A friend and I have been doing the Bon Appetit Food Lover's Cleanse for about a week now, and since we haven't yet broken into Paesano's in the middle of the night, I thought I'd mention it here.
She’s doing it in preparation for her February wedding, and I’m doing it to cast out the demons of Hanukkah brisket, Christmas cookies, hanging-out-with-an-old-girlfriend meatballs, and about half a pound of mortadella at 3AM on New Year’s Day.
I‘m usually iffy on diets and cleanses, but this is more of a set of guidelines to give your digestive system a rest after holiday indulgences. The recipes are sourced from popular everyman-foodie blogs like 101 Cookbooks and Orangette. The term “weight loss” is never used.
My cleanse buddy and I are each cooking a few dishes from the program and sharing them with each other. Here’s a seasonal recipe that I really loved. For the sake of budget and convenience, I used extra virgin olive oil instead of the oils listed. I also shredded the celeriac in my food processor instead of breaking out the mandoline during a hangover.
PS: Even though the program suggests it, we are NOT giving up coffee. That would require a medical emergency. Have any of you tried a cleanse? Share your success/horror stories/out-of-body experiences below.