Roasted Figs and Red Lentils: Food that Makes a Difference

Finalist for the 2016 Gourmand World Cookbook Award. Category: Mediterranean Cooking.

If you’re the kind of person who eats (or tries to eat) healthfully and are looking for variety and new recipes, or if you’re just looking for inspiration to make a change to your eating habits, this book is for you.

Carmit Elkayam, a chef who studied at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York, is a personal trainer in the kitchen, helping people adopt healthy eating habits, while insisting on high-quality, delicious food. She relies on recipes and cooking techniques that she learned in New York, India, and the Galilee.

Although many of the recipes are suitable for vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free diets, this book is written for everyone. Carmit will not try to convince you to adopt a radical approach—like cutting out sweets, carbohydrates, or meat—nor does she believe in complicated recipes that require hours in the kitchen. She uses excellent, accessible ingredients, and goes to great efforts to simplify the preparation process. Simple has never been so delicious.

Some people prefer dramatic change; others prefer slower transitions, and still others prefer general guidelines and good recipes. Whatever your perspective, this book showcases the best gift you can give yourself and those you love: healthy and enjoyable eating.