The Kitchen Commune: Meals to Heal and Nourish Everyone at Your Table

by Chay Wike

Overview

“A game-changing book for parents and hosts alike. Say goodbye to making separate meals, and say hello to a united table!” —Dr. Will Cole, IFMCP, DNM, DC, leading functional medicine expert and bestselling author of Ketotarian, The Inflammation Spectrum, Intuitive Fasting, and Gut Feelings

Featuring more than 100 family-friendly, crowd-pleasing recipes—including gluten free, grain free, paleo, vegan, and more—for everyone. 

Preparing a meal is an act of love for yourself and the ones you share it with. In this stunning cookbook, Chay Wike, author of the home cooking and lifestyle blog The Kitchen Commune, offers a guide to reclaiming your health and nourishing your family and friends with easy, delicious, allergen-friendly recipes for all seasons. 

With gorgeous photographs and brilliant swaps and tips, the recipes within are endlessly customizable and will inspire readers to: 

• Learn how to enliven a simple dish with vibrant sauces like Chay’s House Chimichurri, Chipotle Aioli, and Creamy Thai Pesto.
• Start the morning with Fluffy Silver Dollar Pancakes; a Super Green Veg + Fruit Shake; or Beans, Greens + Broken Eggs. 
• Enjoy bright and colorful salads and sides, from Chicory Chop Salad to Pan-Roasted Cauliflower with Caper-Currant Relish to grain-free, artisanal breads. 
• Prepare show-stopping mains, including Whole Roasted Branzino; Chicken Thighs with Green Olives, Dates, Lemon + Butter Lettuce; and Eggplant Moussaka Bake with Fresh Almond Ricotta. 
• Satisfy a sweet tooth with Caramel-Pear Galette, Shortbread Tea Biscuits, Dark Chocolate Cake with Sweet Potato Frosting, and much more.

Cooking without certain ingredients doesn’t have to be restrictive. Chay emphasizes nutrient-dense whole foods that everyone can enjoy, including updates on familiar classics, easy substitutions with ingredients already in your pantry, and flavorful sauces that will make you want to lick your plate clean. Throughout, The Kitchen Commune celebrates the art of eating together. After all, food should be joyful for everyone—and now it can be. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781959411185
Publisher:	Girl Friday Books
Publication date:	01/09/2024
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	138,499
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Chay Wike grew up in New York City. Her parents and grandparents are from Cape Town, South Africa, and from a young age she had the privilege of traveling overseas to visit family and was exposed to all kinds of cultures and eating styles. Her path to healing began after the birth of her second child, when she was diagnosed with multiple autoimmune conditions, digestive issues, and, eventually, Lyme disease. Following a string of doctor visits, confusion, and failed medication attempts, Chay decided to take matters into her own hands and reclaim her health naturally. She has since mostly recovered using the undeniable power of functional nutrition and lifestyle medicine. She attended cooking school in Los Angeles in 2009, created the food-focused wellness blog The Kitchen Commune in 2018, and became a certified integrative nutrition health coach in 2020. Today, Chay lives in the Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and their two teenage daughters. 

Table of Contents

Introduction 

 

CHAPTER 1  

Sauces + Condiments + Staples  

House Chimichurri  

Green Onion Salsa  

Cilantro + Mint Chutney 

Three Vinaigrettes (Marlit’s Vinaigrette, Kimchi Vinaigrette + Garlic Confit Anchovy Vinaigrette) 

House Pesto 

Thai Pesto 

Orange Tahini Dressing   

Whipped Almond Ricotta Cheese   

Fresh Almond Cream 

Confit Three Ways 

Chipotle Aioli 

Smashed Cumin Guacamole 

Caper + Current Relish 

Sticky Plum BBQ Sauce 

Quick Pickles 

Coconut Yogurt Tzatziki  

Vanilla Berry Compote  

Spiced Toasted Nuts + Seeds  

Toasted Plantain Crumbs 

Bone Broth  

Big Batch of Beans 

Big Batch of Rice 

 

CHAPTER 2  

Mornings  

Whole Green Vegetable + Fruit Shake 

Creamy Overnight Seed Pudding  

Grain-Free Granola 

Fluffy Silver Dollar Pancakes  

Wild Blueberry Muffins 

Maple Bacon + Veg 

Bean + Root Hash 

Beans, Greens + Broken Eggs 

Sardine Breakfast Salad 

 

CHAPTER 3  

Salads + Small Plates  

Fresh Herb Salad with Toasted Sunflower Seeds + Marlit’s Vinaigrette  

Greens + Grains with Crispy Tempeh, Avocado + Kimchi Vinaigrette 

Tuscan Kale Salad with Orange Tahini Dressing, Radish + Crumbs 

Green Papaya Salad 

Charred Chicory Chop Salad 

Heirloom Tomatoes with Sea Salt + Garlic Anchovy Dressing  

Mandarin, Avocado + Watercress Salad 

Curried Wild Tuna Salad with Crudité + Crackers 

 

