In their familiar guise, cookbooks have a powerful way of normalizing cultural messages. As someone who has worked on cookbooks for well over a decade, I've gained a deeper understanding of how "healthy" cookbooks normalize cultural messages about disordered eating and fat phobia.
Cookbooks can affirm things without ever needing to be direct. Many don't overtly say "you should restrict this so you don't get fat," but they suggest it by talking about ways to, for example, substitute zucchini for pasta (I don't know who needs to hear this, but zucchini will never be pasta). These types of passive-aggressive suggestions seep into our daily lives. Remember that cookbooks aren't just things we read — they're manuals for what we put into our bodies.
That's why I intentionally don't champion weight loss in my cookbook, "Simply Julia." The book does not conflate healthy with skinny — the two are so frequently interchanged, it's easy to forget that they're not the same thing.
For me, I define healthy as encompassing not just what I cook and eat, but also how I feel when I cook and eat. And I want, more than anything, to feel free.
When I cook and eat in a healthful way, that freedom allows me to feel aligned with myself. While I am aware of nutrition, I don't make decisions about what to cook based on calories, fat grams, or sodium levels. Rather, I honor what my body needs and wants. Sometimes that's a big, crunchy salad with lots of fresh lemon, and sometimes that's a cone of soft serve (vanilla and chocolate swirl please because life is too short to choose one or the other).
Cooking healthful food at home is a way to take care of ourselves and one another. Doing so has the potential to feel welcoming and joyful, not intimidating, clinical or out-of-reach. That's why I want to share recipes that are full of flavor, use widely available and inexpensive ingredients, and are especially mindful about how many dishes they will leave behind because, let's be honest, cleaning up is one of the hardest parts of home cooking. A good example is the fish cakes that I'm sharing here, which require no chopping and come together quickly. While nutritionists and dietitians might tell you the crushed potato chips that bind the fish cakes add too much salt and fat, I say they add flavor and fun, and aren't those qualities important?
Ricotta and Potato Chip Fish Cakes With Peas
- 1 (2-ounce) bag potato chips (preferably sour cream and onion flavor)
- 2 (6-ounce) cans wild pink salmon packed in water, well-drained
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning (see note)
- 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Let some air out of the potato chip bag and then crush the bag with a rolling pin or wine bottle to make fine crumbs. Transfer the chip crumbs to a large bowl and add the salmon, ricotta and Old Bay Seasoning. Finely grate the zest from the lemon and add it to the bowl (reserve the naked lemon). Stir the mixture well to combine, really breaking up the salmon as you mix.
Divide the mixture into 6 to 8 equal portions and use your hands to form each into a patty.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. (If you think you may need to work in two batches so the fish cakes all fit and can be easily flipped, melt half the butter the first time and remaining butter, the next.) Once the butter begins to bubble, place the fish cakes in the skillet and cook without moving them until their bottoms are nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully flip each cake over and cook until nicely browned on the other side, another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the fish cakes to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Increase the heat to high under the skillet and add the peas, half-and-half and salt. Cook, stirring, just until the peas are bright green and tender and the half-and-half has reduced slightly, about 4 minutes. Transfer the saucy peas to a serving platter and place the fish cakes on top. Cut the zested lemon into wedges and serve the wedges with the fish cakes for squeezing over.
Note: To make your own Old Bay substitute, in a small bowl, stir together 1 teaspoon of each kosher salt, sweet paprika and garlic powder.
Makes about 3 servings.