In the five years since Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood came out, a lot has changed in my life. My experiences have definitely altered the way I look at food. I still agree with the famous quote “Everything in moderation, including moderation,” but I have adopted an 80/20 rule when it comes to my delicate relationship with food: 80 percent of the time I make good choices; 20 percent of the time I let myself splurge a little. Growing up enjoying my parents’ and grandparents’ comfort foods taught me early on about taste. It was always hard for me to go on a traditional diet because I had been led to believe I had to sacrifice flavor to shed a few pounds, so that effort never lasted very long. This girl likes good food! I am not one of those people who gets so busy with my day that I suddenly think to myself, “Wow, I forgot to eat lunch!” That never happens to me. Never. I think about food all the time, so making peace with eating is a daily battle for me. I won’t say I’ve completely figured it out, but I will say that right now, I win that battle more days than I lose it, and I believe that’s the key.
In my first two cookbooks, my mom, my sister, and I wrote about our family history—recipes that have been passed down for generations. My life now focuses on finding new recipes that feel like classics and on applying healthy twists to foods that my family already loves. I don’t want my family or yours to feel like they’re sacrificing flavor in order to eat better. I can’t imagine not having great comfort foods like Chicken Tortilla Casserole and Slow Cooker Georgia Pulled-Pork Barbecue. By the same token, I can’t imagine my life now without lighter options that help me maintain my goals, like Tofu Ricotta Lasagna or Chickless Pot Pie, a plant-based veggie pot pie that my mama created for herself while battling breast cancer.
I’m a singer and a cook—not a nutritionist. I read books, blogs, and articles every day, just like you do, about what’s healthy and what’s not. I wish I had the definitive answer, but I don’t. The common denominator in all the information seems to be to eat more fruits and vegetables, eat less sugar, and move more. I love knowing that when I make the dairy-free version of Tomato Bisque with Homemade Croutons for my husband (one of his favorite winter meals!), he’s not putting any cholesterol in his body. That helps me sleep better at night! After losing my dad to complications from diabetes and my mom to cancer and turning fifty myself, I had to really take a hard look at what I want my future to look like. I believe that although we can’t control everything that happens to our bodies, we have the opportunity to control a lot more than we think, and food is a great place to start.
Trisha’s Table is just that—it’s what we eat at my house. It’s variety and balance. This book marries the past (think Cornbread-Chili Casserole and Glazed Lemon Cookies) with the future (Garth’s Taco Pizza and Avocado Pineapple Salsa). I relied heavily on my sister Beth’s knowledge of healthy eating, because she’s been doing it successfully for more than ten years now. She looks and feels great. She’s my role model on so many levels! In this book, I’ve included only healthier substitutions that I absolutely LOVE. I’ll explain exactly what these new ingredients are—there are just a few things you need in order to totally transform a recipe. For instance, when you see how easy it is to make cashew cream, you’ll be amazed by the richness it adds to creamy dishes like Tomato Bisque, with zero cholesterol!
Trisha’s Table is a bridge between southern classics and the way the New South eats … with an occasional slice of chocolate cake thrown in! I hope you find the perfect balance in your own lives and for your families. Be well!
Love,
