Food to Live By, by Myra Goodman, features over 260 organic recipes that will make you reconsider, in a good way, what it means to eat healthfully. From sweet dishes like ‘Sarah’s Chocolate Souffles with Raspberry Sauce’ and ‘Earthbound Farm Ginger Snaps,’ to savory options like ‘Creamy Potato Gratin’ and ‘Ziti with Ratatouille,’ this book proves how healthy eating can have a rich variety of flavors. I especially loved Goodman’s recipe for ‘Farm Stand Cornbread,’ which includes cream, fresh corn and cheese among its ingredients: the ratio of these indulgent tidbits isn’t high enough to offset the hearty character of the bread, but it is just enough to produce an irresistible taste and texture. Goodman recommends serving the cornbread along with a bowl of her ‘Foggy Day Chili,’ which is another recipe I enjoyed, though I did add a bit of chipotle powder to kick the heat up a notch, and used ‘fake meat’ instead of ground beef. With the exception of ‘Foggy Day Chili,’ I didn’t try any of the meat recipes, but the vegetarian and baking recipes were satisfying. Many recipes include helpful kitchen tips that teach you about, for example, the differences between fresh, crystallized and ground ginger, or how to extract artichoke hearts effortlessly. Nearly every recipe is accompanied by an eye-catching photo - speaking of which, the image accompanying Goodman’s recipe for ‘Mexican Albondigas Soup’ made me long for my pre-vegetarian days. It sure looked good!

Chapters include: It All Began with Raspberries (all raspberry recipes in this section); Soups; Leafy Green Salads; Meat and Poultry Main Dishes; Fish and Shellfish; Pasta and Vegetarian Main Dishes; Side Dishes; Breakfast and Lunch; Desserts; and a Basics section that has recipes for homemade stocks, sauces, vinegars and other kitchen staples.