A Book with 60 Soups for the Soul

One of our 35 Best Weston A. Price Inspired Food Bloggers of 2015 is Craig Fear from Fearless Eating. Craig is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) who specializes in healing chronic digestive issues and other ailments, with natural whole foods and supplements.  After an overseas trip left him with a serious addiction for a savory soup called Mohinga, Craig was inspired to write his most recent book:  Fearless Broths and Soups with 60 simple recipes for real people on real budgets.

Are you A Hypokitchenemiac?

This book was a fun and informative read.  Well organized, Fearless Broths and Soups
includes everything a beginner brother needs to know, such as what tools you would need to get started and the cheapest and easiest soups to make. Craig begins the book with his reasons for writing it such as:

1. Society is overridden with hypokitchenemiacs (read the book for a definition!).
2. To show that making soups and broths is extremely affordable, healthy, delicious and easy to do!
3. To inform us that canned and boxed soups are full of toxic ingredients.  This article by Mamavation really goes into detail on the dangers of store bought soup:

• http://www.mamavation.com/2015/03/dangers-of-eating-canned-soup.html

Soup for Breakfast

First, Craig introduces two basic broth recipes with an easy 5 step tutorial. Then he takes off with 60 amazing recipes for all moods, cravings, and times of day – including breakfast!  In addition he includes many helpful links for more suggestions, recipes, and even a video for those who learn better with visual instructions.  Fearless Broths and Soups by Craig Fear is an excellent resource for taking the fear out of preparing your own healthy soups at home.

Why Soup is So Super (say that 5X fast)

Historians state that soup (the combination of various ingredients into a large pot and cooking them to taste) has been around since the beginning of cooking, and an affordable and easy meal for all lifestyles, cultures, and social statuses.  Dr. Weston A. Price traveled the world in search of the healthiest people, studied what they ate, and found soup (specifically bone broth) at every stop. The main property in bone broth that heals, strengthens and aids the body is Collagen.

Collagen is basically the glue that holds us together.  It helps improve skin and hair, joint and bone health, digestive health, and much more.  After the age of 25, collagen levels in the human body decrease drastically, which is why we look and feel older. Getting enough collagen in your diet through food or supplementation is key for maintaining a healthy body.

Reasons to Supplement

The Weston A. Price Foundation Shopping Guide (there’s an app for that) recommends adding gelatin/collagen to clean (additive-free) store-bought broth when you can’t obtain bone broth. In Craig Fear’s blog titled Three Reasons to Supplement, Craig states that he uses Perfect Hydrolyzed Collagen in his smoothies when he is not in the mood for hot soup (like on a hot day in Boston), or when he is out of soup and short on time.  He writes:

My First Bone Broth Experience

My name is Michala and I am a Hypokitchenemiac.  Only recently, in my late 30’s, have I made the efforts to learn how to cook.  I am a pro at the microwave and the coffee maker, but the oven is intimidating.  After learning how healthy bone broth is, and reading Craig’s book, I decided to try making it myself using the book and video tutorial (which I watched 3 times to pump up my confidence that I could actually do this).

I purchased a small chicken from Whole Foods (that part I could do) and my husband roasted it.  Then we took the leftover bones and I followed the basic broth recipe for beginners.  I did not add anything for my first try, mostly out of fear that I would mess up and waste my vegetables.  After five extremely easy steps my broth was simmering away and I was feeling proud.  It made a lot more broth then I expected so I stored away three glass bowls of it in the freezer.

 
Then I tasted my first cup of bone broth ever! 

It was really good!  Warm and comforting, I even had it again in the morning in lieu of coffee.  I enjoy a scoop of Perfect Hydrolyzed Collagen in my coffee every day, but I see making bone broth again in my future.  Hopefully with some added flavors next time.  What vegetables do you add to your bone broth recipes?  Please share in the comments below!

At the upcoming WAPF conference in Anaheim (November 13 – 16) we will be offering Craig’s book and all of our Traditional Superfoods at exclusive prices! Please stop by and say “Hello”. We also have  giveaways at the show, and there is nothing we enjoy more than connecting with our traditional foodie friends!