Keto Cookbooks

I will start this listing thread off with a new find:  

It's Keto Life: Over 100 Healthy and Delicious Ketogenic Recipes by Sahil Makhija. (He is a hard rock musician in India, and...a chef. Yes, really!) This book has surprised me in many ways.

The layout, feel, and graphic design are very pleasant (although such a big book--almost the size of my laptop--would be even nicer if it would lay flat on the counter) and extremely easy to read. The full-page photos are mouth-watering and thus inspire more motivation to cook the recipes than other keto cookbooks I have seen.

These recipes include breakfasts and snacks and desserts, as well as the requisite main dishes and staples. I was glad to see that this author doesn't sugar-coat his aversion to breading raw meats with nut flours. He provides mug bread recipes and describes how to turn them into bread crumbs for meats--yay!

Throughout the cookbook, the author continually shares interesting tidbits of his perspective and experiences, and lots of compliments for his wife! He seems like such a nice person, I am always smiling as I flip through the recipes.

American readers will have to do some conversions from grams and mL, but there is a metric conversion chart at the back of the book. Useful, fun, and beautifully done!

Here is a couple from the Book Forum:

https://permies.com/t/26067/kitchen/Diet-Delusion-Gary-Taubes-application

https://permies.com/wiki/51844/Big-Fat-Surprise-Butter-Meat

I don't understand what Keto or Paleo is, though I understand low carb.  To me, it is easy as there are no complicated things to remember.

My first keto cookbook was by Kristie Sullivan, Keto Living Day by Day.  It's a good intro to keto plus she's a good cook and uses natural ingredients.  Except erythritol, which seems to be ubiquitous as the preferred sweetener in most keto cookbooks.  

Meat is heavily relied on!  And face it, in my diet, there are beef, chicken, pork, and fish ... and seafood.  I find myself eating the same thing quite a lot with keto;  favorite recipes I don't deviate from.  Seems like most keto books are just versions of the same thing ... take chicken ... chicken with tomato sauce, with cheese sauce, with cream sauce, in soup with cheese, just going on and on.  I keep looking for real innovation in keto, plus I keep looking for dessert recipes in which I can use stevia (the extract, I use NOW Better Stevia) ... custard is the one I make the most;  EVERY single keto cookbook will go ON about cheesecake.  Sheesh.  I DO eat dairy.  I like milk and especially I love cream from cows.   I've started buying a LOT of cream on our once-monthly shopping trips, because we use it in coffee, and I've started just whipping some with a bit of flavoring and stevia, and just eating that straight for dessert.  

You get tired of bacon.  yeah, you CAN get tired of bacon.  (sigh)  At least, hubs and I do.

Keto veggies are particularly of interest because of veggie gardening, of course.  I have hopes this year for yard-long beans, cucumbers, and my favorite bok/pak choy.  Tomatoes, peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes ... all carby.  Can only use a bit.  

Then there is Trim Healthy Mama.  Excellent cookbooks, using some peculiar (and usually their "THM" brand) things like collagen (and their particular versions of sweeteners ... erythritol again, only they have "supersweet" and "gentle sweet."), but at least in their Trim Healthy Table book, they usually have "NSI" (means something like "no special ingredients") alternatives  Trim Healthy Mama divides meals into "E," "S," and some minor variations;  "E" meals being meals using healthy carbs.   "S" (for "satisfying") meals are, in my opinion, keto.   THM got into an okra phase;  but I tried one of their puddings with blended-up bits of okra and it tasted WEIRD.  (of course, this is just my opinion).  Anyway, my greatest interest is in what they consider to be "healthy carbs" for their "E" meals, but really the "S" meals are usually pretty good.  

Gotta say, keto cookbooks use more "new" ingredients than ye olde Betty Crocker.  Xanthan gum, Glucomannan (I THINK it's entirely natural, from konjac root), almond flour, coconut flour, psyllium husks.  

The latest keto cookbook I've bought is New Keto Cooking, by Michael Silverstein.  I don't usually buy lamb or crab (for instance) so not too thrilled with it.  

I buy cookbooks used on ebay mostly.  

One innovative one I like is Ketofy Everything by Scott Swenson and Tyo Prasetyo, and my fave recipe so far has been their Cheese Danish, which are really GOOD.  

The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen by Carolyn Ketchum, a fitness-minded mom with a deep love of cooking, this is a GREAT keto book for those looking to transition to keto versions of favorite snack foods and staples (focaccia! cinnamon rolls! piecrust!), as well as finding new main dishes and sides to try. Since I'm going more keto on behalf of other family members, it helps that I can make equivalents to foods we know and love. Last night I made the graham crackers--that will be a new favorite!



Most of the other keto cookbooks I have seen feature coconut flour more, but this is definitely an almond flour book, so know that ahead of time.

It's a big book (about 8" x10") and it does ten to lay flat for cooking, and I can see the ingredients on the page from halfway across my small kitchen, so that's nice, too.

And there's also:

a suggested menu plan on pp. 50-53

kitchen staples recipes for seasonings, sauces, and syrups (and more) pp.58-84

tons of desserts pp. 306-360

Two book indices: one picture index, one general index

Dietary restrictions index

Resources list: Keto books, sites, blogs

Definitely one to keep, and use, and recommend!