Super Natural Every Day

Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen By Heidi Swanson, Ten Speed Press; 2011. Paperback. $23; 247 pages

Like her popular blog, 101Cookbooks.com, Heidi Swanson's book teems with luscious photography and punchy prose. Recipes are weeknight-doable and subscribe to her definition of "natural," using whole or minimally processed foods. Notes encourage us to trust the author: Turnip Chips are "the least perfect chips you'll ever make ... but their roasted buttery sweetness makes them too good not to include." Recipes are simple and tasty. White Beans and Cabbage or Wild Rice Casserole are everyday comfort classics, and they sit alongside more boldly flavored—but no more fussy—dishes like Chanterelle Tacos or Harissa Ravioli. The latter is made with convenient packaged pasta, ingeniously fusing two Mediterranean flavors that should have been paired sooner.

GIVE THIS TO: Home cooks looking for adventurous yet uncomplicated ideas. —Robin Bashinsky