Review of Paleo Italian Cooking | Recipe Renovator | whole foods, paleo, gluten-free, Mediterranean diet

Need some fresh paleo recipes? Paleo Italian Cooking marries the flavors of Tuscany with the paleo lifestyle.

Regular readers will know that I’ve made a number of changes to my diet since starting this blog, going from completely plant-based to following a more paleo-based diet to help with my migraine attacks. I also visited Italy about a year ago and we spent six days in Tuscany, mainly in Florence but also visiting some of the cities nearby.

The food was divine, so I was interested to see this book Paleo Italian Cooking: Authentically Italian Gluten-Free Family Recipes.
Review of Paleo Italian Cooking | Recipe Renovator | whole foods, paleo, gluten-free, Mediterranean diet

Layout and design:

The book is organized into twelve chapters, starting with an introduction (tools, paleo living, etc), followed by the recipe chapters: basic recipes, sauces & condiments, appetizers & salads, brunch, Tuscan favorites, soups stews & chili, meat & poultry main courses, seafood main courses, for pasta lovers, side dishes, and desserts. The book’s interior design is attractive. My only critique is that having the ingredient lists in orange type (sometimes on a tan background) makes them a bit harder to read.
Review of Paleo Italian Cooking | Recipe Renovator | whole foods, paleo, gluten-free, Mediterranean diet

Photography:

Nearly every recipe features a full-color photograph by Nicole Alekson, offering insight to the delicious finished recipes.
Review of Paleo Italian Cooking | Recipe Renovator | whole foods, paleo, gluten-free, Mediterranean diet

Recipes:

Recipes include veal stock, Tuscan-style bolognese, seven-layer deviled egg dip, lamb pops wrapped with prosciutto, eggs in purgatory, anchovy pizza, brick-baked Cornish game hens, Italian stuffed squid, butternut squash lasagna, zucchini fritters, and raspberry and pistachio semifreddo. Recipes use meat, poultry, eggs, and a few use goat cheese but are otherwise dairy-free. Recipes are grain-free.

What I liked about the book:

I love her unique point of view and how she’s taken her family history and life memories of cooking with her Nana and made them work for the paleo lifestyle. Lots of new flavors and inspiration for me here, including tons of vegetable dishes.

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. Since she uses olives, capers, and pancetta, it’s not recommended for low sodium eaters.

Recommended for:

paleo, Mediterranean, celiac, gluten-free diets

Not recommended for:

Migraine (lots of nuts and citrus), vegan, vegetarian, 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 publisher for the giveaway on April 28th, 2016.
Here’s the book if you want to see more: