The Sober Kitchen: Recipes and Advice for a Lifetime of Sobriety (Non) [Paperback]

Liz Scott (Author)

Book Description

Series: Non | Publication Date: August 5, 2003

People in the early stages of alcoholism recovery are often sugar-addicted and nutritionally deficient. Trained chef and recovering alcoholic Liz Scott tackles these issues head on in a cookbook that pursues lifelong sobriety through building a healthy lifestyle around food.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Alcoholics Anonymous's stress management acronym is H-A-L-T, reminding recovering alcoholics to avoid becoming hungry, angry, lonely or tired. But until now, there hasn't been a book intended to help with the hunger. A professional chef in recovery, Scott fills the void with this empathetic volume. Following an introduction to the important role food plays in recovery, Scott provides dozens of easy-to-follow recipes for each of recovery's three stages. In phase one, recipes are simple and intended to combat "years of nutritional neglect and possible extremes of eating the wrong foods or not eating at all." Sub-chapter topics include non-alcoholic beverages, quick snacks to fight hunger pains in a healthy way and treats to curb carbohydrate cravings. Throughout, Scott offers sidebars addressing alcoholic-specific issues, such as using non-alcohol-based vanilla. In phase two, Scott focuses on healthy comfort foods, with somewhat more complex recipes, such as Baked Whole Wheat French Toast with Orange Maple Glaze. Phase three concerns actively "enhancing your health and becoming a sober gourmet." Scott delves into functional foods, re-creating favorites such as chicken Marsala and black forest cake without alcohol. These recipes are appealing for anyone, but the thoughtful advice accompanying almost every entry makes them invaluable for recovering addicts in need of a nourishing diet.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Mere avoidance of cocktails, wine, beer, and liquor may not be enough to keep a recovering alcoholic sober. Alcohol can show up in larger-than-expected concentrations in any dish prepared with wine. Even long-simmered dishes such as Beef Burgundy may retain a small portion of alcohol, enough to set off physical responses in those intolerant. Moreover, certain flavors and textures may need to be avoided because they may set off irresistible cravings. Chef Liz Scott's The Sober Kitchen provides a wealth of basic information and dozens of outstanding recipes to benefit both people in recovery and those who take care of them. In straightforward prose, she explains the dangers of dining out and gives advice on how to avoid being confronted with alcohol-laden dishes. Her recipes show creativity, especially in shortcut desserts. Scott demystifies Chinese condiments and sauces, and she informatively explores the varieties of potatoes now common in markets. An important and original contribution to the literature of health and cooking, this book lacks any tone of self-pity and belongs in public library collections. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Common Press; 1 edition (August 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558322213
• ISBN-13: 978-1558322219
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,017,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tremendous Service, October 9, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sober Kitchen: Recipes and Advice for a Lifetime of Sobriety (Non) (Paperback)

Liz Scott has done a tremendous service to those recovering from substance abuse and others who choose to cook without alcohol

Cookbooks and magazines typically give scant attention, if any, to the needs of those who forgo alcohol in cooking. Stock or water is often recommended as a substitute, despite lacking whatever flavor the wine, beer, or sherry called for in the recipe would contribute, and the results are what you'd expect: flat, dull, or off-putting.

Scott's approach to substitution is more nuanced. By considering the flavors the alcohol would contribute and the role it plays in the dish, she arrives at substitutes that truly work. Where wine plays a supporting role, as in a pan sauce, for instance, she recreates its fruitiness and acidity with a mixture of unsweetened grape juice and wine vinegar. Where the alcohol stars, she reworks the recipe entirely, like the boeuf bourguignon where she uses currant jelly to give depth of flavor and body to the sauce.

I bought the book for the discussion of substitution after I heard Scott interviewed on the radio, but I've found that it offers much more. She provides extensive information on nutrition and practical suggestions on eating better, both in early recovery and over the long haul, by eating more fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, and, without faddishness, by starting to pay attention to food's glycemic index. I was inspired to try roasted soybeans for the first time in a "road to recovery" trail mix with chocolate chips that I liked very much.

The other recipes I've tried--iced herbal tea, granola; a leek and potato soup; pan-fried steak; a roasted pork tenderloin with cumin and apples that took only ten minutes of prep--have been uniformly good: clearly written, easy to prepare, and great-tasting.

The book is structured according to stages of early, established, and long-term recovery, and it allows Scott to be supportive and even gentle-having that ice cream probably won't kill you-while aspiring to continuous improvement. For those in AA, her recommendations about triggers, cravings, HALT, fellowship, and other concepts are mainstream program. Although stricter than some might feel necessary-she tossed out her corkscrew and won't use alcohol-based vanilla extract-her suggestions will help keep you safe.

I recommend the book highly for anyone in recovery who likes to cook, or for that matter, is just interested in taking better care of oneself.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Therapist Recommends "The Sober Kitchen", March 7, 2005

By 

S. Shusta-Hochberg PhD (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sober Kitchen: Recipes and Advice for a Lifetime of Sobriety (Non) (Paperback)

Liz Scott was a professional chef when she stopped drinking. She worried how she could continue to work when her relationship with alcohol had changed so drastically. She found a way to continue cooking professionally without using alcohol OR sacrificing gourmet excellence or exquisite taste. I found Liz Scott's "The Sober Kitchen" when looking for a gift for a sober friend. I ended up buying a copy for myself after reading the great recipes and the sober self-care explanations that are so sensible, whether one is in recovery or just living life on its own terms, no easy feat today. I have drawn upon Ms. Scott's wisdom in my daily work with recovering men and women and have recommended her book to many people. I commend Ms. Scott for sharing her own story in the hope that others will be helped. Her "be-good-to-yourself, you've-been-through-a-lot" attitude towards preparing and enjoying food could benefit virtually anyone, not just the newly sober. Check it out!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sobert Kitchen is a great book for anyone who doesn't use alcohol, December 15, 2007

By 

Susan E. Burnash (Kirkland, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sober Kitchen: Recipes and Advice for a Lifetime of Sobriety (Hardcover)

I was recently involved in organizing a recovery walk in Kirkland, Washington and had the pleasure of meeting Liz Scott and purchasing her book Sober Celebrations and Sober Kitchen. She is an amazing chef and an amazing women in recovery who believes that those that don't need or want alcohol in their lives should not have to give up the joy of food, cooking and entertaining. Because there were no other books of this type available when she was early in recovery, she did a lot of research on how to substitute out alcohol in her cooking and catering business without losing the flavor and fun. AS someone who is not in recovery herself, but has a medical condition that makes alcohol use detrimental to her health, I was thrilled to find a cookbook that I could use myself.
For anyone who is in recovery, doesn't drink alcohol, or is restricted diet wise, not only are these great recipes but the books are filled with great side bars and information that really helps me to understand the role of alcohol in foods, preparation, entertaining, etc. I couldn't recommend this book any higher. The same for Sober Kitchen. They are both must haves' Thanks LIz for your fondness of food and concern for those of us who love to eat and cook but felt like we had to give up so many dishes because of the alcohol. You are as much a chemist as a chef!

Susan Burnash
Kirkland, WA