I probably don’t have to tell you how amazing it is to have a cookbook that I can open to any page and know that I can enjoy the recipe without physical discomfort or emotional guilt.

Make It Paleo, by Bill Staley and Hayley Mason (aka The Food Lovers’ Primal Palate), is the latest entry into an expanding line of Paleo/Primal cookbooks for a growing number of real food lovers. Do not belittle this piece of work by calling it a book; it’s a tome. At nearly 450 pages, the collection of recipes speaks volumes to Bill and Hayley’s love of fresh food and cooking.

The most obviously amazing part of Make It Paleo is the food porn. Yes, every recipe is beautifully documented, and you can’t make it more than a dozen pages without getting ideas of what you’re going to cook next. So far, I’ve only had a chance to try the mashed cauliflower, but even that recipe was miles better than the random one I had been using from the interwebs. I’m also excited to the try the duck confit, because really, sometimes you want some fancy French food, but don’t want to spend forever in the kitchen.

I'm gonna eat 'choo!

I appreciated the guide in the beginning that shows all the animals and their different cuts of meat, as well as the handy guide to essential fats and seasonal foods. I do have one minor qualm though. The index is a bit non-intuitive for me; it’s organized by both ingredient and dish, so it can take a little extra time to find what you’re looking for. For example, I would expect Ahi Tuna to be listed under “Tuna”, but it’s sitting in the A column. No biggie, just found it odd. This is definitely offset by the excellent suggested Menus for Special Occasions section, where the Food Lovers have done the planning work for you.

At under $20, this book is a steal and will provide you with a cornucopia of delicious paleo/primal recipes for years to come. If you decide to pick up the book, let me know, so you can have me over for dinner!