annieb123
Written on Oct 25, 2022
Easy Dirty Keto Cookbook is an accessible guide to keto by Emilie Bailey. Released 23rd August 2022 from Callisto on their Rockridge Press imprint, it's 242 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
The introduction covers the basics of the keto lifestyle/diet, including a basic primer on ketosis, macronutrients, tips, ingredients, pantry lists and shopping/planning tips.
The following chapters include the recipes arranged roughly by category: breakfast, snacks & appetizers, vegetarian sides & mains, fish & seafood, poultry, beef pork & lamb, and desserts. The table of contents lists each recipe in its chapter subheading. The layout and typeface is no frills, high contrast, and easy to read.
Ingredient measurements are supplied in imperial (American standard) measurements only. There's a conversion chart for metric measures in the appendices. The prep times, net carbs, servings, and tips and options are listed in well laid out sidebars. The ingredients are listed in a bullet list followed by step by step directions. The author does recommend real-world timesavers like using premade jarred pasta sauce (the recipes rely heavily on premade (often precooked) ingredients - this is *not* slow cooking from scratch). The recipes are drawn from a surprisingly broad number of world cuisines - Asian, southwestern, Tex-Mex, Cajun, European, etc.
Inspiring real life quotes and thoughts are highlighted in yellow in the text, giving readers an extra little boost. Some readers might find the cheerleading over the top, but I found the author's voice very encouraging and friendly. I found myself thinking "wow, she really gets it".
This really felt like a keto-friendly cookbook for me: short on time/money, impatient with impossible-to-source "weird" ingredients, and cooking for myself and a family of non-keto eaters. I found it impressive and pretty easy to follow. A small real-life occurrence - my endocrinologist said at my last visit I was one of the few patients who had actually gone DOWN in weight since covid began. That made me feel good.
Four stars. One codicil, there are very few pictures included in the book. The dishes and serving suggestions which are included (though few) are attractive and appropriate.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes