Paleo Cookbook Review: Make It Paleo

by Neely
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Yet another Paleo cookbook has entered the scene. After Sarah Fragoso’s Everyday Paleo and the more recent Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie and Charles Mayfield, as well as Loren Cordain and Nell Stephenson’s recent The Paleo Diet Cookbook, and others… here’s yet another: Make It Paleo by Bill Staley and Hayley Mason.

No one can ever again rationalize not eating Paleo because they don’t know what they’d possibly eat on the diet. This new cookbook contains over 200 grain-free recipes “for any occasion.” Here are my thoughts on the book.

There are a lot of recipes. There are plenty of familiar recipes, like:

  • Shrimp Cocktail
  • Pulled Pork BBQ
  • Chicken soup
  • Deviled eggs

And then there are more gourmet options such as

  • Prosciutto e Melone
  • Carrot Souffle
  • Lamb Meatballs with Mint Pesto

Yum! There are even some things I’ve never seen in the other Paleo cookbooks, like:

  • Baba Ghanoush
  • Grilled Clams with Garlic Drizzle
  • Hot Pepper Hummus
  • Coconut-Nested Eggs

There are plenty of simple recipes, and some are more creative than others to tantalize your palate and other senses.

Now, this book isn’t what I’d call strict Paleo. It’s written by a couple, Bill Staley and Hayley Mason, who are obviously Paleo connoisseurs, but they take a more lenient approach in my opinion. It’s good because it caters to people who eat dairy and don’t always want to eat raw honey. They use a lot of cream and butter in their recipes, and their desserts almost all use maple syrup.

If you’re dairy free, it’s simple to substitute another fat source for the butter or cream (coconut oil, coconut milk, etc.), except I REALLY wanted that Cream Cheese Frosting to be dairy free! Seriously, though. But there’s really no way around cream cheese — if anyone has a Paleo substitute for that deliciousness, I’ll gladly take it.

As for the maple syrup, I think you can make things taste just as delicious with raw honey, and it has a much lower glycemic index (20-30 as opposed to 50-60 for the maple syrup). I actually made the Pumpkin Chiffon Pie (it’s autumn, after all!) and used honey instead of the syrup. Delicious.

The pictures in the book are gorgeous — just beautiful. As I sit here and flip through the book now, I’m salivating. It’s also really well organized by type of meat and type of dish (breakfast, entrees, salads, soups, sauces and dressings, side dishes, and “treats and cheats”). And man, do they have some amazing treats and cheats!

  • Chocolate Pudding Pie
  • Coconut Fudge
  • Peppermint Patties
  • Several different kinds of ice cream
  • …and much more.

They definitely do a great job of making old favorites Paleo, and not just those sweet treats. All across the board. If you’re looking to expand your repertoire, this is yet another good book to do that with. Or if you’re looking for recipes for Thanksgiving dinner or other holidays coming up, they put entire meals together in the back of the book just for special occasions. It’s a nice bonus I think. Bon appetit!

You can buy the book at Amazon here.