Good Appetite

Freelance journalist Sara Dickerman has been working with food- as a cook, restaurant reviewer, and recipe developer- since 1997. But after giving birth to her second child in 2008, she struggled to get back to her pre-baby weight. So she embarked on a strict diet that limited her caloric intake to a mere 1,000-1,200 a day. The diet, though extreme, taught Dickerman which foods made her sated enough to resist mindless snacking. Those lessons became the building blocks for an online-only nutrition program she launched for Bon Appetit in 2010. Now her recipes have been compiled for her first cookbook which is out now, Bon Appetit: The Food Lover’s Cleanse.

There is a plan for each season with 140 recipes to enjoy throughout the year- however, you won’t find anything that resembles juicing, detoxing, brothing, or whatever is trending currently. You also won’t find protein shakes, turkey sausage, or egg-white omelets in this book. The principles of the 2-week diet are simple. There is no calorie counting, instead you eat three home cooked meals a day, with an optional snack and dessert. Say yes to flavorful ingredients such as chiles, citrus, garlic and herbs, wholesome grains including quinoa, bulgur and barley, quality meats in small portions, and filling your plate with seasonal produce- beets, Brussel sprouts, leeks, parsnips, grapefruit and pomegranate are big for winter. And of course, say no to refined flours and the evil of all evil, sugar. www.saradickerman.com