CHAPTER 4  

Soups + Stews  

Bone Broth Vegetable Purée 

Rotisserie Chicken Soup 

Chestnut Purée 

Awase Dashi 

Red Lentil Mulligatawny Soup 

Clams with Coconut Ginger Broth 

Chorizo White Bean Stew 

Black Friday Korma 

 

CHAPTER 5  

Pasta + Noodles 

Penne alla Rosé 

Lemon Spaghetti 

Lentil Pasta with Crispy Tempeh + Pesto  

Cacio e Pepe 2.0 

Eggplant Bolognese Bake with Fresh Almond Ricotta  

Creamy Thai Noodles  

 

CHAPTER 6  

Vegetables  

Whole Roasted Vegetables  

Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Fish Sauce + Toasted Sesame  

Pan-Sautéed Baby Turnips with Turnip Green Pesto  

Pan-Roasted Cauliflower with Caper Current Relish 

Cauliflower Cannellini Bean Mash 

Garlicky Greens with Apple Cider Vinegar 

Roasted Honeynut Squash 

Wild Chanterelles with Ghee, Herbs +Sherry Vinegar 

Crispy Oven-Fried Sweet Potatoes 

Spanish Tortilla 

 

CHAPTER 7  

Seafood  

Citrus Cured Lox 

Crispy Broiled King Salmon  

Whole Roasted Branzino  

Ghee-Seared Scallops  

Fried Oysters 

Wild Fried Fish Tacos with Quick Pickled Slaw + Chipotle Aioli  

Whole Garlic Prawns with Charred Lemon 

Flounder Meunière 

 

CHAPTER 8  

Poultry + Meat  

Oven-Fried Spiced Wings 

Chicken Liver Paté 

“Sour Cream” + Onion Chicken Thigh Schnitzel with Chip Crumbs 

Chicken Thighs with Green Olives, Dates, Lemon + Butter Lettuce 

Overnight Roast Chicken 

Turkey Zucchini Patties 

Middle Eastern Spiced Ground Beef   

Grilled Skirt Steak with House Chimichurri 

Spare Ribs with Sticky Plum BBQ Sauce 

Carnitas 

Rack of Lamb + Cilantro Mint Chutney 

Lamb Koftas 

 

CHAPTER 9  

Bread + Baking + Sweets  

Tartines 

Flatbreads 

Tortillas (Cassava + Sweet Potato) 

Soda Bread 

Nut + Seed Bread  

Heirloom Tomato Galette 

Cardamom Peach Plum Galette 

Grain-Free Dark Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Sweet Potato Frosting 

Carrot Birthday Cake with Cultured Buttercream + Rainbow Sprinkles  

Shortbread Tea Biscuits 

Date + Cacao Truffles 

Vanilla Ice Cream 

Editorial Reviews

As a functional medicine expert, I understand the importance of eating healthy meals, but as a parent, getting everyone to eat well is often easier said than done. [The Kitchen Commune] shows us just how easy it can be to nourish everyone at your table while still providing easy customizations to account for personal taste. A game-changing book for parents and hosts alike. Say goodbye to making separate meals, and say hello to a united table!” —Dr. Will Cole, IFMCP, DNM, DC, leading functional medicine expert, and bestselling author of Ketotarian, The Inflammation Spectrum, Intuitive Fasting, and Gut Feelings 

 

“Saying Chay’s recipes are incredible is quite frankly an understatement. Covering gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and paleo restrictions, The Kitchen Commune truly has something for everyone! From first-time cooks to people who have been eating with dietary restrictions most of their lives, everyone will be able to enjoy this cookbook, the recipes, and every photo in between.” —Kayla Cappiello, author of Easy, Allergy Free Cooking 

 

“The Kitchen Commune makes cooking for special diets easy by putting all the best recipes and techniques in one place and guiding [the reader] through. Chay shares her inspiring story and empowers [cooks of all levels] to cook and eat with confidence!” —Caryn Carruthers, author of Smorgasbowl: Recipes and Techniques for Creating Satisfying Meals with Endless Variation 

 

“With one tempting recipe after another, The Kitchen Commune offers a way to satisfy diverse eating styles and health needs so loved ones can share scrumptious meals together. Chay brings food to life with such great texture, flavor, and piquancy. You’ll return to the book over and over.” —Kristine Kidd, former Bon Appétit food editor and author of Weeknight Gluten Free 

“Chay Wike’s cookbook The Kitchen Commune meets diverse dietary needs. . . . The book’s crisp, colorful photographs ignite the imagination, and Wike’s kind, cheerful banter invites both beginners and experienced cooks to experiment without fear.”

—Foreword Reviews

From the Publisher