Food Books

Thank you for a easy to follow book on dehydrating. I can now dehydrate well enough to eat what I had dehydrated and it tastes good. Yummmmm.

I love this book. Not only does it give good iteas for what to dry but how to build a dryer. This is just great.

This is a friendlier, more personal book than Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook. There's not as much in it, in terms of content, but there are things in here Bell doesn't cover - like drying grains. (Make your own corn chips with this book!)

For those who don't have a dehydrator already, or for folks who like to build things themselves, there are detailed plans and instructions to build your own "living foods dehydrator."

If you were to own *only* one book for food dehydrating, go with Bell's book. If you like to have a cooking "library" (as I do), this book is a terrific addition to it. "Try" it - you'll like it!

We've had this book since 1978. My husband made the drying rack, and used a bunch of light bulbs wired in series with a thermostat instead of the "warm air generator". It's been running for over 20 years! It's so simple to use. The book takes you through the process and gives great recipes. We came here to Amazon looking for the book for other members of the family. We're glad to see it's still in print. It's worth every penny.

this book is the companion to the living foods dehydrator, a 7 shelf (each = 2ft X 2ft) low voltage electric element dehydrator. i've owned one for 18 years and it's still going great guns! it's especially good for those who have access to lots of cheap/free fresh foods to dry. like they say: "dry it - you'll like it!"

I really like this book. This is more of a nutritional book than a diet book, although weight-loss is the added benefit. I found her advice sound and logical. I highly recommend this book to people who are interested in their health, especially women. I look forward to reading more of her books!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has tried a low-fat diet and failed. This book goes into many specifics regarding EFA's, Omega 3s, 6s, and 9s and how eating the right fats can make you thin for life by jump starting fat burning systems in your body and also by assisting the insulin energy storage system in the body to help burn more fat. It may be as simple as eating the recommended foods and taking the proper supplements. I really liked that this book wasn't just about weight loss, but overall health and how the American diet has deteriorated so that it has promoted many diseases in the last 10 years. It's a wonderful change of pace from your average diet, this is one that just might be livable for LIFE.

I have read numerous nutrition books and most of Ms. Gittleman's books as well. I think she is one of the most thorough and knowledgable nutritionists around. Her insight into our dietary needs is accurate. This book and her "Get the Sugar Out" book have changed the way I eat and feed my family. We like our results! I believe the american people are being mislead with misinformation and half truths. We have limited choices and inferior products available in most of our restaurants and grocery stores. I hope people educate themselves and find their own good health. I highly recommend " Eat Fat, Lose Weight" as well as any other book by Ms. Gittleman.

Nutritionist and author Ann Louise Gittleman, M.S. and C.N.S., is currently a consultant to numerous professional organizations. Dina R. Nunziato, C.S.W., is a psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders and weight management. They've teamed up to write Eat Fat, Lose Weight: How The Right Fats Can Make You Thin For Life. Their book is essential reading for anyone wanting to know the true role of dietary fat in weight control. Gittleman starts with the premise that Americans have done themselves more harm than good by banishing all fats from their diets. She says that "all fats are not created equal. In fact, certain fats boost the body's metabolic rate and protect the heart and nerves." She adds that "certain fats are essential to the health and vitality of every human being, regardless of age, gender, or current weight." The authors describe each kind of fat and what it does in the body. They cite statistics showing that since Americans became obsessed with low-fat and fat-free diets obesity has increased significantly, the incidence of diabetes and heart disease has increased, depression has become common, and immune system disorders are "rampant." People obviously need some fat in their diets, but "it's the type of fat that counts." They also discuss the role of carbohydrates and protein in the diet, and relationship between those nutrients and fat. Gittleman and Nunziato devote several chapters to the healthy fats and how to include them in your diet. They finish with the "Eat Fat, Lose Weight Eating Plan," and include sample menus and suggestions for items to keep stocked in your pantry for when you don't have lots of time for food preparation. They describe their book as being "about health, about achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, as well as healthy percentages of body fat, lean muscle tissue, and strong bones. It is about living well and being well throughout your lifetime." Readers will find that Eat Fat, Lose Weight lives up to the author's promises. -- Sandra I. Smith, Reviewer

Ann Louise Gittleman is right on the money. I found this book the most important book about dietary fat I have ever read.

I, too, used to subscribe to the "fat-free" lifestyle in sad, desperate attempts to lose weight. After finding out just how much the body needs fat, especially the right kinds of fat, I realized that I was really "abusing" my body by ignoring it's needs for essential fatty acids. I have added flaxseed oil to my daily regimen and have started to incorporate dietary changes. I do feel much better.

