Quite often twins and triplets have a special bond that lasts through life. The triplet Emich sisters are an exceptional case. They all attended the same university, UNLV. They opened up a wine bar and lounge together, Trilogy. They took a break. And now they co-own Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place in Boulder, Colorado.
The 100 recipes here come from Shine’s kitchen and are gluten-free and paleo-inspired. Now, sometimes you see those descriptions of a cookbook and you shy away, thinking that the book is for a special audience. No, this book has something for everyone. The sisters have studied nutrition and healthy cooking, and that background influences this book to be sure, but this still a very mainstream cookbook with ideas for all of us: with or without gluten, carnivore, vegetarian, or vegan.
What is happy about this book is that their special influences have led to some creative recipe ideas. Now, I admit to being addicted to chip dip made with onion soup packets. My wife Suzi is weaning me off that stuff and the Jalapeno Hummus she offers is a healthier alternative. So I was happy to see the eye-popping Beet Hummus in this book. Take a look:
There are many ideas here to carry you from breakfast to snack time in front of your TV:
Perfectly poached eggs with avocado hollandaise
Baked eggs in avocado cups [the girls love avocado]
Sweet potato and kale hash
Radish chips with arugula sunflower pesto
Squash and pear soup with spiced coconut milk
Whole roasted chicken with maple-roasted vegetables
Seared pork chops with braised cabbage and fennel
Cauliflower fried rice
Parsnip fries
Banana chocolate mouse
The recipe headers describe the health benefits of the particular ingredients and preparation steps. As you happily indulge, you will probably focus on flavor and texture. It’s grand that the recipes are healthy but, in the moment, you’ll just want that next forkful.
This is a pretty book, telling a charming story, and filled with ideas to extend your “standard” recipe collection. What better way to start a morning than with coffee and some Sweet Potato and Kale Hash? And, if you have never eaten a parsnip, consider these Parsnip Fries! I’ll be posting the recipe next week.
