I won this book in June at Eat, Write, Retreat. After visiting the Golden Door, I was even happier to feature their beautiful book: Golden Door Cooks at Home: Favorite Recipes from the Celebrated Spa
Layout and design:
The book is organized into the following chapters: appetizers, salads, soups, vegetarian main dishes, seafood, poultry and lean meats, desserts, breakfast, drinks, dressings, and basics. Back matter includes nutritional information and resources. It’s a large-format glossy, hardcover book that makes you feel like you’re at a spa. I would have liked stronger typefaces to make the recipes a little easier to read.
Photography:
Gorgeous photography by Quentin Bacon captures the spa feeling beautifully.
Recipes:
Recipes include spiny lobster and mango gazpacho shooters, broccoli almond salad in radicchio cups, Italian chicken sausage oven-dried tomato and orzo soup, red lentil veggie burgers with garlicky yam fries and spicy mango ketchup, wild salmon with quick-preserved lemon mashed potatoes and asparagus vinaigrette, adobo-marinated grass-fed flank steak with spinach salad and roasted poblano dressing, warm flourless chocolate cake with orange sauce, and crispy potato cakes with chive scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.
What I liked about the book:
A destination/coffee table book that makes me want to stay at this spa. Inventive recipes. Many recipes could be adapted to be paleo.
I wasn’t so keen on:
Recipes were not coded for special diets; nutritional analysis is not provided, which would be helpful for low-sodium eaters. Recipes are not for beginners.
Recommended for:
sophisticated cooks looking for new inspiration; whole foods and vegetarian eaters
Not recommended for:
celiac/gluten-free, vegan, migraine or low-sodium diets
A note about my cookbook reviews: In the past, I tested at least three recipes from each book, took photos, and described my experience. Due to my dietary limitations (extremely-low-sodium for my Meniere’s Disease and trigger-free foods for migraine relief), it is no longer possible for me to test the recipes and do them justice.
Required FTC disclosure: I received one copy of this book from the Golden Door for the giveaway that ENDS TODAY.
Here’s the book if you want to see more:
I’ve always wanted to go to the Golden Door – sounds like the cookbook delivers the spa experience! Bacon is one of my favorite food photographers, looks like a lovely book.