Inspired by "The Good Gut" - cookbook suggestions?

January 17, 2016 7:19 PM

I just finished "The Good Gut" by Justin and Erica Sonnenburg, researchers of the microbiome at Stanford University. They have some delicious looking recipes at the end of their book, which are all high in microbiota-accessible carbohydrates (MACs). I would love a cookbook or website which has more recipes like this. Any suggestions?

I'm trying to stay away from the "Lose 20 Pounds Safely In Just Two Weeks" variety of recipe books (think, Dr. Oz....) so I'm not sure where to look. I've read interviews by the authors and they didn't indicate a favorite author or chef. Their recipes are a great place to start, but a website would be great because then I could import the recipe directly into my Plan To Eat app. I could also try to figure it out, but I'm a recipe person. I need something to follow.

posted by onecircleaday to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

Best answer: I haven't read that one, but take a look at Heidi Swanson's site http://www.101cookbooks.com/. Her recipes are delicious and healthy although sometimes call for hard to find ingredients (in those cases I usually replace them with something I already have in the fridge).
posted by gillianr at 7:55 PM on January 17, 2016

Best answer: I skimmed the recipes on Google Books. They're basically going for lots of whole grains and lots of fermented foods (yogurt, kim chi, etc.)

You might enjoy the cookbook Ancient Grains for Modern Meals. The New York Times column Recipes for Health also tends to have interesting ideas for cooking all sorts of whole grains (farro, quinoa, etc.)
posted by yarntheory at 8:16 PM on January 17, 2016

Best answer: It's a small-scale website, but Anne Marie of Zero-Waste Chef (or go directly to the recipes) is a Sonnenburg advocate with a strong interest in fermentation.
posted by tangerine at 11:06 PM on January 17, 2016

Best answer: Been meaning to read that book. The sort of bible for fermented foods is The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz. I don't know what a MAC is but I like fermented things in general and have been following Mr Katz for a while, back when his book was a photocopied zine he sold through the mail for a dollar or two. It basically has a recipe for every kind of fermented food you could possibly want to make and he is definitely a true believer in the whole alive foods for better health thing. The book has a ton of history and information, I think you would really like it. If you go over to the NY Times they did a little mini documentary on him and fermentation, worth watching if you're into this kind of stuff.
posted by bradbane at 11:22 PM on January 17, 2016

Best answer: I can't help you with the fermented foods/yogurt aspect, but if you're looking for lots of high-fiber recipes with whole grains and minimally processed complex carbohydrates, you can get some recipes at the Forks Over Knives website. The recipes are vegan (which is one reason they're high fiber), but you can always add animal products if you want to. From a quick look online, it seems that MACS are found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes - that's exactly what you'll find at Forks Over Knives.
posted by FencingGal at 8:41 AM on January 18, 2016