The book: The Clean Plate by Gwyneth Paltrow
Who will love it? Goop fans, veggies, vegans, people with gluten intolerances, and those looking to thoroughly detox.
What is it trying to get us cooking? Arguably, this is a diet book. It features meal plans, detoxes and cleanses, each with a health angle. The ethos of ‘clean eating’ (whether or not you agree with that term, or what it is assumed to stand for) runs throughout. Don’t expect to find gluten or nightshades (tomatoes, aubergines) in here, let alone refined sugars. There’s an entire section featuring interviews with doctors, covering everything from the ‘heavy metal’ detox (not music related) to heart health and adopting Ayurvedic principles. And so the food itself is, of course, veg heavy. Expect lettuce cups galore, and ‘nomato’ sauce (spoiler: There’s no tomato in it), cauli rice in many forms and aquafaba (the liquid chickpeas come in) ranch dressing – forget potatoes and bread though. “For me, the most powerful reset button is food,” writes Paltrow – and the idea is, if you feel the same, The Clean Plate can help you re-balance.
How easy is it to use? The recipes are very straightforward, especially once you’ve got your head around the US measurements (they’re all about ‘cups’). However, many of the dishes call for you to have already made some of the ‘basic’ recipes towards the back of the book, like that ‘nomato’ sauce, as well as Paltrow’s quick pickles and dressings, so it’s wise to prep ahead.