Cooking to Conceive the Inconceivable: One Chef’s Journey to Fertile Fatherhood

“… after reading one chapter I knew I had to get this into my husband’s hands.”

“It’s the level of honesty in examining his own heart and mind that makes Edward Baum’s Cooking to Conceive the Inconceivable such a profound, funny, refreshingly candid book. As a clinician I also applaud the inclusion of additional case histories which offer the reader a compelling view of their many treatment options.”

– Belinda Anderson, PhD, LAC   Associate Clinical Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine

In Cooking to Conceive the Inconceivable, Julia Indichova’s husband and Culinary Institute of America trained chef, Edward Baum, offers an intimate view of infertility, from the male partner’s perspective and a Chef’s View of Food as an Expression of Love.

“Reading these chapters, I am struck by how incredibly important it is to hear the man’s voice. This is a book every woman struggling with an infertility diagnosis should give to her husband, and every concerned family member or friend should share with their brother, cousin or friend who is living through a fertility challenge.”

In close to two decades of working with people, I have been particularly moved by the many men who have attended our workshops, not only because of male factor issues, but mainly in support of their partners. When they share their reason for being there, they usually say: “I’m here to learn how I can support my wife.” Most of them minimize their own frustration and pain.

Over the years Ed and I talked about what it was like for him when we were finding our way through the maze of statistics and treatment choices. I’m thrilled that those conversations have finally morphed into a book, I can offer to my clients as another resource. After reading  the manuscripts one of the women in our community said,

“I am so excited to be able to put this into my husband’s hands and say, Look, read this, they got through it with flying colors, so will we.”

Aside from Ed’s poignant memoir, we are grateful to share four courageous narratives by Dads who were part of the Fertile Heart community.

And what an honor to have Marc Goldstein, M.D. FACS, one of the world’s most prominent thought leaders in the world of male reproductive medicine write the forward for this much awaited sequel to Inconceivable.

Cooking to Conceive the Inconceivable was released on Father’s Day, June 17, 2018. 

“It’s the level of honesty in examining his own heart and mind that makes Edward Baum’s Cooking to Conceive the Inconceivable such a profound, funny, refreshingly candid book. As a clinician I also applaud the inclusion of additional case histories which offer the reader a compelling view of their many treatment options.”

– Belinda Anderson, PhD, LAC

Associate Clinical Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Academic Dean at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine

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“A much-needed book for couples of all genders, inspiring them to face a diagnosis as partners intent on being there for each other and strengthening the bonds of their relationship. It is now on the must read list for all my patients searching for guidance with a challenging life crisis.”

– Marc Goldstein, MD, DSC (hon), FACS

Surgeon-in-Chief, Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery. Author of The Couples Guide to Fertility

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“It’s funny that as we delve deeper into the hard science and genetics of male infertility, diet and lifestyle seem to matter more than ever. As Chef Baum dances poignantly through a life of food and cooking, mixing his personal history into every recipe, he raises to a high art the concept of good nutrition, one of the unsung treatments for male infertility.”

-Paul Turek, MD

Director, The Turek Clinics, Los Angeles & San Francisco; Men’s Health Specialist and Award Winning Blogger

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“The medicinal power of food is a well-established fact. But Cooking to Conceive the Inconceivable doesn’t just inspire us to change our eating habits. It’s a book about one man’s willingness to take on the challenge of a health crisis and finding in his love of cooking a path toward nurturing and healing. The beautifully detailed culinary descriptions make this book a delight for any reader.”

-Bruce S. Mattel

Senior Associate Dean, Culinary Institute of America