Naturally, Delicious

August 3, 2020
Seo, editor-in-chief of Naturally, compiles 100 desserts that have featured in the magazine in this accessible collection of health-conscious desserts. There are plenty of avocado recipes, such as a black forest–avocado mousse, and readers will find other veggies hiding in surprising places, such as chewy cauliflower black sesame cookies; eggplant fudge bars; and parsnip–brown butter sugar cookies. Seo riffs on mainstream favorites with offerings that include black cocoa Oreos with cauliflower crème, and almond flour Twix. Other entries offers brown rice crispy squares, no-bake coconut lime-bars, and spiced gingerbread cookies. Directions are concise, but perhaps too sparse for less-experienced bakers: for several of the cashew-based recipes, Seo doesn’t indicate whether cashews must be raw, roasted, or salted. Bakers with more experience may be familiar with some of the less common ingredients like black lava rock salt, collagen powder, and blue spirulina, but readers who don’t have them in their pantry are left on their own to find them, as Seo doesn’t provide a list of vendors. This creative book will appeal most to advanced bakers looking to indulge in healthier versions of their favorite sweets.

June 6, 2016
Seo, the founder and editor-in-chief of the magazine Naturally, admits that he hates to cook. But that’s not evident in this helpful and surprising cookbook. His recipes were developed with the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City and designed to teach new techniques and ways to utilize ingredients in a time-saving yet appetizing manner. Though they’re healthy and natural, the offerings in this title are indulgently tempting, such as baked-peach French toast with berry-fig compote, Indian-inspired kamut stew, and crispy Parmesan cauliflower tots. Recipes are varied and seem uncomplicated, yet several have a laundry list of ingredients; shake-and-bake Ethiopian chicken and lentils, for instance, requires 23 items. Helpful bonuses, such as advice on how to “make rice like a pro” and how to juice watermelon rind to take advantage of its amino acids, are helpful and informative. Choosing natural food doesn’t preclude treats or snacks: nutty biscotti, carrot cake ice cream sandwiches, and mint-chocolate-chip cheesecake with spirulina are examples. Overall, this is an interesting approach to good-for-you food without sacrificing flavor and appeal. Photos. Agent: Lana Popovic, Chalberg & Sussman.