Beyond Gadgetry: Inspiralized is an interesting addition to the cookbook shelf

INSPIRALIZED is another cookbook based on a successful blog. Unlike others of that ilk, it is primarily based on using the 'spiralizer', a useful kitchen gadget combination of an old fashioned sausage-cranking machine and a multi-bladed mandolin. That being said, there are some nice recipes included especially if you like Italian food.

The more valuable section to me was the chapter on the best vegetables to use as well as how to cut them for maximum benefit for use in the machine. Maffucci also included tips on how to minimize the sometimes excess moisture using freshly-cut vegetables as pasta involves. I also greatly appreciated that most of the recipes include a section giving a list of other vegetables that could be used to make that dish, and all of the recipes include comprehensive nutritional information for each serving of the recipe.

I am not a huge fan of kitchen gadgetry. Even so I bought myself a spiralizer and tried it out using INSPIRALIZED and Ali Maffucci's tips.  Last night a dish that used to take 25 minutes prep took me ten minutes. Adding some delicious daikon to my ramen took less than a minute for lunch yesterday. Because of allergies in my household (allergies to dairy and citric acid) there are several of the recipes I can't use without modification, and there are other recipes whose complexity is a bit too fussy for my personal cooking style but overall, if you have any interest in using the 'spiralize' style vegetable processors available, INSPIRALIZED may be a significantly useful addition to your shelf, I certainly am glad to have it.

Inspiralized
Author: Ali Maffucci
Publication Date: February 24, 2015
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Format: Paperback
Available From: Random House
Price: $19.99
Pages:224
Genre: cookbook, healthy, low-carb, gadget
Details: indexed

(Blogging For Books has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.)