viii foreword I FIRST MET CRISTY KISNER a couple of years ago, during a very scary time in my life. I’d just been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. I was having frightening symptoms, including unex- plained joint pain that was spreading through my body. And my bloodwork was quite concerning, to say the least. Perhaps the most disconcert- ing part of an autoimmune condition is that it comes from within. For my entire life I’d viewed my body as an ally— a partner in the fight against microbes, ailments, and maladies. It had always been us against the world, but not anymore. Suddenly, my body was working against itself. It had become its own worst enemy. And that was a frightening and disorienting prospect. I’d discovered Cristy’s café and bakery, Cristy’s Kitchen, by chance a few months earlier. It was actually my wife who made the discovery, as she is constantly on the lookout for good organic food. We didn’t live particu- larly close to the restaurant. It was a forty- five- minute drive from our house. But we decided to stop in one day on the way home from a hiking trip. I didn’t meet Cristy that day, as she was back in the kitchen. But the food was deli- cious, and her husband, Sebastián, stopped by our table long enough for us to learn the fam- ily’s story. Cristy’s journey with food had begun with her own daughter’s autoimmune disease, which had seemed incurable. And out of des- peration for her daughter’s health, she learned to cook delicious recipes with only the purest ingredients. Two things happened: her daugh- ter’s symptoms began to subside, and Cristy became an expert in organic cooking. Not long afterward, Sebastián’s furniture business failed and the family emigrated from Peru to America and opened Cristy’s Kitchen. I was inspired by their story, and of course the food was deli- cious. So my wife and I made the long drive out to Roswell, Georgia, several more times. Eventually, I got to know Cristy quite well. And when I learned of my diagnosis, she was the first person I thought to call. Cristy took charge immediately. I gave her complete control of my diet. For two months I hired her to prepare all my meals. But it wasn’t just food that she was providing. She took time to give me comfort in many a late- night text thread. She spoke directly to the most difficult part of the diagnosis: the feeling that my body had become its own worst enemy, and I was all alone in the fight. View your body as a friend, she would say. Love your body. And most important: Give your body what it needs. And after years of research, Cristy seemed to know exactly what my body needed. With every dish that she de- livered, Cristy gave me hope. And I’ve always felt that this is the most important thing she of- fers. Cristy gives hope; it just happens to come in the form of delicious and healthy food. Over the next couple of months my symp- toms subsided, without a single bit of medica- tion. And they have yet to return. No more swelling. No more joint pain. The only remain- ing symptom is a mild annoyance: whenever it’s below room temperature, my hands turn blue. And this I don’t really mind. I almost view Cristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 8Cristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 81/9/23 10:51 AM1/9/23 10:51 AM ix it as a gentle reminder from my body to give it what it needs. I’m not as puritanical with my diet as I was in the immediate aftermath of my diagnosis. I don’t eat completely clean. But I’m 90 percent better than I used to be, and my body is much better for it. I’ve lost nearly fifty pounds— weight I’d gained from years of care- less eating. Ironically, when I encounter people that I haven’t seen in a long time, they seem worried by the weight loss. They’ll inquire about my health in hushed tones, seeming to think that such a dramatic transformation could only be caused by a serious illness. And they’re right. It was caused by a serious illness. Just not in the way that they fear. I cannot offer scientific proof that my body was healed by Cristy’s food. I’m not a doctor. I haven’t conducted any controlled clinical trials. But I do know one thing. Two years ago I found myself in a very dark place, and I felt there was no way out. Cristy offered to help, and she asked only that I believe in her food. I gave her that belief, and my body healed itself. Whether it was the food or the belief, I will never know. But Cristy gave me both. And it’s hard to say which one I needed more. — BRANDON STANTON Cristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 9Cristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 91/9/23 10:51 AM1/9/23 10:51 AMCristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 16Cristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 161/9/23 10:51 AM1/9/23 10:51 AM1 CERTAIN FOODS AND BAKING INGREDIENTS are mentioned throughout this book and appear in many of my recipes. Some you may not have heard of before because they are more com- mon in other parts of the world. Others you may already use, whether or not you’re aware of their nutritional benefits. I included this section to provide descriptions of these ingredients, infor- mation on their nutritional benefits, and notes on where you can locate lesser- known items. People have different opinions about or- ganic foods— both on what exactly “organic” means and to what extent it affects our health. I am an advocate of organic food, of course, hav- ing personally observed the powerful, beneficial effects that it has had on my family’s health, es- pecially in comparison to a diet based on con- ventional ingredients. Nature is wise, and we should let it guide and teach us instead of manipulating it. I believe that if we keep our eyes