In the introduction to The Defined Dish, Alex Snodgrass talks about her history with food: her creation of the blog of the same name, the big Italian meals she ate with her family as a kid, her appreciation of Texan treats and her eventual embracing of a Whole30 diet to help manage her postpartum anxiety. The recipes in her cookbook reflect these experiences. Italian dishes like Chicken Saltimbocca Roll-Ups and Weeknight Lamb Bolognese grace the chapter called "Mom-bo Italiano," while the pages of "Tacos y Más" offer up a variety of taco-inspired meals. Further chapters break down dishes by type (salads, soups, date-night dinners) and offer whole-food variations on old favorites (Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai in "Better than Takeout" and One-Pot Hamburger Helper in "Cleaned-Up Kid Food").
The Defined Dish promises "healthy and wholesome weeknight recipes," and it delivers across every page. A focus on clean, whole-food dishes is at the heart of Snodgrass's approach to food, which she summarizes as "nourish, not punish." Easy ingredient swaps are suggested to make recipes paleo, dairy-free or gluten-free, and every dish is packed with good-for-you meats and vegetables designed to nourish the body. But there's more to good food than simple nourishment, and Snodgrass's food doesn't look like stereotypical "diet food." Her hearty dishes serve as a testament to the possibility of finding balance between nourishment and joy when cooking--and eating. --Kerry McHugh, blogger at Entomology of a Bookworm