The Paleo Diet - Robb Wolf on Paleolithic nutrition, intermittent fasting, and fitness

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Paleo Comfort Foods!!

I need to tell y’all about a book, Paleo Comfort Foods. Here is the Foreword that I wrote for the book, check it out and then meet me at the bottom. I’ll bring brownies.

 

I had an idea for a cookbook. Once. Then a set of circumstances proved to me that my cookbook would not be as unique, good, or snazzy as I’d like . . . so I scuttled the whole idea. To understand why the idea of writing my own cookbook seemed silly requires a little backstory. You see, I wrote the New York Times best-selling book The Paleo Solution, and apparently after you write a successful nutrition/diet-oriented book you produce a follow-up cookbook.

Ducks quack, cats purr, and apparently nutrition gurus write (or subcontract) cookbooks.

So, I was mulling over this idea of a cookbook while on a trip to Atlanta, Georgia. Some of my very dearest friends (who are serious foodies) live in Atlanta, so I was pretty excited about this trip. My wife, Nicki, and I were scheduled to have dinner with two sets of friends: Jeff and Melissa Hayes (owners of one branch of the best gym in Atlanta, BTB Fitness) and Charles and Jules Mayfield (owners of the other branch of Atlanta’s best gym, BTB Fitness). These folks know good food and good booze, and they are great athletes and outstanding coaches. Dinner was a Thai theme with paleo ingredients that included grilled chicken, a green curry, and cauliflower “rice.” It’s tough to describe how amazing this food was without using enough four-letter explicative’s to give this book an NC-17 rating.

It was amazing.

Every time I’ve been in Atlanta I’ve had a meal or two with these folks, and the food that Charles and Jules make is just second to none. I was reflecting on the previous meals I’ve shared with the Atlanta crew, and right before I lost consciousness from a Curry Coma I mumbled, “you guys need to make a cookbook.”

With Southern-tipped drawls, Charles and Jules simultaneously said, “Excuse me?” I repeated myself, all while ladling another helping of four-alarm curry into my bowl.

“Really?” they asked.

“Yesfg,” was the closest affirmative I could muster while still shoveling curry and leaving the teensiest respiratory passageway for that silly stuff “air.”

Charles and Jules have fed me paleo interpretations of: Greek, Italian, Indian, Mexican, and several other ethnic cuisines, and their food is amazing. Perhaps most impressive for me, however, was Charles & Jules’s Paleo spin on Southern U.S. cooking. My family (on my mom’s side) is from Appleton, Arkansas, so I grew up with biscuits and gravy, fried okra, berry cobblers, and food so good that you could just weep eating it. Or, you could weep when you (or me in this case) discover you are gluten intolerant and many of the old standards are simply not options anymore if you want to be healthy.

I consider myself an athlete, I work to squeak as much performance out of my body as I can, and good-quality food is central to my quest to stay healthy, lean, and strong. That’s all great, but food is much more than “fuel.” Food should be about traditions, holidays, family gatherings, and nights on the town with friends and loved ones. This is what Paleo Comfort Foods is all about. The best food you have ever eaten, made with ingredients that will not create those other fun social gatherings—the funeral.

As I’m writing this foreword I realize that this book was born of everything that food should be about: People you love, good times, fond memories, and food that is worth a second or third helping. It was a dinner party in Atlanta that convinced me that my cookbook would be an infantile attempt compared to what Charles and Jules make every single day. I make good food, but Paleo Comfort Foods is great food. So, in many ways, this is “my” cookbook in that it shows you how to cook the type of food I’d want to eat every day, especially if I have great people to share it with. These recipes are easy and time-efficient, and, as I mentioned, they span the world of culinary offerings. If you or someone you know had reservations about eating “Paleo” because you’d be missing out on some old favorites, you will find help in this book.

——

Ok, I lied, I don’t have brownies. If you ever see me on the street you can remind me of this moment and I could likely be persuaded to buy you some coffee and dark chocolate. But for now, let’s talk about Paleo Comfort Foods. This is a phenomenal cook book, as I said in my foreword, it was so good that I skipped making a cookbook of my own. I love making money, but I detest doing me-too crap that I know is not the best thing I can offer up. When I talked Jules & Charles into writing this book, I “officially” checked out of doing one myself.

Ok, so what?

Well, I’d like to see this thing make New York Times bestseller. Now, obviously this would be nice as these folks are my friends, but it would be a hell of a feather in the collective Paleo/Primal cap to get a cookbook featuring these foods to be acknowledged in the most prestigious book list in the world. People are often reticent to change their nutrition for fear they will “never” get their favorite foods again. Now we have an answer. So I’m going to do a number of posts, give-aways and generally raise a hub-bub about this book and see if we can get it on the Times list. the official release date is right around Sept 12, so we need to get as many copies sold in this pre-release period as well as the first week of release…that’s when things are tallied for the first week and it’s our best chance at success. Here is the promo video for Paleo Comfort Foods, check it out:

 

Looks pretty good, yes? Well, to help kick this whole thing off, Jules & charles are offering a give-away. If you buy a copy of the book, just send a confirmation of the order to charles at btbfitness dot com. and you will be entered to win this:

This time, it’s another beauty of a Le Creuset piece named Cherry. She’s 4 quarts of fun, in an oval heritage shape, valued at $220. Made of enameled cast iron, she’s versatile, easy to clean, and long-lasting. She loves the oven, the stove (gas or electric, even induction), and also likes pina coladas as well as getting caught in the rain. So come on down, Miss Le Creuset Cherry Heritage Cocotte!

