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my techniques have streamlined, new research has

come out (and comes out daily), and earlier studies

have been discredited. My own body has healed and

aged and become more flexible and less yielding

in myriad ways. I feel like I have thirty-four years

of new information and experience that I need to

share. One practical example is my use of avocado

oil. When I wrote my first book, I’d never heard of

avocado oil, and I didn’t have a great substitute to

offer for inflammatory vegetable oils. Now avocado

oil is one of my most-prized pantry possessions,

and I use it multiple times per day (more on page 17 for why it’s so great). A less concrete but equally impactful example is my deeper understanding of bio-individuality—the concept that because of our uniqueness, we cannot appropriate another person’s diet and assume it will work for us. This understanding led me to rekindle a romance with dairy, because I realized that it actually works for me (more on this on page 21). At least for now!

Writing these books also affords me the

opportunity to answer your requests directly. You

told me you wanted more vegetarian recipes, so I

doubled the vegan and vegetarian entrées section.

You were befuddled by your Instant Pots (leaving

many still in their boxes), so I created recipes that

will make your purchase worthwhile and save you

time. (P.S. I implore you to tell me what else you want

to see in future books, even as you are getting to

know and using this one.)

I’ll tell you a little secret. Despite my intense

cookbook-writing love affair, I almost put the kibosh

on this one. Last year, I went through one of the most

difficult periods of my life, and I could barely eat or

sleep for weeks on end let alone birth a book-baby. I

even considered throwing together a twenty-recipe

paperback to give you something while keeping my

workload light. But the idea of nothing or something

“less than” sat more heavily in my gut than the

emotional pain I was in. So here we are.

And you know what? Creating this book healed

me. It healed my aching gut and glued my heart back

together and softened the muscles in my braced

shoulders and put the good kind of butterflies in

my belly. It affirmed the incomparable therapeutic

power of a well-loved and well-used kitchen. It

ignited a confidence in my—our—ability to grow

alongside and in spite of pain. And I’ve never been

happier.

Over the last thirteen months, I’ve been asked

almost weekly “What’s the theme of your new book?”

While it would have been easy to be able to say

“Laura Lea Holiday” or “Laura Lea Keto,” the truth is

that there is no ostensible theme. More accurately,

the themes that course through the veins of this book

are the same as the first: ingredients and recipes

that are approachable, family-friendly, familiar

with a twist, comfort-food inspired, and which

offer something for everyone, at any meal, for any

occasion. My goal with this book wasn’t to reinvent

the wheel, but to provide more of what you’ve told me

adds value to your life.

I cannot wait to hear how you (hopefully) enjoy

these dishes, make them your own, and come up

with ways I can do it better the next time.

SPECIAL RECIPE SYMBOLS + LABELS

Vegetarian

Vegan

Dairy-Free

Keto-Friendly

Gluten-Free

Paleo

1 hour or less

Soaking required

Chilling required

Marinating

required

Secondary recipe

Instant Pot

& Crock-Pot