I also appreciate the scientific evidence that supports her claims. She sheds new light on the body's need for protein and fat, something that flies in the face of traditional nutrition advice. Since I've started to give myself more protein, I feel fuller longer and my sugar cravings are much reduced.

If you have been living the "Fat-Free Lie," you owe it to yourself to read this book. I was so engrossed in the thing that I finished it in a day. It is truly breakthrough.

I have borrowed this book twice and came here now to buy my own copy that I can write in. My Indonesian vocabulary is mostly nouns and those are mostly names of fruits and food dishes. "Eat Smart" taught me how to ask for lawar without blood in it--that alone is worth the price of the book! In Indonesia, I'll be toting this next to my dictionary at all times. At home, I'll keep it in the kitchen to have the recipes handy.

This little book is essential for travelers to a country where food is riotously varied, delicious and, to most of us, utterly unfamiliar. It begins with a brief historical survey of the cuisine, citing the contributions of successive immigrant or colonial groups, then slices the other way, with sections on Indonesia's major culinary regions and their specialties and characteristics. Recipes, a listing of US sources for ingredients, then phrases in Indonesian all follow. Two alphabetical listings are the heart of the book: One is of menu items, with brief descriptions and notations; the other is of "foods and flavors" (and utensils, cooking methods and so on), in Indonesian, with English translations or explanations. The whole is thorough, information-packed and mouthwatering.

The authors have written a series of Eat Smart books that no traveler to foreign countries should be without. Each book covers a separate country--Eat Smart in Turkey, Eat Smart in Brazil, Eat Smart in Indonesia and Eat Smart in Mexico--and is chock full of information that you won't find elsewhere within the covers of one easy-to-carry paperback. Individual chapters cover such topics as the history of the country's cuisine, regional foods, how to shop in the local markets, mail-order sources for suppliers of ingredients, and a collection of recipes for typical dishes found in that country. Especially useful is each book's extensive menu guide, listing menu terms alphabetically in the language of the foreign country, with a description of the dish in English. That section is followed by a chapter titled "Foods & Flavors"--listing the foreign terms for foods, spices, kitchen utensils and cooking techniques, with an English translation/description. These books are well researched, accurate and very informative. Highly recommended. --Sharon Hudgins, editor, Chile Pepper magazine

Soundly researched, clearly written, artistically illustrated, "Eat Smart in Indonesia" is the most comprehensive and readable survey of the whole scope of Indonesian gastronomy I have ever come across. It is equally valuable as a solid reference work for the scholar and as exotic inspiration for the chef or home entertainer. Bill Dalton, founder, Moon Travel Guides; author, "Indonesian Handbook"

For a country of 17,000 islands and 670 dialects, and complex traditions, religion and culture, no one-including Indonesians-can claim to know more about Indonesia's traditional food tastes than the authors of Eat Smart in Indonesia. Their guide is the first ever published with in-depth information about the unique and diverse food of Indonesia. -William W. Wongso, culinary educator, president of William F & B Management, Jakarta, Java

Eat Smart in Peru by Joan Peterson and Brook Soltvedt, Illustrated by Susan Chwae is a travel guide for food lovers which guides the traveler in Peru through the market and the menu in order to have a savory tasting adventure. The unique concept of this book is one of many in the EAT SMART series. The guides include a history of the culture and development of its unique cuisine. There are many recipes sprinkled through the book to try before making your trip to Peru or to enjoy as a special memory after returning. Especially useful is the chapters about shopping in the market with the needed languages phrases.And every traveler to Peru needs this book even if it is just for the restaurant guide which lists the dishes and food items in alphabetical order with descriptions of what it is, with national and regional Peruvian favorites indicated. With this guide you will no longer be ordering mystery foods when you dine. The book is unique and really well organized. Be sure to pack it for your trip!

"...picarones, a doughnut-like snack or dessert made from a yeasty pumpkin dough. The rings of dough are formed by hand, deep-fried and served with raw-sugar syrup flavored with orange, aniseed, cinnamon and cloves." ~ pg. 14

The Eat Smart guides are an exploration of cuisine itself and are interesting even if you never reach the desired destination. You can order ingredients online for the recipes featured. There are pictures of delicious cultural favorites, food markets and unique ingredients. Some of the main sections include:

Early History through Pre-Inca Civilizations
The Regions of Peru
Tastes of Peru
Shopping in Peru's Food Markets
Resources
Helpful Phrases
Menu Guide
Food and Flavors Guide
Restaurants

Joan Peterson and Brook Soltvedt also show how various cultures influenced Peru's culinary world and the first part of this book contains a lot of culinary history that may appeal to food writers. Maps and pictures of the food make it easier to understand the cultural significance of food choices.

