This recipe book is amazing. So many beautiful recipes that focus in healthy foods. The recipes are well written and easy to follow. The pictures are gorgeous. Definitely my new go to cookbook.

Great ideas cook book. In the past year I have been researching and working towards, not only a healthier diet but also avoiding food which we used to consider perfectly good. I now see that much of our British diet is not beneficial and we need to look for the best of health in all cultural diets to produce a varied and helpful food intake for us all. This book is a good start to exactly that idea. I intend to purchase a hard copy once published as i do like to actually hold and use a real cookery book!

I have been following a Med Diet for decades. It works very well for me.

Unfortunately I didn't care for any of the recipes. Today's cooks don't have hours to prepare food and this just didn't cut it.

The photos were lovely but just too many ingredients.


NetGalley/ Cider Mill Press March 04, 2025

I feel somewhat conflicted about this book.
The recipes are beautiful - restaurant-worthy, authentic world foods (I was surprised to see the feature of natto, which is probably the most difficult food for non-Japanese people to apprehend) and very healthy...

Most dishes have a photo which makes it easy to know what you are getting into.
But there really was no introduction and "story" whatsoever around any of the recipes, and the book ended up feeling very naked and the foods completely disconnected.

I think because there is no cultural background to hold a natural narrative, having the list of ingredients and steps with nothing else to tell us why this is a great recipe, felt sad. And instead of being excited like I usually am with a new cookbook, this book felt very lonely.

That obviously doesn't remove from the quality of the recipes, but it's not a book I will cherish thanks to its personality, rather I see it as something utilitarian.

The Blue Kitchen is a cookbook that proposes healthy, plant-forward recipes from the 'blue zones'.
The blue zones are the areas with the highest life expectancy in the world although this wasn't clearly explained in the book, which would have been nice.
The recipes themselves are really appealing and I know that i will try several of them. Having said that, I do come from an area that adopts a Mediterranean diet and I am aware that there's cultural elements that will inevitably get lost in translation when adapted for an American audience - but I still feel that they need to be brought up. Mostly, I feel that the book misses that what makes blue zone diets so successful is not just what is eaten, but how: food is a social experience, people have a very low-stress lifestyle (and they are definitely not stressed about their diet). The book makes no mention of this; instead there's an overarching theme of "eating healthier to buy yourself more time" and a slight opposition between the desire to be healthier and the desire of "your previous life and its comforting foods" (let me assure you, this dichotomy does not exist in most blue zone areas, in fact it's quite incompatible with their culture). And in line with this there's no dessert section - let me assure you, a southern Italian family wouldn't miss out on dessert, and there's plenty of fruit salads / baked fruit recipes that would have been in line with a healthy diet! But alas, the relationship with the food experience described in the book is much more in line with American culture than with those experienced in the area and I completely understand why that's necessary in a book made for an American audience.
I also think it would have been nice to have a bit of cultural context for the recipes / an explanation of where they come from (but the book works ok without these).
Overall, I probably wouldn't buy the book myself but I can see why it would be appealing for some people.

The Blue Kitchen is based on the concept of healthy eating from different corners of the world. Although it focuses on fresh vegetables, fruits and grains, it is not strictly a vegetarian cookbook. There are dishes with seafood and meat as well. The photos of the food are colorful and appetizing. There are many that I am looking forward to trying. There’s a delicious sounding recipe for eggplant that doesn’t include cheese (which I can’t eat). I used to really enjoy eggplant parmigiana. But eggplant on its own is pretty boring. But this recipe, Eggplant with Black Bean Garlic and Basil sounds delicious! There are also a variety of bowls and salads and the Spicy Shrimp Bowls and Greek Chicken Bowls sound like where I will start. There are also bowls with just veggies and grains. There seems to be something for everyone. The concept seems similar to the popular Mediterranean diet but with foods from many cultures. This is a good addition for anyone looking for healthy recipes.

#TheBlueKitchen #NetGalley #CiderMillPress

I used this for meal prep inspiration this week, and I love the range of flavors it covers. All of these recipes look like they would taste great and make me feel good. Love to see healthy recipes that are also cognizant of taste and variety.

I received an ARC of this cookbook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The recipes in this cookbook are not only very nourishing, but they are creative and interesting and would make a nice addition to the meal rotation!

This beautiful book had me plotting to prepare restaurant quality dishes from home! 4 stars because some of the ingredients are not readily and the recipes do seem a bit complicated for the home cook like me. That said they all sound delicious and I’ll definitely be testing my skills!
Thank you to NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for the review copy

While I really liked this cookbook, I do wish it was organized or labeled by blue zone. It would help bring a cultural competence to the book. There are a few recipes I am definite interesting in trying! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I have just finished watching a Netflix series on the Blue Zone. It is truly inspiring. I am in my mid 50s and suffer from PSA, so I have always been careful with my diet. This book is perfect for people that are health conscious. I will definitely buy it when it is out.

If you're looking to add some wholesome, plant-forward dishes to your menu, *The Blue Kitchen* is a great place to start! This cookbook offers a treasure trove of delicious recipes that are both healthy and satisfying. Whether you're whipping up a colorful salad or a hearty grain bowl, these dishes prove that nutritious meals can also be packed with flavor.

On our date nights, my husband and I love trying new recipes, and this book has given us a ton of inspiration. I remember the first time we tackled one of the plant-forward entrees—it was packed with protein and veggies, and we both agreed it was one of the best meals we'd made together!

What I love most about this book is how it combines old-world wisdom with fresh, modern ingredients, helping us eat well while living fully. So, if you're looking to transform your meals and add a little health boost to your lifestyle, *The Blue Kitchen* is a must-have!

I requested to read this book because of its content - the concept of healthy-happy recipes.
But…it has exceeded my expectations! I found myself immersed in a new world of recipes from various cultures and all fresh and serene.
The design and presentation have such a quality and they work well with the philosophies and the wisdom behind these recipes.