REVIEW: Recipes from the Herbalist’s Kitchen by Brittany Wood Nickerson

RECIPES FROM THE HERBALIST’S KITCHEN by Brittany Wood Nickerson is a gorgeous book filled with sensible advice and tantalizing recipes for novices and experienced cooks alike. I highly recommend this book for a philosophy that satiates your well-being.

The photographs in this book are enough reason to buy it. We all need a pick-me-up in the winter when our gardens are buried beneath snow. That’s when I read my advanced copy of this book. The color and artistry contained within its pages are a pure delight.

After the introduction about why we want to use herbs and how they help our bodies, a list of herbs comes next. The common and botanical names are listed, as well as an overall description of benefits. Then the flavor, use in the kitchen, and safety concerns are discussed. Flavor is important for discerning how herbs will be used in cooking for taste, but also give clues on their medicinal uses. This listing isn’t fully comprehensive, but it includes quite a few common culinary herbs used for medicinal purposes that I enjoyed.

There are techniques such as dried versus fresh, plus storage advice. I really enjoyed the herb ice idea for cool drinks. There are tinctures, herbal water, herb butter and herb infused oils. The herb butter combos are something I can’t wait to try. The Red Quinoa Salad with Radish and Carrot not only looks beautiful but the ingredients made me drool with want. The garlic scape recipe is so simple and I can almost taste them. If you garden, or get a farm share like me, this book will give you enough ideas for your delectable bounty without wearing out the cook.

I zoomed through this book in a few days but I took copious notes so I wouldn’t forget how much it meant to me. Not a novice to growing or using them, I started my first herb garden at the age of fifteen. I attended several herbal seminars before I was twenty. While working several years on an herb farm, herbs became near and dear to my gardening soul. Herbs are in every meal I make and are incorporated throughout my garden as much for their ornamental beauty as for their nutritional value.

I am not an avid practitioner of herbal medicine, but I believe in their worth to assist our well-being. This book empowers by teaching us how to recognize what our bodies are telling us and to feed ourselves what our bodies need. That’s something I believe beyond anything else we can do for our overall health.

It takes a lot to empress me when it comes to books on herbs or recipes in general. I have a large library of herbal books, both in growing and medicinal uses, including Native American lore. My library of cookbooks is out of control, and I can’t tell you how many books I’ve read through our public library on these subjects, but I’m sure it’s well over several hundred in my lifetime.

That said, I will own a hard copy of this book, even though I read the advanced digital copy for review. I can’t imagine not having this in my library when there are so many recipes I want to try. In addition, the philosophy hit me where I live. I’ve discovered the therapeutic benefits of food, not just in the consumption but the preparation. This book reminds me what I’ve discovered on my own. It’s as much about your state of mind when you consume as to whether you’ll absorb the nutrients you partake. A valid reason as any to say a prayer of thanks before you eat. It centers you.

I think what I like best about this book compared to others like it is the originality. Many of the recipes are unique to me, yet they’re so simple. If you’re a novice or experienced, you will come away with something new from this book. A chapter that includes bitters to calm cravings was very enlightening for me.

One of the philosophies that I found compelling, but also hard to accomplish is listening to our own bodies, then preparing food to satisfy those needs. In a household of more than one, I can envision complete food chaos for the one who makes the food. That’s the only part of this book that I couldn’t imagine utilizing to its recommended extent.

After writing this review, I’ve sold myself on owning a hard copy when it releases on June 27, 2017. It’s the perfect gift for those who need or want a push in a positive direction. You are what you eat has more meaning as you begin to understand how to prepare herbalist-minded meals through RECIPES FROM THE HERBALIST’S KITCHEN. With an uplifting, inspiring and delicious book, author Brittany Wood Nickerson has won my admiration. RECOMMENDED READ!

Review by Dorine, courtesy of The Zest Quest. Digital copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.

Recipes from the Herbalist’s Kitchen: Delicious, Nourishing Food for Lifelong Health and Well-Being by Brittany Wood Nickerson
Category: Cookbook, Nutrition, Alternative Medicine
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (June 27, 2017)
Rated 5 out of 5 – Favorite!