Nathalie Coughlin - Cook to Thrive Recipes to Fuel Body and Soul

There are so many people that I would like to thank.

First and foremost, I want to thank my mom. Despite working full-time and often commuting, you always managed to cook delicious dinners for Megan, Dad, and me. We always had our favorites: chicken adobo, chiles rellenos, or corned beef, cabbage, and rice. (I never knew that white rice wasnt the traditional side dish for corned beef!) I was a picky eater when I was younger, and Im sure that was tough. Now, thanks to you, I have a love for fancy mixed greens, even though for the longest time Megan and I called them weeds and turned up our noses at anything but romaine. You often made traditionally unhealthy fare much better for us, and we never noticed a difference. And you have always appreciated tradition and celebrating with food; my favorite dish you concocted for such purposes is either your Marco Polos for Christmas Day or the halo halo birthday cake you made for me.

Thank you to Grandma Bohn. Im so grateful that you kept such meticulous records of Great-Grandma Aguillons recipes and shared them with me. Thank you for always making a mountain of lumpia for family gatherings. No ones lumpia, my own included, will ever compare to yours. I will never forget our massive Thanksgiving dinners with both traditional Filipino and American fare, and the many times I spoiled my appetite with your lumpiait was always totally worth it. Thank you for making halo halo and cantaloupe juice for my cousins and me on hot summer days. And thank you for helping me write all the Filipino recipes in this book and answering my many questions.

Thank you to my loving husband, Ethan, for always being an eager taste tester. I still have no idea how one person can eat so much and stay so fit. Your love of food matches my own, and I truly enjoy pursuing it with you. Thank you for giving great feedback throughout the process of writing this book, making many trips to the grocery store with me, and helping me clean the huge messes I made in the kitchen. Youve always loved my cooking, even when I was just starting out and had a lot to learn. Weve shared so many memorable meals throughout the years, ranging from a twenty-two-course tasting menu at the Restaurant at Meadowood on our anniversary to campfire-cooked trout while camping in Arnold. Each and every meal has a special place in my heart.

Thank you to my sister, Megan, for giving me so many great ideas throughout the writing process and for testing some of my recipes. We may not have gotten along so well growing up, but I couldnt be more thankful that you are my sister!

Thank you to my dad for being wonderfully supportive. You showed me what it means to work hard and have determination. You and Mom recognized how competitive I was at an early age and helped me funnel that energy toward the pool. Im so grateful for your constancy and encouragement throughout my life, but especially during my athletic career. And you always loved and championed me the same way, whether I won an Olympic gold medal or I was disqualified.

Thank you to Grandpa Bohn, a most amazing grandpa. I will never forget the many times I heard your booming voice call out Go Bears! during the silence before the start of a race. It meant a great deal to me to know you were there supporting me, along with the rest of my crew: Ethan, Mom, Dad, Megan, Grandma, and Tom. I have been so lucky to have you guys follow me all around the world. And no one will ever carve the prime rib on Christmas Eve the way you do.

Thank you to Tom, my unofficial godfather. You have traveled the world to see me swim more than anyone else and have always been my very own travel consultant whenever I was in a new country or stuck in a new airport. Thank you for always giving me my special Belgian chocolates before my most important competitions. They gave me that extra edge!

Thank you to Henny and Danny Stanchina for taking such great care of Megan and me while our parents were at work. You both cooked such great food for us and taught us how to appreciate the garden. Henny, I blame my love affair with a genuine frankfurter on you, as well as my love of coffee. Danny, thank you for being a surrogate grandpa and for making my favorite egg pasta whenever I asked. And I will never forget the many times that you walked with me to get a chocolate-dipped vanilla Fosters Freeze as a treat. Thank you for having always been so kind, patient, and loving with Megan and me.

Thank you to Alicia Kendig at the United States Olympic Committee for answering my many nutrition questions throughout the years. I love your approach to nutrition and the way you always give real-world, attainable advice. You have helped me and countless other athletes make the most of this very important piece of the athletic puzzle. The United States Swim Team is so lucky to have you.

Thank you to my longtime agent, Janey Miller, for being such a great friend for so many years and for helping me throughout my professional career. Youve always been so much more than an agent to me. Thank you for helping me make this cookbook a reality and for giving me the push that I needed to start the process.

Thank you to my literary agent, Farley Chase, for recognizing my passion for food and cooking, and for putting me in touch with the right people. Without you, this book would have never happened.

Thank you to the many people at Clarkson Potter who contributed their talents and expertise to the making of this book. Its beautiful! Thank you especially to my editor Jennifer Sit, designer Sonia Persad, production editor Cathy Hennessy, production manager Kevin Garcia, publicist Jana Branson, and Stephanie Davis in marketing. Thank you also to the talented photo team, including photographer Erin Kunkel, food stylist Abby Stolfo, prop stylist Claire Mack, and Devon Lach.

And, finally, thank you to Ashley Meyer for helping me edit this book. I always wanted to write a cookbook, and you helped me achieve that lifelong goal. I knew that I had a voice but I feared that it would be lost in the process, so Im very thankful that you helped make my recipes and stories come to life. Thank you, also, for testing so many of my recipes and searching for hard-to-find ingredients when they were out of season. Thank you for holding my hand throughout this daunting process and making it so much easier for me. I would have been a stress case without you.

Last but not least, thank you to all the friends, family, and coaches who have supported me throughout my life. I have been so very fortunate to have so many great people in my life. I love you all!

Im a firm believer in starting the day with a good breakfast, toowhether in training mode or not. The first meal of the day is best if its practical, so the recipes in the Breakfast chapter are healthy, tasty, quick, and easy, and most can be prepared ahead of time to grab and go in the morning.

The Salads & Soups and Vegetables chapters let fresh, seasonal produce really shine. Living in the Bay Area, Im lucky to have top-notch fruits and vegetables available pretty much anywhere I go, and they inspire my cooking every day. No matter where you live, though, youll be able to make these dishes because the ingredients can be found most anywhere. Seek out the freshest foods you can find, since they are the ones bursting with both flavor and nutrients. Charred Green Bean Salad ()loading up on vegetable dishes is key to maximizing your nutrition intake, and the variety of spices, accompaniments, and preparations will ensure that you wont get bored with any of these recipes.