GREAT READS

Good Mood Food: Simple Healthy Homecooking

Donal Skehan.

SCORE! You know that feeling you get when you find exactly what you're looking for? Well, that's how I felt when I found this amazing cookbook by Donal Skehan. I am a self-professed cookbook junkie and read a ton of cookbooks, but rarely get around to trying any of the recipes. Why? Most times the dishes are too time consuming or require exotic, somewhat hard-to-find ingredients.

I've been on a quest to find easy recipes for simple but healthy home cooking. Now, my search is over! Why is "Good Mood Food" such a great find?

First of all, I really like the author and his approach to healthy cooking. Ireland's Donal Skehan isn't a flashy, big name celebrity chefs. This natural born foodie is a down-to-earth, self-taught home cook who writes and photographs food for a living. In 2007, he started "the good mood food" blog and after only 6 months blogging, he was approached by Irish Publishing house Mercier Press to write a cookbook based around the recipes on the blog.

His philosophy for healthy eating is right in line with what I was looking for - "Eating healthily for me is not just about following the latest diet fad, or becoming a health extremist, it's about enjoying good quality, fresh ingredients, preparation and most of all enjoyment!" Amen!

Secondly, I not only love the recipes, but also the way the book is organized. It has great photos and Skehan offers excellent tips for eating healthy, stocking your freezer and pantry, growing your own herbs, cleansing foods and healthy lunch box essentials. He also recommends always washing salad leaves including the pre-washed bagged varieties. Did you know that the gases and chemicals sometimes used in the production of these bags can leave a toxin residue on your greens?

So far I have made the Apple and Cinnamon Porridge and the Baked Breakfast Eggs. They were delicious, healthy and easy. I can't wait to make his Oat Pancakes, Irish Brown Yeast Bread, Asian Shitake Noodles, Spinach and Potato Frittata, Carrot, Ginger and Cumin Soup and Baked Pears with Spiced Honey.

Thanks to Skehan, I have just what I need to prepare healthy, delicious and uncomplicated home-cooked foods for my family. Check out his website at www.donalskehan.com and make sure to check out the book from any Cecil County Public Library branch.

Recommended by Kerry O'Connell

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