open, we can see how everything is connected; what the roles are of insects, birds, earthworms, animals, water; how every little detail in nature exists for a reason and has a purpose. I am a believer in doing the right thing— and not only when creating great food— to ensure the health of our planet and our communities, too, because we are all con- nected. NOTE: I do not include the word “organic” in the list below because I understand that not all read- ers have access to organic foods, whether for physical or financial reasons. But for my fam- ily, everything we eat, put on our skin, or use to clean (and even, if we can find them, the clothes we wear) is as organic as possible. acacia fiber Harvested from the sap of the acacia tree (na- tive to parts of Africa, Pakistan, and India), aca- cia fiber serves as a prebiotic food. Prebiotics are compounds in food that induce the growth or activity of beneficial microorganisms in the gut. When the good bacteria in our gut (such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus) are abundant, they don’t leave enough room for the harmful ones (such as Escherichia coli and Clostridium) to overgrow— and that’s when our microbiota come into balance. It is likely that acacia’s anti- inflammatory activities at the intestinal level help to prevent 1 special ingredients Cristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 1Cristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 11/9/23 10:51 AM1/9/23 10:51 AM22 my favorite cooking tools TO COOK HEALTHY and healing foods at home, having the right cooking equipment will make your life easier. The tools below are those that I consider indispensable and use regularly, both at Cristy’s Kitchen and in my home kitchen. coffee and spice grinder Although I’m not a fan of drinking coffee, I do love the aroma of it freshly ground. I recom- mend using a coffee grinder for the best results, and you can find them with a little spice grinding attachment, which is very handy. While my pre- ferred grinding option is the mortar and pestle (see page 24), certain spices are very hard to grind, and sometimes you just don’t have that much time. In such cases, a spice grinder is just fantastic! A store- bought spice mix can never compete with your own home- roasted, freshly ground version. RECOMMENDED BRAND: KitchenAid Blade Coffee and Spice Grinder Combo Pack cold- press juicer I often get asked what type of juicer I rec- ommend. My favorite is a cold- press juicer because it slowly squeezes all the juice from fruit, vegetables, and herbs while maintaining their nutritional properties and benefits. With a cold- press juicer, you can obtain more nutri- ents and more juice as well, which saves money because you have less waste. If you’re con- sidering buying a cold- press juicer, look for a stainless steel one. If you’re using a centrifuge juicer, I recom- mend drinking the juice immediately after mak- ing it, because the centrifugal extractors have metal blades that move at high speed, produc- ing heat. This causes the ingredients to oxidize; as a result, the nutritional benefits begin to de- cline rapidly. I love to use my cold- press juicer when making Green Juice (page 269). RECOMMENDED BRANDS: Nama, Omega Juicer or, if your budget allows, the stainless steel Angel Juicer dehydrator Dehydrated food is a complex and complete world— and it’s not just about dehydrated fruits and vegetables. I urge you to look into the amazing universe of modern dehydrated food recipes out there. As a bonus, if you dehydrate your favorite snacks yourself, you’ll save lots of money. For an example of the joys of a good dehydrator, see my Coconut Bacon recipe (page 61). RECOMMENDED BRAND: Excalibur food processor In healthy cooking we use a lot of nuts and seeds. The best way to chop them quickly is with a good- quality food processor. I use my Cristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 22Cristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 221/9/23 10:51 AM1/9/23 10:51 AMM y F a v orite C ook in G t oo L s 23 food processor for many other things as well— to make the base of a cheesecake, Cashew Parmesan (page 301), doughs, crusts, and pu- rees, and to chop veggies as well. I recommend a large food processor that can hold between 11 and 14 cups and that comes with a separate smaller container, which allows you to make large or small batches. Some processors also include a spiralizer attachment, which is super useful for spiralizing vegetables that can be used to make veggie “pasta” or to spiralize fruit for a quick apple pie or a fruit salad made with apples and pears. RECOMMENDED BRAND: Cuisinart high- powered blender A high- powered blender is one of the best investments you can make in kitchen equip- ment (when we came to the United States, we brought only clothes and my blender in our suitcases— that’s how important it is to me). A high- powered blender enables you to extract all the juices and oils out of nuts, ensuring that nut milks come out rich and creamy. It also in- creases your control over the consistency of your blended mixtures, allowing you to cre- ate smoothies that range from super silky to ice cream– like. An example of the latter is the Spiced Pumpkin Smoothie Bowl with Caramel- ized Bananas (page 36). RECOMMENDED BRAND: Vitamix Cristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 23Cristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 231/9/23 10:51 AM1/9/23 10:51 AMCristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 84Cristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 841/9/23 10:51 AM1/9/23 10:51 AMCristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 85Cristy's Kitchen_9780063214682_3P.indd 851/9/23 10:51 AM1/9/23 10:51 AMNext >