Don’t forget, the contest ends July 31st at midnight.  Be sure to get us your proof of purchase before then.  Good luck everyone and thank you for your support.

Not familiar with Le Creuset? Check out this write up. And for more information on the giveaway, go to Paleo Comfort Foods. 

So, If you love good food, give this book a go. It’s the closest thing I’ll ever have to a cookbook, but I do admit that Jules and Charles have offered to ship me non-stop curry if we kick-ass on book sales.

 

Paleo Comfort Foods

Comments

  1. Robb, I will never see you in the street but you can buy me coffee & dark chocolate anyway and I’ll buy the cookbook 😀

    Reply

  4. I’m glad I read this today, as I will be going online this aft to make some other purchases–so I will definitely put in a pre-order. My home is completely paleo/gluten free and I have two little kids (and I prepare paleo lunches for both of them), so yummy recipes that my kids will be asking for are just what I need!

    I also agree with Robb that getting this on the best-seller list is a great way to spread the word. There are always threads on the forum about how discouraged people are when they see their friends/family eatingly terribly (and suffering for it). But trying to convert people by preaching often makes them even more resistant. Helping a book like this go mainstream is a great way to help others!

    Reply

  5. Wow! I have been waiting for this, but I didn’t know I wouldn’t have to wait long. I have been following a Paleo lifestyle for about two months and I have been healthy as a horse since then. However, I have thought a time or two of how I would be tempted to eat if I ever caught the occasional cold or flu. I just couldn’t see myself wanting to tuck into a plate of stir-fry if my body wasn’t feeling its usual perky self. This is usually where the Rice Krispies and toast made up most of my meals until I was all bright and sunshiny again. I am giddy thinking about the Paleo comfort foods I can enjoy, both healthy and with a bout of the sniffles!

    Reply

  7. Robb, thanks for all the support and motivation to put this project in motion. We are getting quite a few folks sending in their entries to the contest…Awesome!

    I do want to echo your comment above- this would be a HUGE feather in the cap of the Paleo/Primal eating movement for a cookbook to hit NYT Best Seller. Just another step on getting this way of life more legit in the eyes of the masses.

    Keep up the great work and I’ll get that curry shipment off to you ASAP 🙂

    Reply

      • I found a few, but not many entrees. I’m not interested in seeing the recipes themselves, but a list of them would be confidence inspiring. This book is exactly what I’ve been dreaming of! I’m a burger and potatoes guy, and the paleo recipes floating around there are almost always for some exotic thing.

        Reply

  11. Done! After all, being from Arkansas and knowing the true meaning of “southern comfort”, how could I resist? 🙂

    Reply

  12. Robb, I recently picked up an Android tablet, and am curious if this will be available on Google Books. Also, when is the Paleo Solution going to go on Google Books? I’ve been Paleo for 3 months (read Cordain’s book), listening to your podcasts for the last month. Thanks for bringing the knowledge.

    Reply

  14. Hi Robb~ I just signed up for your newsletter and meal plans, etc. You sent me blank pages. Also, your website still won’t load…

    Reply

  18. This book looks so sweet. I’ll be doing my best on my blog to help get those sales. It’s yhe perfect cookbook for people who think eating paleo is boring.

    Reply

  21. Rob – Didn’t you mention on the podcast when your book came out that orders for multiple copies of the book only count once for the bestsellers list? So if we want to order several cookbooks, we should order them separately? Right?
    I can’t wait to get copies for my family and friends!

    Reply

  27. Rob – thanks for the post! I just pre-ordered a copy and had an e-mail exchange with Charles Mayfield. Turns out his BTB Vinings Gym location is about 5 miles from my house. I’m glad to support local entrepreneurs and authors and am excited for the cookbook!

    Reply

  28. Robb,

    I’ve placed my order, entered in the contest, and already exchanged emails with the lovely authors! Thanks for the tip, can’t wait to get the cookbook!

    GO TEAM PALEO!!!

    – M

    Reply

  30. Sounds amazing!! But I guess it will take a while to get to Brazil lol. Already anxious for the Kindle version!!

    Reply

  33. I pre-ordered the book, can I email my confirmation to Charles to sign up for the contest? If so, can you provide his email? Thank you! Can’t wait to get the book!

    Reply

  34. man, i just went hole out (cos imma lady) and bought 7 books including the pre-order for the paleo comfort foods on amazon! whoot! all paleo/primal. and i got an offer for the amazon credit card and they gave me an additional $40 gift certificate. if i don’t win the le creuset i’ll be bummed, but still a winner, all those books only cost me $74!!! rad!

    melissa

    Reply

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robb

Robb Wolf is a former research biochemist and 2X New York Times/Wall Street Journal Best-selling author of The Paleo Solution and Wired To Eat. Along with Diana Rodgers, he co-authored the book, Sacred Cow, which explains why well-raised meat is good for us and good for the planet. Robb has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world via his top-ranked iTunes podcast, books, and seminars. He also co-founded the 1st and 4th CrossFit affiliate gyms in the world, The Healthy Rebellion community platform, and is the co-founder of DrinkLMNT Electrolytes.

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