Official Review: Cancer Cutie Cookbook by Kathryn Davis

[memory]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cancer Cutie Cookbook" by Kathryn Davis.]

---

2 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

It is a well-known fact that cancer is a horrific disease. Everyone knows someone that has been impacted by cancer. One of the most challenging aspects of fighting cancer is to get the proper nutrition while undergoing treatment and battling the side effects associated with radiation and chemotherapy. The Cancer Cutie Cookbook by Kathryn Davis is a cookbook geared towards cancer patients and their caregivers with an emphasis on quick, comforting meals that will provide the necessary nutrition to those undergoing cancer treatments.

Ms. Davis is a cancer survivor herself and can relate to her target audience. Most recipes included in the cookbook can be completed in under an hour and will freeze well for later use. There is an abundance of “comfort food” ingredients that would entice a patient with no appetite to eat. I found several recipes that I would like to try myself. Many recipes were followed by a quote from other cancer patients, or their caregivers, noting the kind of cancer they had and how the food in the preceding recipe helped them, which was a really nice touch.

While the premise behind the cookbook is wonderful and would definitely appeal to a wide range of readers/home chef’s, the cookbook is in need of a lot of editing. The introduction takes a rambling, generic approach to explaining why nutrition is important during cancer treatment. I think the introduction would be better served to include some background about the author and suggestions of foods that helped her during her treatment. There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to the order of the recipes and I think the cookbook suffers from that. It would be helpful to divide the recipes into categories such as soups, salads, vegetables, meats, desserts, etc. The recipe formatting is inconsistent with varied font types, font sizes, and spacing. Also, spelling and grammatical errors are scattered throughout the cookbook and became distracting.

At the very end of the cookbook, there were a few assertions that concern me. The author includes a list of “Proven Cancer Fighting Foods” and their benefits, but does not include any sources to show where the benefits of these foods are proven. She also states that sugar feeds cancer and “bad” sugar should be avoided. This statement should be backed up by scientific sources to prove the point as the author stated in her introduction that she is not a doctor or a nutritionist.

I am giving the Cancer Cutie Cookbook two out of four stars because the premise is great, the recipes are intriguing, and the cookbook will be very helpful for the target audience. However, the cookbook needs a great deal of editing before I would be comfortable giving a higher rating.

******
Cancer Cutie Cookbook
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Barnes and Noble

Like memory's review? Post a comment saying so!

[kdavis951]

Thank you for your review, I was expecting some of your comments and suggestions as I rushed into this book. I am working on editing and revising the issues you suggested and wanted to know if I can re-submit for your review or if I have to request a whole new review. Thanks you
Kathryn

[RussetDivinity]

This is a really good review, and I think you balanced out the positive and negative aspects of the book well. (And if the recipes are that good, I may have to take a look, even though I'm pretty healthy; I'm kind of a sucker for a good recipe.)

[memory]

I'm glad my comments were helpful as I really like the premise of the cookbook. I'm not sure how the re-review process works so I think that would be a question for Scott.

[kdavis951]

how do I email or contact Scott?

[memory]

You can use this form: http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/misc/contact-scott.php

I think this would be the best way, but I would also take a look at the FAQ and search the forums to see if anyone else had the same question.

[kdavis951]

thank you!

[e-tasana-williams]

Sounds like a good cookbook, thanks for the honest review. It reminds me of another chef focused on cancer-fighting foods: Christina Pirello, who has the PBS cooking show Christina Cooks!

[kdavis951]

thank you

[e-tasana-williams]

You are very welcome!

[Shelle]

Good review! I think this book could be an important and often-used resource for cancer patients and caregivers. I hope the author takes your notes and improves the organization and editing.

[kdavis951]

thank you Shelle. I made the requested changes I just don't know how to resubmit.