese jungle. But that’s how the co-founders of Marou — Faiseurs de Chocolat first met.” … read more

image source: marouchocolate.com

Best Film

Wild. I read the book a while back and enjoyed it immensely; Cheryl Strayed is a remarkable writer. It’s a rare treat when I find myself enjoying a film as much as the book on which it is based. Wild was one of those films. Try to see this one on the big screen. And, if you find yourself looking for some entertainment today, view some of the interviews and talks by the author. There is so much wisdom in her words. I especially enjoyed the talk she gave at REI.

Best Insight

If you’ve been following me for a while you know how strongly I feel about developing a body wisdom approach to nourishment rather than seeking out the latest and greatest nutritional hype or guru. Here’s why: the more you inhabit your head when you make nutritional or health decisions, the less attuned you are to your body. Take a peek at this talk by economist Noreena Hertz to find out what happens to the independent decision-making part of our brain when we turn over our authority to the ‘experts’.

Best Dietary Advice

Anne Lamott is one of my favorite writers. This is her take on diets.

“This is the Anne Patricia Lamott Anti-Diet that I posted at this time last year. This year, I post it with an added urgency, as the new Viking Diet is upon us, the latest and hottest diet, and since you may feel vulnerable and somewhat battered after the last few days/weeks/years of festive family get-togethers, or estrangement, you will be susceptible to its promises. And yes, young Canute, if you are enjoying the noble Viking lifestyle, raiding your neighbor’s grain stores and salted venison lockers, this may in fact be the perfect new diet for you. Are you giddy with relief that Whole Foods carries so many foraged vegetables and moose meat? Then step right up. Help bail out the ever-struggling diet industry while you’re at it. But otherwise?

We need to talk.

I know you are planning to start a diet on Thursday, January 1st. I used to start diets, too. I hated to mention this to my then-therapist. She would say cheerfully, “Oh, that’s great, honey. How much weight are you hoping to gain?”

I got rid of her sorry ass. No one talks to ME that way. … read more

Best Online Course

Registration is now open for the next round of my Luscious Legacy Project. I have been running online courses since 2009 and teaching for a whole lot longer. I believe this course is the very best one I’ve created to date. Jump in now at the early bird price point. January is the perfect month to snuggle in and start a meaningful project, don’t you think?

image source: victoriaporterphotography.com