So, I know some of you readers out there really don’t like Gwyneth Paltrow.  If you are one of them, might I suggest the next post below? If you are on the fence about her, like me, you should keep reading. While I do think she can be a bit shallow in her approach (what, you DON’T have an outside pizza oven?), I do like her simple and healthy methodology about cooking, and come on guys, she can be gentle? I do think however, if her and Ina Garten got together in one place the world would spontaneously combust with their “holier than thouness” of it all (if you don’t have ground unicorn horn fresh from your own personal unicorn collection in your back yard in the Hamptons…table salt, I guess, will do…). For more laughs, check out Eater.com’s favorite lines from the Gwyneth’s new cookbook, It’s All Good; I’ll admit, I stifled a giggle while reading.

But seriously, this is about the It’s All Good cookbook and testing and tasting the dishes. I have to say, it really is good! The recipes are simple and direct. A few of the ingredients had me scratching my head and scouring Whole Foods and Central Market – such as xylitol, what? But overall, it’s a great little cookbook. The dishes are flavorful, healthy and David and I agree that you don’t feel like you are “missing” anything by eating this way.

The book has received a bit of flack about her non-recipe recipes such as boiling an egg or her Avocado Toast, which is merely spreading Veganaise, ripe avocado and salt on a piece of toast. I’ve got to defend her here. When I think of my Mom’s delicious Southern cooking, the one thing I’ve noticed is it’s pretty simple ingredients but done with a very specific technique, or three simple little things put together that maybe you hadn’t thought of. Don’t knock technique or simple combinations y’all, otherwise, my mom’s calling of frozen okra, corn meal and salt wouldn’t turn into the most amazing fried okra you’ve ever had (the secret is getting it just golden enough and pulling it off the heat at the right time, I think I’ve mastered it these days but it took me YEARS to get it down).

I can’t share the recipes here, so go out and grab a copy, and check out a sneak peek here at Self.com. A few of my favorites so far are: Salmon with Lee’s Sriracha and Lime (yes, you make your own sriracha…yes, you will kick butt at it); New York Street Vendor Salad with Yogurt-Tahini Dressing; Crazy Good Fish Tacos (the sauce on this one is, well, all good and then some); Chinese Chicken Salad; Power Chopped Salad with Parsley Dressing (I served this at a dinner party and got rave reviews); Lee’s Chopped Vietnamese Salad; Grilled Duck with Lee’s Hoisin Sauce (see sriracha note above…easy breezy…you will kick butt!).