By Peter Kaminsky
Knopf, $24.95, 272 pages
Over the course of his career, write Peter Kaminsky has spent a lot of time eating. Between searching out little-known restaurants as a food columnist, to sneaking little mealtime tidbits into his outdoor writings, and especially over the course of writing many cookbooks, Kaminsky has eaten many a fine meal. Unfortunately, that kind of a rich diet can often lead to health problems; after being denied life insurance due to his health, he realized that things were going to have to change. Fortunately, becoming healthy didn’t have to mean giving up everything delicious; instead, Kaminsky figured out that the best way to eat less and still feel satisfied was to maximize the amount of flavor each calorie delivered, by buying better ingredients and learning to season things well. Meat doesn’t need fattening cheese- and butter-rich sauces when the meat itself has good flavor. Properly preparing vegetables produces better food than drenching them in butter. In Culinary Intelligence, Kaminsky shares his own personal philosophy on how to eat healthy without sacrificing flavor. Best of all, what he says makes sense. Organic produce, humanely raised organic meats, understanding how different tastes play with one another to create a satisfying flavor … Kaminsky’s ideas, taken together, can make for the most delicious diet you’ve ever been on. Eating well truly can be an art form, but it is one that anyone can master.
Reviewed by Holly Scudero
