Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health

Gourdet, of Top Chef renown, gives clean eating a punchy makeover in this gratifying collection of 200 gluten-free and Paleo-friendly recipes. With a decade of sobriety and 50 marathons under his belt, he shares his love for superfoods, or ingredients rich with nutrients, fats, vitamins, and antioxidants. “I want it all—to feel good, to eat well. And I want the same for everyone.” The son of Haitian immigrants, Gourdet’s global cuisine relies on contrast: in a chapter titled “Raw and Cold Plants,” slaw is brightened with Makrut lime leaves; and a clam chowder that won accolades on Top Chef gets a smoky kick from Japanese dashi stock. Gourdet looks to his heritage, meanwhile, with legim stew with fiery peppers, “the epitome of ugly delicious.” Flavors are balanced, but some chapters feel lopsided, including one with a paltry offering of five dips. More satisfying are recipes involving fermentation (where a funky pine nut mixture stands in for Caesar dressing) and sauces, among them a standout Mexican mole. Throughout, Gourdet’s sure-footed guidance (“dry the skin well” and “use a nonstick skillet” for restaurant-quality crispy fish skin) lends an air of cooking alongside a close companion. There is no denying Gourdet’s ability to make a healthy lifestyle seem wildly appealing. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, InkWell Management. (May)