"Rare is the Peruvian dish that does not include chile pepper. Each river valley oasis along the western slopes of the Andes has a microclimate that produces unique varieties of chile peppers, which are, in turn, completely different from the peppers native to the jungle." ~ pg. 19

Recipes for Rice Pudding look familiar and if you can find gooseberries, you can make the gooseberry marmalade to serve with quinoa crepes.

Other highlights include a section on helpful phrases you can use in restaurants. List of foods like "nuez moscada" have translations, nutmeg. If you order a tortilla, you will get an omelet.

Eat Smart in Peru will appeal to anyone who is curious about new culinary discoveries and wants to either travel to Peru or incorporate new recipes into their cooking repertoire.

~The Rebecca Review

(Planeta Journal) - This latest title in the Eat Smart series helps travelers decipher menus and shop in the lively markets of Peru. There are so many options for visitors throughout the country, this book is the definitive guidebook for enjoying Peruvian cuisine. Includes tips on shopping in markets, a menu guide, helpful phrases and a list of helpful resources.

This is a handy, travel sized guide to eating in Peru that greatly enhanced our trip to Peru. There are two excellent glossaries, one for menus with the names of foods in Spanish and in English, and the second listing a number of markets. There are recipes for some typical dishes from different regions in Peru (I've included one in the Comments). I especially liked the history of dishes.

Our tour arranged for Sunday dinner at the home of a penal judge and an office manager; the family prepared the meal using many foods grown on their their own farm, and the judge and his law student son ate with us. The menu included guinea pig fried in deep fat served with large kernel white corn on the cob and sweet potato. The second course was braised beef served with carrots, cucumbers, green beans and tomatoes. Dessert was strawberry gelatin. Except for the guinea pig, the meal sounds quite American, but this book added interesting information which helped us understand the seasonings and enjoy the meal more fully.

My son and I are greatly addicted to street food, and the book was helpful on street dining as well. The steamed white corn at the railroad station on the way to Machu Picchu was superb; roasted beef heart at a greasy spoon in Miraflores was excellent; and we were delighted to learn more about the fusion of Chinese and Peruvian foods at the many chifa restaurants.

There are a couple of useful websites that make this book even more useful. The publisher, Gingko Press, maintains an interesting website with news about the authors and other books in the Series. ginkgopress.com The site announced recently that this book received the 2006 Gourmand Award for Best in the World Award for a culinary travel guidebook. There is also the helpful perufood.blogspot.com devoted to the foods of Peru; Joan Peterson contributes suggestions on how to find ingredients, and suggests alternatives for those that aren't available in the US.

As a portable guide book on the foods of Peru, this one can't be beat. But,if you are really serious about Peruvian food, consider obtaining the beautiful and encyclopedic The Art of Peruvian Cuisine by Tony Custer. The Reviews on Amazon and elsewhere (including my own) are glowing.

Robert C. Ross 2008

People who love combining great food and travel make pilgrimages to Italy's Po Valley, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Hanoi, Singapore, France's Lyon, San Francisco, Charleston, New Orleans and other shrines to fine cooking.

Add Peru to the list.

If you aren't aware that Peru has its very own fusion cuisine -- very approximately like that of New Orleans with a blend of Indian, Spanish and African styles -- plus contributions by Chinese and Japanese settlers, Eat Smart in Peru will open your eyes to yet another fine gourmet destination.

Authors Joan Peterson and Brook Soltvedt are way ahead of the curve in discovering Peruvian cuisine. I was only aware of Peruvian chicken, based on a carryout in my neighborhood that serves this dish, cooked on a rotating spit over charcoal, with a rosemary-based spice shoved under the chicken skin, and a fine salsa verde on the side. Peterson and Soltvedt found a vast variety of other dishes, including curries, desserts and appetizers. A section on recipes includes Aji de Gallina, a chicken stew that I plan to try.

In addition to the recipes, Eat Smart in Peru contains a history of the development of Peru's cuisine, a regional specialties chapter, a glossary of ingredients and menu guide.

Finally, Eat Smart in Peru tells you how to shop in a Peruvian market and how to locate rare ingredients stateside. It's an easy read, with nice illustrations and a logical organization.

By the way, the author has done other "Eat Smart" guides to Brazil, Mexico, India, Turkey, Poland and other destinations.

this is the most thorough comprehensive clearly written and amusing book that I've seen on all things knife - how to choose what you need, what's the difference between the expensive choices, how to keep a screaming sharp edge, clear guidelines and different chefy cuts and terminology. really excellent. wish I could say I still have it but my son stole it as soon as he saw it.

