Customer Reviews

One Bite at a Time, Revised: Nourishing Recipes for Cancer Survivors and Their Friends

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been fortunate enough not to have had cancer, but this book is terrific for anyone who wants to eat well. The format is great and informative. It is a pleasure to read a cookbook that is accessible. When I read it I feel like I am in the kitchen with the author by my side.The beautiful color photographs will entice you to head to your kitchen.I have made several of the recipes and they are delicious and easy to make. Rebecca Katz's pantry ideas are great! One stop at an organic grocer and your pantry will be stocked with healthful ingredients that you can now use for everything you cook. Using this book is an easy way to make your lifestyle more healthful.

This an excellent book. I bought it for my mother-in-law who has pancreatic cancer. I am a nutritionist and she looked to me for some assistance. My main concern is to just keep her appetite so she keeps eating. I happened upon this book at a book festival and was pleasantly surprised. The recipes were nutritious, not complicated and had aroused all of the senses--she loves the smells and the tastes of everything we make. While she was researching specialized diet books that gave her a list of foods that she should eat, this book brought it all together. It bridged that gap. It also has some wonderful stories inside. It should be given to all cancer patients but then again, I find myself making these recipes for my own family--We love it just as much as she does!!

What a fabulous cookbook! The recipes are so interesting to read and for quantities that allow freezing. The two squash soup was the best thing I've ever eaten that didn't contain chocolate. The food is brilliant spiced. Ms. Katz is a genius at designing food that is both healthy and delicious. My mom died of cancer 12 years ago, and I so wish I had this book then. Now I'm cooking for my health and tastebuds, and sharing this with food with my husband and friends. Several have bought the cookbook for the humor, the pictures, the recipes as well as the info about maintaining high quality nutrition.

One Bite at a Time is a cookbook by Rebecca Katz designed for cancer survivors and cancer patients. Its goal is simple yet all too difficult: to create food that fits within the dietary constraints of cancer survivors, nourishes them, and yet tastes so delicious to their altered taste buds and rebellious systems that they'll want to eat it. This food is also designed to be easy for them and their caregivers to make at home.

Ms. Katz set out on this course because she had family and friends who were diagnosed with cancer, and whom she wanted to help care for. She noted that many patients didn't know how to convert the limited lists of foods they were given into something they'd like, so she put her knowledge as a chef to work creating food they would actually enjoy.

She does more than that, however. She includes simple instructions for using a few basic ingredients to help you balance the flavors of any dish to your liking, so that however your taste buds have been affected, you'll be able to (with a little practice) make food that tastes good to you. She has incredible understanding of and empathy for the particular food and taste problems cancer survivors suffer, and that shines through in this book.

Here's the rub: the recipes in this book are so delicious and flavorful, and so healthy, that I'd recommend EVERYONE go out and buy a copy. That way, not only can you enjoy the benefits of these recipes and the information on flavors, but the next time you find out that a relative, friend, or neighbor has cancer (sadly, an all-too-common occurrence these days), instead of feeling helpless, you'll know exactly what you can do to help a little.

We made a fruit tart from this cookbook that was absolutely awesome. It focused on the fruit, and the crust incorporated ground cashews to give it a rich, satisfying taste that required absolutely no butter! (And if you don't have a tart pan on hand, a pie plate will work just fine.) There are recipes in here that make use of grains such as quinoa to beautiful effect---one of my favorite dishes incorporated both quinoa and couscous with vegetables, herbs, and seasonings. I could have eaten it for days without growing tired of it.

Perhaps best of all, an entire section gives caregivers and friends tips for helping out: reaching out to your friend or family member with cancer; understanding the cancer patient's difficulties with taste, digestion, and energy; building up a "culinary support team". This information is utterly invaluable and vastly insightful.

One Bite at a Time is one of those rare books I wish I could push into the hands of everyone I know and meet. It's the kind of book that's useful to everyone and that you'll want to already have on hand should the need ever arise. So grab a copy---you won't be sorry you did.

I have always been a foodie. Ever since I was a young girl, I've loved to cook and have taken great pride in my discerning palate. Unfortunately, my passion for red meat and rich food had to be redirected after I was diagnosed with breast cancer. While on my quest to learn how to "cook for cancer," I searched high and low for cookbooks that featured food that was delicious, nutritious, easy to prepare, and likely to be embraced by my friends and family. It wasn't until I met chef Rebecca Katz that my search finally ended. As a student of Rebecca's, I was fortunate enough to learn first-hand how to make mouth-watering dishes using healing, nutrient-rich ingredients. Fortunately for those who have not had an opportunity to take classes from Rebecca, you can now benefit from her knowledge, wisdom, and culinary prowess because she has captured the essence of everything I learned in her new book, "One Bite at a Time." If you or anyone you know suffers from cancer--or any illness caused by a compromised immune system--one of the best gifts that you could give yourself or a loved one is "One Bite at a Time."

I'm a health supportive chef and oncology nurse and have been working with people with cancer for over 25 years. It's about time that there is such a beautiful and sensible book on whole foods cooking for those living with and through cancer. Bravo, Rebecca Katz---you've done it!

Laura Pole, RN, MSN, Chef

I bought this book for my sister who is beginning her chemo. The dishes we made together were so delicious I bought a copy of the book for myself. The Magic Mineral Broth is so good I keep a pitcher of it in the refrigerator and have a glass of it almost every day...yes, it's tasty cold. I'm fortunate my local grocery stores have a reasonable array of organic foods; the tiny local Asian market had most of the rest, and I made a trek to Whole Foods for the two items I couldn't find locally. The butternut squash stuffed with rice and the roast chicken (and subsequent roast chicken broth) are really "to live for."

I use this book daily for recipe ideas. All the recipes I have tried have been excellent. The different flavors and variety and information is perfect for anyone. You don't have to have cancer or be a cancer survivor or care taker. The recipes are wonderful. The Magic Mineral Broth recipe is just the best. I use it often as the base to making rice instead of plain water. Everyone who have tasted my rice have just loved it. The broth can be frozen and I at times drink it straight instead of teas. It is full of vitamins and minerals that the body needs. Try it for yourself!!

This book is filled with nourishment for both the body and soul. While the title clearly indicates that these recipes were created to provide nutritious meals for cancer patients whose needs are heightened on so many levels, the book is also a guide to healthy eating and cooking regardless of your stage in the health/life cycle. I have made many of these recipes for my family and friends and also for people undergoing cancer treatments. Each recipe has been a complete joy to try, because the food is just so incredibly good! I have been grateful for the tools and recommendations that Rebecca provides in her book for helping cancer patients and their caregivers through food. Rebecca Katz is a true professional. And her book is a gift to all of us who love to cook and who love to nourish ourselves and others.

Without insulting your intelligence, this book nurtures both patient and caregiver and anyone else within range of the kitchen. I love how this book understands and expands on food as a form of comfort and nutrition.

A real keeper.