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Nationally recognized chef Nikos Ligidakis demonstrates in this book his priceless culinary knowledge. There are over 250 original recipes in this unique book, each carefully crafted for those who are eating healthy diets such as elimination, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, recipes to celebrate life's special moments and much more. Included in this book is the nutritional information of each ingredient used, calorie-counts for the main ingredients of each recipe, information about flavors and textures of foods and various cooking techniques to intensify the flavors. Also, included are historical facts about several foods, especially the ancient grains, and tips on how to simplify your cooking process and create new tastes. There is abundant information in this book to help you enhance your cooking skills and help you to follow a healthy diet without compromising the taste. Ligidakis gained national acclaim for combining the full tantalizing flavors of the Mediterranean region with an imaginative presentation. His success is credited to the fact that he has created a cuisine that is at once both exotic and familiar. Nikos has become a legend locally both for his selfless charitable involvement and his idiosyncratic style of cooking. He prides himself on his culinary creativity, use of quality ingredients, freshness, consistency, and the fact that he prepares everything from scratch.
Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite
The Mediterranean Functional Lifestyle: Creative Recipes for Healthy Diets by Nikos Ligidakis is a gift for anyone who wants to eat and stay healthy. This book brilliantly showcases the old adage that “we are what we eat.” The author shares more than 250 original recipes for healthy dieting, designed for people who are focused on elimination diets, gluten-free diets, vegetarian, vegan, and many more. The author shares information about and provides a cooking philosophy and diet mostly shaped by what the earth provides. It was not about one particular food with unique benefits but rather eating mostly plant-based, nutrient-dense foods and limited amounts of meats. Insights into the Early Hippocratic doctors establish a strong connection between their eating habits, their diet, and the Mediterranean diet. In the preface, Helene, the wife of the author, starts by telling readers their experience with the elimination diet and how they eliminated sugar, alcohol, dairy, eggs, corn, and gluten for three weeks. By the end of the third week, they lost weight and had much more energy. This book contains their secrets.
I have read many cookbooks and have consulted them when I badly needed to cook, but The Mediterranean Functional Lifestyle is a treasure trove that doesn’t just teach readers how to cook, but also how to create healthy meals. Readers will understand the nutritional value of fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices and herbs that are presented in this book. Nikos Ligidakis shares his creative ways of cooking and presents recipes that are clearly described and with easy steps to prepare them. These recipes include healthy foods like arugula, artichokes, beets, broccoli, cabbage, capers, carrots, cucumber, mushrooms, and many others. This book will not only keep those who use it healthy, but it will increase their strength levels and overall wellness. I enjoyed the creativity when it comes to the recipes, the fluidity in expression, and the strength of the writing. I also loved that while the recipes are easy to prepare, the author has done a great job of researching the biological and health properties of the spices and the foods. A gem of a book that is highly recommended.