I read this book cover to cover in a single sitting. I found it easy to read and understand as well as a few laughs along the way. This book will become a permanent resource in my kitchen library for a long time. I highly recommend this book to any one with and interest in kitchen cutlery, cutting boards, knife cuts, maintenance of both knives and cutting boards with even a few recipes included. It is also a great resource for suppliers of various related goods and services.

An excellent resource that is already a reference I keep returning to. It covers all the bases: it contains a buyers guide, a sharpening guide and an overview of essential knife skills.

A good read too -- Mr. Ward has a good sense of humor and a concise writing style. Overall, highly recommended.

With a measured dose of wry humor and thoughtful commentary, Chad Ward debunks the myths and dispels the mysteries of the most essential, yet misunderstood, and under appreciated tool in the kitchen, the humble cook's knife. Whether you're a seasoned home cook, a confused beginner, or a professional cook, you'll undoubtedly benefit from Mr. Ward's comprehensive knowledge which he freely shares in an unintimidating, easily understood style. Bridging the chasm between professional culinary texts and the limited information available to the home cook in various cookbooks, he covers all the critical subjects associated with choosing, using, maintaining, sharpening, and even cleaning up after using a good knife. This book will make a fine, if not essential addition to the reference library of your favorite cook, knife enthusiast, or anyone who simply wants to know more about how to use and maintain the knives in his or her kitchen.

As an amateur cook, I appreciate how the book has been written. Easy enough for an amateur to understand and detailed enough to satisfy the most demanding of knife users. I found it to be informative, interesting, a terrific source of information and an insight into how professional knives are used and cared for.

As a professional butcher block builder, I found his detailed information is right on the money and very detailed.

When you buy the book, be prepared to be informed and educated and be ready to laugh out loud at his wit and humor.

I have really enjoyed this book a lot. I am very satisfied with the text and pictures. This book doesn't have a key so you have to know the name of the plant you are wanting to look up to find info about it.

I bought this book to replace one I had passed on to a young kid who wanted to learn more about his Rocky Mountain environment. I have owned this book for four years and found it to be the most educational book about edible and medicinal plants that are found in the Rocky Mountain region. The color illustration helps immensely. Any person who is inspiring to spend time in the Rocky Mountain back country should own this book.

I bought the Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies book when we moved to the Rocky Mountains and it has been indispensable. It is a well written reference guide with lots of information about each plant and great color photos to help you identify them. A must for anyone wanting to learn how to safely harvest wild foods in the Rockies.

We've used this book on every occasion we've been either hiking and camping and that is quite a lot. We've found all sorts of edibles that we normally wouldn't have eaten.

The first thing you notice about this book is its wonderfully sturdy construction. It is well made, ready to withstand some time in the woods with you!

Next you will notice that it is color coded. The tree section is green, shrubs orange, herbs burgandy etc. Within each section the plants are divided by families.

Each plant has at least one very good color photo. Most of them have two or three! Many also have illustrations. Some of the plants are covered in one page, others take two.

A typical page is: Top of the Page: Mint Family Herbs
The mint family is a two page spread with three nice photos. It says "Wild Mints Mentha spp." Then FOOD: These plants can be eaten alone as greens, raw or cooked. . . The next paragraph is MEDICINE: The active medicinal ingredient, menthol has been shown. . . OTHER USES: These aromatic plants were hung in dwellings as air-fresheners, and they were also crushed. . .
DESCRIPTION: Glandular-dotted perenials, smelling strongly of mint. . .The Description section also included info on where the plant is likely to be found. In a colored box at the bottom of the page WARNING: Wild mint and spearmint are high in pulegone, which stimulates the uterus. . .

Each plant includes information on poisonous look-likes if any, but there is also a full section on poisonous plants.

The book also includes a glossary and an index.

Because it is difficult for any one field guide to have EVERYTHING you are looking for, I like to use this book alongside Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide by Elias and Dykeman. I also really like Linda Kershaw's other book Plants of the Rocky Mountains.

Extremely useful set of forms and ideas for use in the restaurant industry. It is skewed towards full service restaurants; but still has lots of useful stuff to apply to QSR. Do not expect to find a treatise on training, though. The CD ROM helps to take advantage of the material because it has the full text on pdf format and several of the sections in MS-Word format.

