Cookbook: The Paleo Kitchen: Finding Primal Joy in Modern Cooking by Juli Bauer of PaleOMG & George Bryant of Civilized Caveman

Overall Impression: This book is a great resource for people interested in trying out the Paleo lifestyle without having to sacrifice their favorite comfort foods!

The Paleo diet has gained a huge following these past several years. The diet claims to follow the blueprint of what our ancestors ate and excludes things thought to be difficult to digest such as grains, legumes, dairy, processed oils, and refined sugars. You might be staring at me blankly right now thinking, “Well, then what the heck am I supposed to eat — sounds like a bummer.” I hear you.

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Sometimes I buy a baguette or a loaf of sourdough, brioche, or ciabatta, and for one reason or another, it doesn’t get finished. I always have good intentions of storing the extras in the freezer for later. But all too often I forget and a day or two later I have a loaf of stale bread on my hands.

If you find yourself in the same position, instead of tossing it, try these great ways to get more life out of your stale bread.

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It’s still summer, and that means plenty of gatherings and potlucks with friends. There are al fresco dinner parties and cookouts aplenty. As a guest, I never like to show up empty-handed. I like bringing a little something to say thank you to my hosts, and if that thank you just happens to look like a spicy tequila that’s been infused with jalapeños — well, that’s even better. I’ve never had a host (or fellow guest) be disappointed with this easy cocktail contribution!

Here’s how I make it — the best part is it takes only a few minutes of work and a couple hours of steeping. Last-minute gift, here you go!

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Few months ago I purchased a small tub of white truffle butter from a French man who was offering samples from his booth at the Marin Farmer’s Market. At $10 for 3 ounces it was expensive, at least for my budget. But the French man was very charming and the sample was quite good so I took it home, threw it in the freezer and over the course of the last several weeks, dipped in here and there to add just a hint of that wild, delightful, truffle magic to all sorts of dishes.

A little goes a long way and that, my friends, is your good news for today.

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