The forward explains that the author, Heather Crosby, was told while in her 20s that she would be required to take medication for the rest of her life. Not loving that, she decided instead to improve her eating habits. To help home cooks to eat more healthily, her book is filled with easy instructions on cooking techniques for a variety of ingredients, and methods for planning meals and working with what ingredients that you have on hand.

And, because she was 'not good at following recipes,' she has invented her own, using trial and error and (what seems to me to be) good natural instincts about flavor and texture. She encourages cooks to trust their own instincts when encountering new recipes, and at the same time to be flexible. Do not rely solely on expensive ingredients, spend excessive time on preparation, or deprive yourself. Use clean, fresh, whole food. Think outside the box. These are all perspectives that I can agree with, and that make the recipes accessible and attractive to almost every home cook.

I love that the first food photograph in the book features a tray of muffins, with each one being different from the others! Cooking for one or for a family allows for (and often demands) individuality and variety; factory-like precision is not always best.

To widen the possibilities for expanding your home cooking, Crosby includes helpful tips on building flavor profiles for Chinese, French, Indian, Italian, Latin, Middle Eastern and Thai cuisines.

'Templates' throughout the book provide guidance for building dishes to different specifications, and help cooks learn to cook without restrictive recipes. They range from soups, veggie burgers, salads and cookies, to maki, veggie tots and hand pies.

Going past the inspiration behind her cooking philosophy, I was really impressed by the recipes! And the templates! To explain the templates more, I will use my favorite template (for pancakes and waffles) as an example.

First, she breaks down the staple ingredients which you:
*'Need No Matter What.' Think baking powder, salt, etc.

Then, you have a choice of:
*flours (brown rice flour, chickpea flour).
*binders (banana, psyllium husk)

Next, and optional, are:
*flavors (cinnamon, ginger, citrus juice)
*fold-ins (herbs, coconut, squash)

and lastly:
*oils (avocado, sunflower)

Quantities and cooking times are provided, as well as suggestions for marrying flavors successfully. The other templates in the book follow the same general composition. And, if you would like a more structured recipe, more defined recipes are provided (Beet Pancakes with Roasted Apples, Meyer Lemon Waffles with Maple-Blackberry Compote).

Other standout recipes include Cashew-Coconut Buttercream, Apricot & Salted Sunflower Seed Amazeballs, Probiotic Cream Cheese, and Neapolitan Nice Crispy Bars.

The recipes in the book are vegan, excepting the ones that call for honey (suggested substitutions are provided).

I loved this cookbook! It is full of excellent advice, and the recipes and templates look healthy, delicious and achievable. Five stars, because of the variety and quality of the templates.

Highly Recommended.

**eARC Netgalley**




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