Seamus Mullen's Hero Food: How Cooking with Delicious Things Can Make Us Feel Better

First, and I know that this is kind of off topic, but isn't Seamus Mullen the hottest cookbook cover guy ever? And, Seamus, if you read this, you can cook in my kitchen any old day!I also have an RA diagnosis and, like our cute author, I have found food to be the best medicine (well, you know, after methotrexate, hydroxychloroquinine and prednisone). I could relate to his introduction on how his flares came with stress and poor self-care. The writing was touching without being whiny.The organization of the book is perfect and eye catching. Each section celebrates a "Hero" with recipes that clearly illustrate how to create his dishes along with some pictures that are above and beyond what I expected. To the photographer, Colin Clark, excellent work! The books that use a blurry lens to fuzz out mishaps just make me mad. I can tell that you took the time to stage slightly without taking so long as to lose the sheen of oil or the feel of the moment.As to those who cook, like me, this book is inspirational. I'm not a recipe follower, rather I'm a gleaner that takes the ideas and moves them into my own meals.Parsley made a quick appearance after this book arrived to much success and accolades in the house. Then, baked and roasted root vegetables followed. I made the Tortilla Espanola because it's similar to something I already make frequently. I subbed sweet potatoes because I like them more! I began adding more fish to my meals too.I'm looking forward to trying more of the egg dishes and I'll surely have a blast doing that.Ok, now for the proof: did it help?Yes, somewhat. Anytime I know I'm not the only one still working and living with RA is a good time. I know that foods that he used sparingly or not at all are the foods that cause me issues. Everyone's RA is different, and I know many of my triggers, so I shy away from those anyway. He did give me ideas for what to eat!I increased my olive oil intake (didn't think it was possible) and I did notice less morning stiffness. I got a tremendous amount of joy from cooking and planning the meals inspired by the book, this decreased my stress. Less stress=less pain. I added more flavor to my food which made me want to eat more. This is good because I'm sick from the meds and sometimes food is just plain gross but I have to eat.So, in conclusion: I love this book! And, judging by the already worn pages, it will be loved for a very long time!

goop-- featured Seamus and his new book."Hero Food by Seamus Mullen is one of those cookbooks that comes along once in a while that makes you feel really inspired. Seamus is a wonderful chef, heavily inspired by his time living in Spain, beautiful ingredients and his health (he has managed to get off his rheumatoid arthritis medication by changing his diet)."Seamus stated, "The first thing I did when I started thinking about the relationship between food and well-being was to make lists of all the things I like to cook with. Olive oil was at the very top of the list. Anchovies were up there too. Once I had compiled a pretty comprehensive list of my favorite things to cook with, I started reading more about the nutritional properties of these ingredients. Guess what? Most of them happened to be the best things for me (hooray for Mother Nature!) These ingredients really became my heroes, as they changed the way I feel. That's when I decided to write a book broken down by ingredient that could focus on each and present them in ways the home cook might not think of. I'm a chef; my job is to make food taste good. For a very long time I've found that the words 'healthy' and 'delicious' have been really challenging to say in the same breath. My hope is that this book helps bring these two words together." So the chapters are categorized by ingredient."From soup to nuts, the book took nearly three years. I was insistent on making a book that wasn't just "recipe/photo, recipe/photo" with really over-produced, studio photos. I wanted it to feel personal and to have narrative and grit and realness. I am a bit of a control freak. When I have an idea for something I tend to get very involved in every aspect..."Modern no-nonsense approach to healthy, delicious food. A must have for every cook and kitchen.

I read my first review of this book in Rachel Ray's magazine, and then checked out the Amazon site to purchase. My 19 year old son became very, very ill in early January with an autoimmune disease (missed 3 months of college) and this book sounded like it could help him learn foods that would help keep him healthier for the rest of his life. I pre-ordered in early February - two books, one for him and one for me.What I found in this book was one man's journey through the culinary world, with his rheumatoid arthritis a stumbling block, but really secondary to the theme. It was an autobiography, with great thoughts about food, wonderful text and photos, and recipes that read very well. The book is beautifully done.However, it is NOT a book about cooking to help your body with autoimmune dieases. And many of the ingredients are unobtainable to the average person. I google searched for lots of the ingredients in the recipes I thought looked really great - and could not find a source for them.It is a beautiful book - and I am not sorry to have it. I will try the recipes with substitute ingredients - but I wish I only had one copy.

I bought this book as a gift for someone who experiences the same auto immune issues that Seamus Mullen writes about in his book and other articles that I had previously read. My friend loves to cook and so I thought this would be a perfect gift. She is thrilled with the book which is beautifully presented, photographed and the recipes are delicious. I wanted to keep it for myself when it first arrived! Highly recommend it for anyone who loves to cook, loves Spanish food or wants to discover the great health benefits from eating this varied and simple cuisine.

Very disappointing - very expensive for what it contained. I learned nothing new.

Very interesting book. I value hearing his thoughts on the important foods he uses in his recipes