Children’s Librarian, Ellen O’Dell, recommends The Blue Zones Kitchen by Dan Buettner.
The recipes in The Blue Zones Kitchen cookbook are the perfect remedy for those with wanderlust!
Be transported to island communities like Ikaria, Greece, or the tropical beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. This cookbook explores the typical recipes in the world’s “Blue Zones,” or places with an extraordinarily long life expectancy.
The author, Dan Buettner, spends quality time with families in each region, observing the people and their habits while carefully documenting the food that they eat.
Buettner says of Blue Zones, “These people don’t live longer because of supplements, pills, or hocus-pocus antiaging serums. They do so because their surroundings nudge them into the right behaviors.” In addition to eating whole foods and simple meals, Buettner notices that people often cook and enjoy their meals together.
Buettner credits the long life spans [in Blue Zones] to the diet and the strong sense of community.
When cooking at home, I prioritize healthy meals that come together efficiently. A few recipes require a long prep time, but many take less than an hour. My new favorite dishes include Summer Pasta from Sardinia, Italy, and the Gallo Pinto from Costa Rica. I can prepare both of these dishes quickly on a weeknight, plus they make plenty of leftovers. Once the colder weather arrives, I look forward to revisiting this cookbook and making some Minestrone! These meals emphasize using whole foods, fresh produce, and herbs.
Many of these recipes are vegetarian – or even vegan! – and require minimal ingredients, making them simple and budget-friendly. While some cookbooks may call for spices or other items not commonly used in my kitchen, I already had most of the items for these recipes. If you check out The Blue Zones Kitchen, you can look forward to beautiful photography, interesting stories, and inspiration to try healthy new recipes.
