Abbie Cornish and Chef Jacqueline King Schiller, Startling Bloggers Behind PESCAN: A FEEL GOOD COOKBOOK.

(Gerry Furth-Sides)  Abbie Cornish and Chef Jacqueline King Schiller are not your everyday mommy “bloggers” – more the glamorous, runway-stunning  Giada types behind the stove, and just as dedicated.  When was the last time we asked any of home cook authors in the Melissa’s kitchen, “who are you wearing?” (A: Natalie Martin and Elie Saab).  This goes along with my more usual question, “what do you eat,” meaning to look so vibrant and fit.  (The answer is in their book, the Pescan: The Feel Good Kitchen.

Chef  and former fashion model, Jacqueline King Schiller, and international celebrity actress-musician Abbie Cornish from Australia (Jack Ryan), have such genuine exuberance and gratitude for “feeling good” by being fueled by Pescan seafood and plant-based foods.  Synchronistically they are both from areas where the waterfront plays a prominent part:  Southern California and Australia, respectively.  When I asked these national TV regulars if their outfits were kitchen-everyday, they answered almost in unison, “we are so happy to be here and wanted to dress up for you!”

Their joyous, tale is at once one of international glamour combined with a profound personal experience.  Jacq told us about her own history with food.  Having to maintain a low weight as a model, she “viewed food as enemy.”  The lesson of enjoying food began when she was a model living in Milan and experienced the infectious Italian love of eating that meant shopping for fresh food, sharing meals and simple, healthy cooking.

The two friends combine all of their knowledge and experience from international travel and careers, professional culinary school and an appreciation of Los Angeles as a diverse culinary adventure to create Pescan: The Feel Good Kitchen.   They did the spectacular, clear recipe testing, styling and bold, appealing photography themselves.  Included are a table of contents, index, glossary and tables of techniques.  Measurements are in both American and international terms.   Abbie tell us she is an artist, and the book more than proves it. She also pointed out that eating with this focus is a lifestyle choice, “not a strict diet.”

This 100+ recipe book is an extension of this  Pescan tradition and the food they explored together—plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free dishes, supplemented with high-protein seafood and eggs.  All are highly nutrient dense, incredibly energizing and accessible.  Abbie and Jackie breeze through  practical basics of stocking your kitchen, preparing and eating pescan. They share common sense foolproof tips, techniques, plus recipes for batch cooking and prepping, and a novel  list of Umami-rich ingredients to add to dishes.  One I found fascinating and will use soon adding neutral flavor avocado into pea soup for a silky, unctuous texture and nutrition.

Chef Jacq’s tips on how to cook like a pro were learned from culinary school, professional chefs and lots of home experience.     Everyday ingredients are transformed into art using simple instructions on how food keeps their colors  with the proper cooking ingredients.

As much of an insider in the culinary as the international fashion world, Jacq continually learns from the best.  We wondered who the celebrity chef was she mentioned who told her he did not soak his beans before cooking.  (Roy Choi?) “This means you don’t have to think of beans as all time-consuming, that you don’t have to babysit them for hours,” she laughed.  Halved onions are inserted to infuse flavor in this dish, and taken out before serving.

“One base recipe can make different dishes,” Jacq told us.  “Cooking school recipes are the ones I use mostly on a weekly basis.

Jackie’s personal trainer was the motivation of her lifestyle choice.  Research led her to a diet filled with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and legumes, and supplemented with eggs and seafood.   And she has found so much satisfaction in passing this on.   The  positive feedback from readers and students confirm her belief.  And, in her words, “I definitely feel most proud when people tell me about how my recipes helped them with health issues, weight loss, or just feeling better.   But the plan is  “not a rigid one,” Jackie is quick to point out.  It’s perfectly ‘ok’ to eat rich, decadent foods at times.”  She laughs, “like for New Year’s Eve.” But why not just have rich, decadent High-Protein Black Bean Brownies instead from the book?

There are heart-felt acknowledgements at the end of the book to friends and family for also trying them over and over.  “It was so helpful for Abbie as home cook to test the recipes because “she is not a professional chef who would already be familiar with the gist of  it who doesn’t need such detailed instruction.”

These two best friends had already bonded over their love of food and wellness.  The book came about after Abbie, a novice cook, asked Jacqueline, a graduate of the National Gourmet Institute, for cooking lessons. Every Sunday, they would take trips to the local farmers’ market, spend the day cooking, then serve these dishes to their family and friends.  So most beautifully,  Pescan: A Feel Good Cookbook is a story of friendship, healing, and developing a more positive relationship with food.

I was thrilled when Jacq answered my question about eating farmed Talapia: yes., in moderation.  She suggested checking SEAFOOD WATCH’s “Super Green List,” also listed in the book. So this is what we had for dinner, with me learning how to fillet a fish from the book!

Even my kitchen helper became a fan of Chef Jacq when she mentioned that her hands were “squeaky clean” as she handled on one of the ingredients.  And he assured me he will love to eat any of the fish dishes that we cook from the book, or be Chef Jacq’s taster for fish dishes!