The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook has been one of a reliably gifted cookbooks for our clients. One day last winter VIBRANCE Health Coach Kelly Ross informed me that she was unable to order a fresh batch from Amazon or the Author’s website. copies were suddenly being sold for over $150.00! I contacted Alissa Segersten to see what was up and she informed me that they were about to release an updated version in Spring 2014. Until then we were, as they say, S.O.L.

So, Kelly and I have been on pins and needles waiting for publication! I was blessed to be gifted an advance copy of the cookbook thanks to the generosity of authors Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre. Truthfully, I poured into it immediately with the previous edition at my side to do a side by side comparison. When I opened up the book I landed upon a section titled, “Get Cultured” which highlighted various cultured and fermented recipes. I was HOOKED.

In the days following it’s official release, I have fermented radishes, made water kefir, and have a batch of cabbage bubbling away in the corner of my kitchen (I reliably make soggy-ass sauerkraut, so I’m hoping Alissa and Tom’s recipe will save me from my shame). Yes, I’ve looked beyond these initial recipes but I’m so hooked on probiotics and fermentation right now I haven’t yet tried the other recipes.

Now that so much of my existing counter space is taken up with lactobacillus colonies hard at work I am contemplating preparing a loaf of gluten-free sourdough (I did not know it could be done!), and some chicken verde enchiladas for the upcoming week….or maybe the coconut lime chicken? With so many options, the cookbook will be a kitchen mainstay for several months to come.

Of note – Alissa and Tom also offer several grain-free dessert options, which I appreciate. I’m a fan of coconut flour and am eye-balling that banana cake recipe for an upcoming summer pot luck. From what I’ve experienced in previous editions, this cookbook is going to be chock full of culinary gems for your healthy whole foods kitchen. And never to sell a reader short, Alissa and Tom have also utilized a couple of chapters in sharing balanced advice on different popular eating philosophies, must-haves for stocking a whole foods kitchen and, my favorite, a fantastic chapter on Digestive Health.

I’d encourage you to learn more about these fantastic practitioners at their website Whole Life Nutrition and their recipe blog NourishingMeals.com to get a sense of the tastiness. The latest and greatest version of Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook has been released and is available on Amazon (for far less than $150!).