Gwyneth Paltrow

I'll admit, I got this book on a whim. And I was skeptical. It's an actress's cookbook. How good can it possibly be? Is it just another Hollywood blonde's foray into the next great venture, where the only reason it's selling is her name/face?

But it was at Costco (automatic win), and I had to remind myself that Paltrow already started to prove herself as a "foodie" when she did "Spain: A Culinary Road Trip" with my favorite chef EVER, Mario Batali.

So surely it couldn't be ALL bad.

And let me show more tell you, as a self-proclaimed foodie - this cookbook is a dream: for farmers' market addicts, for those on elimination or other special diets, for people who just want to eat fresh food and have it taste good.

This is your book.

It is not for those looking for new cocktail recipes or wine tips; the beverages section focuses on smoothies and other drinks that are actually, you know, good for you. ;)

(As an aside, if you do want a good cocktail book, I'd suggest the newly released Apothecary Cocktails: Restorative Drinks from Yesterday and Today. It's fantastic. And even well packaged.)

I've tried a couple of recipes from Paltrow's book so far, and have determined that any book that gets me to try cooked mushrooms - in ANYthing - has got something special. The recipe was for a many-mushroom soup; very flavorful, not as hearty as I hoped but great with a huge hunk of bread to dip in it. I also tried the chilled avocado-cucumber soup; while the picture got a general Facebook response of "Looks like baby food", it was quite tasty, and would be great during the summer. A fabulous alternative to those of us somewhat gun shy of tomato-heavy gazpacho. show less

Though you may remember Gwyneth's macrobiotic phase, she has since returned to more normal dining choices, only avoiding red meat. But in this book, she not only celebrates the food that she makes for and with her children, Apple (who is one day younger than Z) and Moses, but she tells some of why she went macrobiotic during her father's fight against cancer (he passed away almost ten years ago). She tells many stories about cooking or eating with her father, her mother, her adopted family show more in Spain and her grandparents. It's very sweet and very down to earth. She offers some healthy alternatives for sweetener (ie. agave syrup) or bacon (turkey or duck bacon) but also allows for the more regularly accessible choices in her recipes. Since she doesn't eat red meat and Apple is vegetarian, she has mostly vegetable, seafood and poultry recipes. There are also some delicious looking breakfast and dessert recipes.

The photographs in this book are gorgeous and there are pictures for maybe a quarter of the recipes. There are also some beautiful family photos from her childhood and even some with her kids (though very few that show their faces). And Gwyneth isn't afraid to have less than glamorous photos in the book -- in one you even see a bra strap! That's my kind of gal.

I always like to make something from a cookbook before reviewing it to make sure that it's not a chef's cookbook. Last night, I chose to make Maple-Dijon Roasted Winter Vegetables to go with our steaks. I used carrot, sweet potato and butternut squash. They are cut into strips tossed with a dijon mustard/pure maple syrup/oil/salt/pepper mix and baked for a relatively short amount of time. So how did they turn out? Absolutely delicious. I happen to strongly dislike dijon mustard (and I considered using mustard powder instead) but chose to go for the full flavor and I don't regret it. The kid isn't a big fan of squash or sweet potato but he ate a good amount of both. The only thing was that I wished there had been a little more caramelization because those parts were super delish!

What else am I looking forward to making from this cookbook? There's a miso soup recipe that looks really simple and delicious. I always enjoy eating it when we're out but have never made it at home. I will definitely try the corn chowder and the polenta with fresh corn this summer. And the Spaniard in me has always wanted to make paella but I don't like most seafood so I'm very happy that she has a vegetable paella recipe. But probably the next thing I will make are Bruce Paltrow's World-Famous Pancakes. With a bit of sugar and buttermilk and an overnight set-up, I expect greatness. I am really so happy to have this book and I will read it regularly for the anecdotes as much as the recipes.

http://webereading.com/2012/01/new-release-my-fathers-daughter.html show less

I actually enjoyed the recipes in this book. This was a birthday gift. Gwyneth seems to know her stuff, at least a forward by Batali gives her some credibility ( in case you were doubtful.) While some of the intros about her VERY privileged life "we would go to Nantucket every summer and ride mopeds together...blah blah" were obnoxious and the adoring relationship between her and her father was perfectly reciprocal and, well, perfect ( eye roll), the recipes were not bad. Check it out.

I actually enjoyed the recipes in this book. This was a birthday gift. Gwyneth seems to know her stuff, at least a forward by Batali gives her some credibility ( in case you were doubtful.) While some of the intros about her VERY privileged life "we would go to Nantucket every summer and ride mopeds together...blah blah" were obnoxious and the adoring relationship between her and her father was perfectly reciprocal and, well, perfect ( eye roll), the recipes were not bad. Check it out.