Gather: The Art of Paleo Entertaining

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I don’t know about you guys, but until recently, it felt like “healthy” cookbooks were the embarrassing second cousins of “real” cookbooks. That’s why when we designed Well Fed, we  included full-page photos and a funky design that are as much fun as the recipes.

With their new cookbook Gather: The Art of Paleo Entertaining, Hayley Mason and Bill Staley  have upped the ante even more. I’m gonna go ahead and christen it the first coffee table book of paleo cooking. It’s hard cover, packed with gorgeous editorial photos that set the scene, and it’s arranged around menus for special occasions… just the kind of thing you can leave on your coffee table for friends to flip through (which can be a subversive way to help them embrace the paleo lifestyle).

If you’ve cooked from Make It Paleo or used recipes from The Food Lovers Kitchen, you’re familiar with Bill and Hayley’s cooking style. This book features menus like Backyard Picnic (Teriyaki Country Ribs, Lemon Blueberry Muffins), Tropical Getaway (Stuffed Red Snapper, Spiny Lobster Tails with Drawn Butter), Winter Holiday (Standing Rib Roast, Yorkshire Puddings), and Takeout Fake-out with primal Asian food. (Update 6/16/13: You should know that the recipes are “primal,” which means they take a broad view of the paleo framework and incorporate dairy. If you never, ever want to use dairy in your recipes, this book is probably not for you.)

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Packed with photos of food and fancy parties, there are setting-the-scene pics like this that will make you want to immediately gather all your cool friends in one place:

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Gather: The Art of Paleo Entertaining is available for pre-order now on Amazon. You can follow Bill and Hayley, a.k.a., the The Food Lovers Kitchen, on Twitter and Facebook, or visit their site The Food Lovers Kitchen.

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The fine print: I received a complimentary copy of this book, but all opinions are mine. If you use the links above to purchase books through Amazon, I earn a small commission.

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Comments

  • Amanda says:

    I bought this book a few weeks ago and I agree, the presentation is lovely. The recipes are all pretty great, too – well-rounded meals and DESSERTS. My only criticism is the use of dairy in quite a few of the recipes. I know dairy is a gray area for some Paleo folks, but I prefer a stricter menu, personally.

    • Mel says:

      I, too, follow a stricter paleo framework MOST of the time. I think Gather is a lovely book for the times you want to give yourself a treat, without crossing over into gluten-land.

  • Lynne says:

    I LOVE your cookbook and blog! Thanks so much for all you do! I just bought this book and am a little confused as to why you recommend it. The book includes cream cheese, goat cheese, heavy cream, creme fraiche, sour cream, cane sugar, etc. I will be returning it shortly. (I am sure it is all very yummy, but I try to eat Paleo more how you and other authors eat, dairy free, etc.)

    • Mel says:

      Thanks so much, Lynne! I’m glad you like Well Fed!

      Thanks, too, for posting your question. I reviewed this book because I think it’s a good addition to the paleo cookbook world, but I agree that it’s definitely for those times when you might want a treat. As you know, I follow the Whole30 guidelines in my kitchen 90% of the time, so the recipes in Gather are on the “food frontier” for me, but I thought it was worth sharing with my readers because I think it’s a good source for treats that are not packed with gluten and simple sugars.

      The recipes are not, in my opinion, of every day use, but I don’t think that was the authors’ intention. These recipes are for special occasions.

      I’m really sorry if that point of view didn’t come through in my review.

  • Mel says:

    Hey, ladies! Based on your comments, I added an update to my review about the inclusion of dairy in the Gather recipes. Thank you for your feedback! I appreciate it.

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