The Performance Paleo Cookbook: Recipes for Training Harder, Getting Stronger and Gaining the Competitive Edge Paperback – January 6, 2015 by Stephanie Gaudreau (Page Street Publishing ) (IBRCookBooks)

Look, I don't buy cookbooks. I think they're a waste, especially when they're written by a food blogger who posts so much content for free online. Still, I like Steph's website and enjoyed her interviews on the Girls Gone WOD podcast, and I was persuaded to buy this when I found I was having a hard time timing and adjusting my pre- and post- workout meals on a paleo diet, figuring this book would give some good guidance. Overall, too many of the recipes are derivative (zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, eggs baked in avocado, etc) or repetitive, or already on her site, so there are probably only a dozen interesting recipes I'd make.

That said, most of those dozen are pre- and post- workout foods, which was exactly what I was looking for. Many of her recipes used some interesting flavor profiles and are clearly presented. The index has so far been counterintuitive and unhelpful (I remembered seeing a pesto recipe, but you won't find "pesto" under P, though you will find "perofrmance" [sic] there. Instead, you will find "pesto" under "basil" or "sauces," etc.), though I suspect that is due to lazy editing on the publisher's end, not Steph's doing.

I expected more than a couple pages on information pertaining to eating for athletic performance, but it is a cookbook, not a nutritional guide, so I guess that is my error. I absolutely love that you will find macros for each recipe, and she also provides a little blurb for some of the less common ingredients, like yucca or lotus root. Another surprise was her smoothie section; what is typically a banal and useless section in a cookbook is anything but here; Steph includes some great ideas with some unusual ingredients.

To me, this cookbook reads like something great for someone willing to experiment in the kitchen, interested in using some of the recipes as inspiration, and looking to improve nutrient timing on a paleo diet.