Crossroads by Tal Ronnen (Cookbook Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions states are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Reinventing plant-based eating is what Tal Ronnen is all about. At his Los Angeles restaurant, Crossroads, vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores sit side by side and eat dishes that satisfy each of them. Ronnen's cooking is Mediterranean first—think warm bowls of tomato-sauced pappardelle, plates of spicy carrot salad, and crunchy flatbreads piled high with roasted vegetables—and vegan second. Ronnen proves that the flavors we crave are easily replicated in dishes made without animal products. With accessible, unfussy recipes, Crossroads stresses simple preparations and fresh ingredients, and takes plant-based eating firmly out of the realm of hippie health food and into a cuisine that fits perfectly with today's modern palate. After all, the backbones of Ronnen's food—seasonal vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains—are what many of us are already eating daily. The recipes are photographed in sumptuous detail, and with more than 100 of them, this book is an indispensable resource for healthy, mindful eaters everywhere.

My thoughts-

Although I am not vegan or even a full time vegetarian, I find it important to have a wide array of cooking styles to pull from, and I also think it is important to get your veggies in and skip the meat when you can. A lot of vegan cookbooks can be a little too out there for me as far as the ingredients called for. I am pretty adventurous for the most part, but I want to be able to find the ingredients I am looking for. Crossroads has recipes that would be easy to find the ingredients at your local grocery store, but also look beautiful and taste delicious. I was especially intrigued by the flat bread recipes and the sides. I am always looking for new side dishes and it can be difficult to find appealing ones that don't involve potatoes but all of the ones in Crossroads sound delicious to me and I can't wait to give them a try. I think this cookbook would make a beautiful display book or coffee table book, but I also think it is a great book for anyone looking to cut down on their meat intake and try something new, and of course I think vegetarians and vegans alike will enjoy the opportunity to make gourmet restaurant quality food at home. 

Beating the Lunch Box Blues: Fresh Ideas for Lunches on the Go! By: J. M. Hirsch Book Review

*Disclosure- I received a free e-copy of the book via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

My daughter is starting Kindergarten in the fall and a big concern for me is the lack of nutrition offered by the school cafeterias in our nation. As a result, I have been planning to pack her lunches daily and send them with her. The dilemma, of course, is to make the food seem more appealing than the rubber fakery that the school cafeterias call food and I don't think eating a sandwich every day would be desirable nor would I expect her to cheerily consume the exact same lunch every day. I had already decided that I will pack her lunches as many of the Japanese do- Bento style. It is an art form, really, but also a great way to pack a healthy, varied lunch.

Anyway, I was super excited to run across a cookbook on NetGalley devoted specifically to packing interesting lunches. Many of the recipes are derived from cooking dinners and using left overs which is cool by me. I think a lot of the recipes in the book would be more appealing to my husband than my 5 year old daughter, but it was still helpful because I have also been in a rut trying to figure out what to pack him for his overnight shift at the hospital. I do think that many of the recipes are things my daughter will eat as well though.  There are several categories the book is divided into including breakfast for lunch (this will definitely come in handy for my breakfast loving 5 yr old, I would have never thought to send breakfast for lunch, but why not?) a section on sandwiches, another one on sausages and one completely devoted to poultry. There is even a small vegetarian section, which I found refreshing (I just wish it contained a little more)! There are ideas in this book for pretty much every meal under the sun that you can possibly think of. I love the idea of taking school lunches beyond sandwiches and prepacked Lunchables which have a gazillion milligrams of sodium and are also highly processed. I like that this book offers a variety of options, keeping lunch less boring than lunch can be known to be. This book will definitely come in handy when school starts and I need some great ideas for my daughter's lunchbox!





Beating the Lunch Box Blues will be available for purchase September 3. You can pre-order at Amazon.com. In the meantime you can check out J.M Hirsh's website where he posts pictures of his son's lunch box contents. If you need ideas for lunches, you will love his website and the book!

Petit Amuse- Subscription Box Review

I'm excited to tell you about a new subscription box called Petit Amuse. I love the concept of subscription boxes. It is a great way to try multiple products without having to pay full price. This is a great way to learn about products you might not have otherwise known you love! Petit Amuse is a "foodie" box. Each month you will receive 3-4 samples of artisan foods. I like this concept because there isn't another subscription box out there like it and this is a great way to learn about small businesses that you might not hear of if you didn't subscribe to Petit Amuse. This box is  only $10 a month!

Here is what was in the box!

I really liked this energy bar from Garuka bars. It is 

made with only natural ingredients (it even makes use of

raw honey!) Not only that, they are SUPER TASTY!

This ice wine jelly is pretty tasty! I wasn't sure

how adding wine to jelly would translate-

surprisingly, it works well!

These Cha-cha's-chocolate cookies from

Lark Fine Foods- were indulgent. I really 

enjoyed them, so much I hid while I ate 

them so I didn't have to share. shh!

Another cookie from Lark Fine Foods- These are

 a twist on a typical shortbread cookie. Once again, 

these were very good.

Lastly, this bag of Oogie's Sun Dried

tomato and parmesan gourmet

popcorn was included. I really didn't 

think this flavor would translate well to

popcorn, but as I am learning,

Oogie's just can't seem to miss.

I also love that their popcorn is GMO free.

There was not a bad product in the box, it is only $10 a month and you can help support small businesses! For me, that makes Petit Amuse a big win among the subscription box options currently available!

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