PREFACE

For as long as I can remember, I have loved to cook. I grew up watching my grandmother and my mom spend most of the day in the kitchen, preparing traditional Middle Eastern dishes from scratch. Looking back on these dishes now, I realize many of them were innately Paleo, as many traditional foods are. Typical meals in our home consisted of stews made of meat, vegetables, spices and broth that simmered all day.

In seventh grade, I chose “Foods” for my alternative class. That semester, I came home and made every single recipe that we were taught. I vividly remember re-creating chicken enchiladas, pancakes and Rice Krispies treats. What I remember even more is how proud I felt when my family gathered for dinner, enjoying the meal that I had made for them. Later, in my vegetarian days, I would make my college roommates hefty salads with everything and anything available in the kitchen. I discovered early on that in cooking for others, I experienced a deep-rooted satisfaction.

Somewhere in my early 20s, I temporarily lost my love of cooking. This was largely due to my deteriorating health. I loved to cook, but I never felt well after I ate. I felt lethargic and foggy headed, although I was following all of the typical conventional health advice. This left me feeling confused about cooking. I was eating all of the right things (or so I thought) and making home-cooked meals, but after eating I physically felt as if I had eaten a meal straight from the drive-through window. Eventually, this led me to lose my joy of cooking and resort to making quick meals like simple salads and sandwiches.

When I started CrossFit in 2008 and learned about the Paleo diet, my passion for cooking was reignited to the utmost degree. I am just as grateful to the Paleo diet for reawakening my love of cooking as I am for it helping me regain my health. There are few things more disappointing in life than losing pleasure in your passions.

Making Paleo meals allows me to cook with clarity and confidence. I find great pleasure and satisfaction in cooking with ingredients with integrity that will nourish others. I have found that the best way to encourage others to live more healthful lives is to share with them the pleasure of a delicious and healthy meal.

Most of the recipes in this book are not intended for quick weeknight meals (although there are a few that will work for that). They are intended for you to relax, put on your favorite music and enjoy the cooking process!

Happy Cooking!

Arsy