Nourishing: Recipes and Reflections on Recovery combines over 75 delicious recipes from around the world with heartfelt, honest and thought-provoking stories about the role food can play in the journey to recovery from illness.
Nutritionist and cook Helen Ashwell reminds us how the smell, taste and texture of food can rekindle a forgotten memory. In Nourishing, snapshots of memories from staff, service users, patients and carers of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust sit alongside the recipes, and highlight the importance of food, family, cultures and traditions in our lives. Handing down family recipes can generate feelings of belonging, warmth, love and acceptance among families and friendship groups.
Beautifully illustrated throughout by food photographer Dick Makin, Nourishing promotes an interest in home-cooked food whilst offering insight into how people deal with personal adversity. Nourishing aims to raise awareness, reduce stigma and celebrate positive strategies for people with mental and physical health issues.
Nourishing also reminds us that food can be a comfort: something that is vital for life and for living, but which is also connected to contentment, delight and nourishment of body and soul. The pleasure comes not just from eating, but from preparation and cooking.
Michelin starred chef, Sat Bains, endorses the book by recognising the value of wholesome, home-cooked food and family support. He comments: "The routine of preparing and sharing food together goes further than nutrition. It brings a sense of balance into life."
