Foung - Low-so good: a guide to real food, big flavor, and less sodium with 70 amazing recipes

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
An apple-five-spice pie keeps guests coming back for seconds.

Text copyright 2016 by Jessica Goldman Foung.
Photographs copyright 2016 by John Lee.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-4521-4347-7 (epub, mobi)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN 978-1-4521-3508-3 (hc)

Designed by Emily Dubin
Food styling by Lillian Kang
Typesetting by Hillary Caudle

Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, California 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com

It seems strange to say, but I am truly thankful that lupus and kidney failure entered my life. They led me to discover far cooler things about myself and the world around me, and, above all, they allowed me to grow closer to an amazing group of humans I get to call family and friends. These people rally behind me at every step and push me to believe in even the most far-out miracles. They believed in my strength to survive, they believed in my mission to heal with food, they even believed I could write a book (or two). Because of them, kidney failure means having more, not less. So Id like to take a moment to say thanks.

To Nomi, my most discerning taste-tester and favorite mayhem-maker. May you always wear two different-colored shoes. Let your joy and imagination run wild. And forever draw outside the lines. Also, eat your peas.

To Alejandro, the best half-Chinese, quarter-Mexican, eighth-Irish, eighth-German husband; cheerleader; and patient partner in crime I could ever dream of.

To my mom (Smoosh) and my dad (Johnny), for giving me life, not once but many times over. For encouragement, continually. And for soft shoulders to land on. As well as a kitchen to cook in when our oven breaks.

To the team, Uncle Rondo, Sarah, Aba, Tia, Tim, Mo Mo, Yeh Yeh, Ya Ya, Andrea, Cara, Samara, and Ale, for helping keep the house clean, the baby entertained, and the date nights on the calendar.

To the food folks, Stephanie Hua, Catherine McCord, Phoebe Lapine, Andrew Wilder, Stephanie Weaver, Max Falkowitz, Irvin Lin, Tracy Benjamin, Cheryl Sternman Rule, Jess Thomson, Food52 Crew, Denise Woodward, Gaby Dalkin, Visra Vichit-Vadakan, Mei Li, Firefly Restaurant, Haley Sausner, Bruce Cole, Nojo Restaurant, and Greg Dunmore, for being generous with your wisdom and for welcoming low-sodium so warmly into the greater culinary world.

To the pros, Jenni Ferrari-Adler, Adelaide Mueller, Rebekah Peppler, Jenais Zarlin, Sarah Billingsley, Emily Dubin, Hillary Caudle, Doug Ogan, Ellen Wheat, Vanessa Dina, John Lee, Lillian Kang, Emma Star Jensen, Veronica Sjoen, Stephan Lam, Barb Stuckey, Dr. Rachel K. Johnson, Erin McCormick, Nikki Gepner, Katy Wilkens, Beth Shanaman, Karsha Chang, and Heather Bandura, for believing in my words, my recipes, and my mission.

To my friends, all of you; you and you and you, toowho accepted my low-sodium food and lifestyle from the very beginning. Who tested recipes. Ate recipes. Created recipes. And continually inspire new recipes.

To the caffeine providers, the crews at Bernies, Philz on 24th, and La Boulange, for letting me work for endless hours in your establishment while sipping very small cups of coffee.

To my two kidneys, Frank and Stein, who taught me everything about perseverance and conquering the impossible. Without you two, none of this would be possible.

Congratulations, my friends. You are about to experience food and flavor like never before.

Bland and boring. Low-sodium diets have a pretty bad reputation. I get it. You lose the salt, you lose flavor. You lose your favorite foods. You lose out on the social fun of sharing a pizza. But after twelve years of low-sodium cooking, dining, and living, I can say with confidence that none of these rumors hold true.

After being diagnosed with lupus-related kidney failure in 2004, I started on a low-sodium diet with determination, willing to do anything to stay healthy and strong. As someone who likes to eat great food (and feed others), I was equally resolute to make this new regimen more than a prescription, and more than just palatable. It had to be as good as anything I ate before losing the salt, or better.

Which brings me to years of eating ridiculously welllike, five-star-level deliciousnessat home, abroad, and with some of the most amazing chefs at the helm. Ive spent years conquering all the seemingly impossible high-sodium challenges. So if you really believe that keeping a low-sodium diet means being doomed to meals of steamed chicken breast, eaten alone while watching Golden Girls reruns, think again. Those low-sodium misperceptions are just plain wrong.

In the following pages, youll discover that a low- sodium diet can be anything but plain. With the right attitude, the right tools, and your righteous imagination, anything is possible on a low-sodium diet, including big flavor and meals shared with friends. And, yes, even bacon.

This guide will help you discover, step by step, the low-sodium potential that lies before you. From the tip of your tongue to the tines of your fork. In your home and in your office. When eating by yourself or with others. We will start by exploring the basics of sodium and salt, and the many ways to eat and live with less of it. Then, well cover the basics of the kitchen and the grocery store, so you become as confident as possible with your cooking adventures. Because, often, the concept of making meals from scratch feels scarier than lowering the sodium. After that, we leave the house and explore solutions to sodium-challenges that occur at work, with friends, and when traveling (to name just a few). And well complete the guide with delicious low-sodium recipes to keep you satisfied any time of the day. These have been woven throughout the guide so you can put all the lessons and tips (and cooking equipment!) to immediate use. By the end, I promise, you will find that once you lose some of that sodium, you will gain more than you could have imagined.

While most of the words in this book come directly from my life and real experiences, youll also hear from a few experts: registered dietitians, salt-eating food writers and bloggers, a former boyfriend (now husband), and even a food developer. They participated in the writing of this book in order to share their wisdom about everythingfrom decoding labels to dating to storing spices. But they are also here as friends, a small sample of the diverse community that helps me eat better and live better and who often joins me at my table. Beyond being wise, these friends serve as proof that you will not go low-so alone.

Which brings me to another important point: I wrote this book with you in mind, but it is not just for you. It is for everyone. Because in its most basic form, a low-sodium diet is a diet free of processed food and full of whole, fresh ingredients, or, as I like to say, low-so food is just slow food with the letters mixed around. Whether you know people who are on a plant-based diet, doing the Whole 30 challenge, or simply eating clean, the core principle remains the same: Ditch the junk for real ingredients. And the tips, recipes, and advice in this book are truly applicable to anyonefrom those on a special eating plan to those looking for fresh ideas on how to eat more fresh food. So dont hog this book for yourselfshare it. Theres literally something for everyone in here.