Review by Booklist Review
Lugavere (Genius Foods, 2018) discovered nutrition and food health with the devastating diagnosis of his mother's dementia and later cancer. Genius Kitchen is the cookbook companion to his previous two books, but being a devotee to eating like a genius is not necessary to take advantage of Lugavere's food knowledge. The first third of the book provides extensive information about nutrition, ingredients, and how to apply this knowledge to improve your diet and health. The recipes cover meals, snacks, and smoothies, including savory and sweet options throughout. Many recipes may seem familiar but include simple substitutions to make them genius. While this cookbook is more of a "resource for your kitchen" than a traditional cookbook, enthusiasts of genius eating will find Lugavere's latest a must. Those interested in the science behind how we eat, or looking to shake up their diet, will find this a great place to start as well.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"When it comes to eating for good health, there is no 'one-size-fits-all' diet," writes health and science journalist Lugavere in this collection of fortifying recipes. When his mother's health began to decline due to dementia, the author discovered that unhealthy foods--such as sugars and oils with trans fats--can increase the severity of chronic diseases. In the book's first half, he shares how to combat leaning on "empty calories" by eating like a "genius" (consuming nutrient-rich foods that "satiate innate hunger mechanisms"); delves into what makes health foods healthy; and provides helpful tips for improving digestion (nose breathing increases nitric oxide, a gas that can reduce blood pressure). Following this are recipes both sweet and savory that harness the power of proteins and superfoods, among them grain-free blueberry orange pancakes with coconut cream, and spice-rubbed salmon with almond basil pesto. Broccoli lovers will relish Lugavere's creative uses of the vegetable in a number of dishes, like broccoli "falafel" and sheet pan balsamic chicken and broccoli with figs. Meanwhile, desserts, such as almond olive oil cake, use natural sweeteners like monk fruit, which, Lugavere notes, has been utilized "for centuries in Chinese medicine." This informs and satisfies in equal measure. Agent: Giles Anderson, Anderson Literary. (Mar.)
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