Tess Ward - The Naked Cookbook

Over the years the word diet as we understand it has changed. The Naked Cookbooks interpretation is based on the Latin origins of the word, diata, meaning way of life. To me a diet is exactly thatnot a quick fix, but a sustained way of eating that naturally supports our overall health and happiness.

Few people I know would claim that they follow their ideal diet, although this seems to be what everyone aspires to. Many of us still subscribe to the idea of diet in the short term, and its promise to change, help, or improve us. Lose the tummy, have slimmer thighs or a tighter butt, because it will make us happier, right? Why else diet other than to improve our quality of life in some way? So many of these unrealistic regimes claim to do this, and they may well succeed in the short term. But anything beyond the initial starve yourself for a few weeks and lose weight goes uncovered. In fact, any form of longevity is pretty much ignored, meaning dieters ultimately end up at the bottom of the heap, feeling worse than they did before they started. Too many diets are based too heavily in theory and not in practice. What works for one person is completely different for another. The area of nutrition and diet is full of contradictory information and evidence. There simply isnt a perfect diet or one diet that fits all; instead, its about finding the best balance in ones own body.

The most important thing is to have a balanced understanding of what your own body truly needs. The Naked Cookbook moves away from processed and refined foods, unrealistic diets, and fad regimes; instead, it is about eating food in its most naked form.

A year ago, a restricted diet was something I was all too familiar with. Not for weight, but for health reasons. At age eighteen, Id spent a month traveling in India. Along the way I picked up a parasite that I was to live with for the next five years. Over this period there were repeat visits to doctors and specialists. I was diagnosed with postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome, given more antibiotics than a dairy cow, and put on a restrictive diet. It wasnt until I met Humphrey Bacchus, a clinical nutritionist and medicine practitioner, that my problem was finally diagnosed.

The recipes in this book are a compilation of the foods I have uncovered and created on my journey back to full health. The recipes have been designed to support and fuel your body, encouraging optimal health through simple, delicious, and stripped-back recipes.

To clarify, this book is not strictly oriented toward any specific health-related diet. The recipes are naturally low in carbohydrates, free from processed food, and contain no refined sugar, but they are not gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan (although many can be adapted to accommodate these diets).

This book is all about eating food in its purest form. The Naked Cookbook celebrates creativity in cooking, and all the recipes are efficient, practical, and packed full of taste. They have been inspired by all the wonderful chefs I have worked with and the countries, cuisines, and restaurants I have enjoyed. I hope you find my naked dishes as pleasurable to make, eat, and use as I have found discovering and creating them. Cook naked, eat happy, and youll never have to do the dreaded diet again.

NAKED BASICS

Broths and stocks are typically made with bones and can include a small amount of meat adhering to the bones, which are often roasted first to improve flavor. Broths are simmered for a long period of time (often in excess of 24 hours), whereas stocks are simmered for 3 to 4 hours.

broths goodness

Broths long cooking time helps to extract as many minerals and nutrients as possible from the bones. At the end of cooking, the minerals have leached from the bones into the broth and the bones crumble when pressed between your thumb and index finger.