Cookbooks: The Whole Coconut Cookbook

The books I write about on this site come into my life in a number of ways. Some I buy for myself. Others are review copies that I request because I think they’re a good fit for what I do. And still others are review copies that land on my doorstep without any prompting from me.

These unsolicited copies can be a mixed bag, but often they end up turning me on to books that I might not have otherwise discovered. The Whole Coconut Cookbook by Nathalie Fraise is one such happy discovery.

I can trace my love of coconut back to the early eighties, when Trader Joe’s sold individual popsicles. These fruit pops were a regular treat in our house (they had chunks of real fruit in them!) and whenever I had the choice, I’d opt for coconut (black cherry was my second choice). Made from sweetened coconut milk, and thick with strands of shredded coconut, it was the best thing ever on a hot afternoon.

Sadly, The Whole Coconut Cookbook doesn’t have a recipe for my childhood popsicles, but what it does have is an appealing assortment of vividly flavored recipes for every meal of the day. You’ll find recipes using coconut milk, oil, butter, aminos, vinegar, flakes, shreds, flour, and even fresh, young coconut.

I’ve marked nearly half the book’s recipes as things I’d like to try someday. Top on the list is the Lemony Mushroom Risotto you see above, followed closely by the Millet, Kale, and Miso-Tempeh Saute (I also have a thing for millet). It’s a nice little collection of modern, coconut-forward recipes.

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