February, the last month of Winter, bursts with love finding its way into many hearts. Love comes in many forms, like philia, pragma, mania, or my all-time favorite, agape. What's agape love? Well, it's self-love and, ultimately, self-care. You choose to eat healthy, flavorful food rather than eat to live, eventually finding yourself bored. Boredom leads us to unhealthy places, so defy it with these thought-provoking books, where you'll discover your love of food, how chefs become stand-alone stars, and the importance of our food choices. Trust me, begin this year with agape love, and everything will fall into place.
Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci begins with his love for family and food. It's not about his travels to Italy, nor is it the type of book that chronicles the delicious food he eats from restaurant after restaurant. Instead, he writes about his lack of going to restaurants while his parents, immigrants living the "American Dream" in New York City, make food last by serving school lunches using delicious ingredients. Stanley Tucci describes his joy in creating incredible culinary movies and his grief in experiencing a family tragedy. He knows deep down what is essential in life. He is an absolute gem—I love his story, and I know you will, too!
Michael Ruhlman's book, The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection, is a precursor for food lovers considering culinary school. Being a graduate, I highly suggest it despite it being challenging before entering the real world. Thick-skinned and open-hearted individuals can have a career without culinary school, but it's rough! No matter what you choose, put passion first and scrap arrogance altogether. The high-energy plating, the long hours prepping, your sore feet aching, and other challenges are awaiting, only to realize it's Monday! For those with drive, it doesn't matter if it's Monday; you love what you do. With quick learning, your passion and art showcase themselves in your food-creating experiences. Respecting the ingredients, placing all your energy and time, and creating culinary delights, will turn you into the great chef you've become.
In Defense of Food, An Eater's Manifesto, another page-turner is Michael Pollan's in-depth book prioritizing the importance of your health and food choices. Overindulgence in the Standard American Diet, or SAD, turns our population ripe with the disease. He covers food and diets. In Blue Zones, some cultures remove several ingredients from their diet and maintain healthy lifestyles, while others pick healthy ingredients unique to their climate. What are some of his suggestions? It's essential to fill your body with healthy foods that are naturally made, consume meat as little as possible, and limit sugar and fats. We can start living healthier lives by eating balanced meals with no seconds and using smaller plates with more green vegetables than brown foods. Plant seasonally, take vitamins if you remove them from your diet, exercise moderately, and get fresh air to help maintain excellent emotional and physical health. I am checking some of these tenets daily for a lifetime of health. I hope you will join me.
Back to love, in RuPaul's famous words, "If you can't love yourself, how the Hell can you love others?" It's true. Investing in your health is the greatest love to give yourself. I know contemporary cuisine is challenging, but there are ways to enjoy food without feeling like your kitchen's a frenemy. Be gentle and enjoy putting love in your food. Once you insert that ingredient, everyone will feel blessed and loved too. Happy Valentines!