Douglas Robert Brown's excellent reference tool is worth every penny and should be in every food service operator's reference library. I have recommended his book for my tea students for the last five years and am pleased to endorse the revised media. From the small tearoom owner to the chain restaurant, Mr. Brown's resource is a valuable tool. Carnelian Rose Tea - Tea Business School - Jennifer Petersen

There is not one page of information in this incredibly handsome book that is not useful. The book includes every possible form I can think of, and many many more I never thought about which would be incredibly useful to our business today! The companion CDROM of forms allowed us to use this book from day one. Highly recommended!!!

The Encyclopedia of Restaurant Training is a no-nonsense, thorough resource covering the necessary training for all positions in the food service industry, from professional chef to maitre d to bartender and much more. Written in clear, easy-to-understand terms and charts spelling out explicit training instructions, and illustrated with some diagrams (such as a picture of how to properly set a formal table), The Encyclopedia of Restaurant Training spares no effort to be as understandable as possible. No background knowledge in any trade is needed to grasp explicit instructions ranging from a step-by-step breakdown of the hostess job to the proper order of service for a luncheon handout to how one can go about creating a memorable presentation to food service employees, and much more. A CD-ROM accompanies this absolute must-have for anyone preparing for a career in food service, or charged with the responsibility of training food service recruits.

As a long-time user of The Restaurant Managers Handbook by Douglas R. Brown, I have found The Encyclopedia of Restaurant Forms and it's CD Rom to be the most complete and comprehensive selection of forms and ideas for every day and every situation that can or will arise in the food service business.

I agree with all preious reviews and can only add that I have a copy of this, have given 2 copies as gifts, and just purchased another for my daughter...Anyone who browses through it while in my kitchen learns something!!!

A very thorough and dependable guide to foods and spices, complete with preparation how-to's and recipes. A great system of cross referencing saves time and beautifully detailed photos make this a must-have book.

My Girlfriend gave this book to me as a gift and i can't thank her enough. I'm doing a Chef Course here in Venezuela and it's a great help in classes because it talks about everything you need to know on picking any kind of food and how to cook it. This type of books are really hard to findSimply Great!

This book is a complete compilation of ingredients and food we eat. I borrowed this book from the library with the intention of knowing names of food I usually purchased but do not want what it's called. The pictures in this book allow you to acknowledge them. It is a good resource to help me in using recipes that I read from magazines & cookbooks. This book does not delve into the nutritional aspect of the food but focus on how each food is usually prepared. The glossary on every page brings you to related pages of the food. The book is well organized and the pictures are clear and sharp. I bought this book eventually after returning the library's copy.

This would be the PERFECT gift for a friend who likes to cook. It's a great reference on ingredients, explaining the difference between similar foods, when to use what, what can be used as a substitute... The pictures are terrific, the recipes I've tried are excellent, and most not too complicated to try for the first time on a weeknight. It's a great book if you like to READ cook books. The best part? They place page references to recipes on the ingredient pages and where to find the write up on the ingredients on the recipe pages. It's 100% enjoyable, right down to the heavy paper on which it's printed.

Beautifully illustrated with color photography throughout, Everybody Loves Pizza is part cookbook, part restaurant guide, and part trivia fun book all about the delicious and popular food of pizza! Chapters look at the origin of pizza in Italy and its evolution in American culture, featuring recipes from expert chefs, from Barbecue Chicken Pizza to Prosciutto Pear Pizza, Rosemary Red Onion Pizza, and much more. A directory of 500 top-notch pizzerias in the United States fills out the best locations for traveling gourmets to visit rounds out this "must-have" book of fun-facts and mouth-watering kitchen ideas for pizza aficionados everywhere.

From the front cover to the back, this book is a must-read for anyone and everyone who loves pizza - and who doesn't (except the father of one of the authors)? It's a part coffee-table, part history, part trivia, part recipe book, all neatly compiled with excellent photography to boot. The authors really did their homework from around the country (as you will see if you refer to their recommended independent pizza parlors towards the back of the book - another added plus). Being from the midwest, the history of the chain pizza restaurants and frozen pizza (like Joe Pep's original Tombstone pizza which is probably still the best there ever was) were both particularly interesting to me. No real bias in here, though - the authors lay claim that all pizzas have their place in American culture, like different types of music or ice cream. And low and behold, one of the authors used to deliver Pyramid Pizza in Lawrence, KS as a grad student, one of my many favorite varieties of Italian pie! Whether you only kind of like pizza, or you really love it, this book will be of interest to you and anyone else who picks it up from your coffee table. Now, I can't wait to try some of the recipes included in here, as well!

This book is a cross between a history book and recipe book. Although it doesn't have that many recipes it is very interesting, all the recipes are tasty and the pictures in this book are great. There is also a restaurant guide in the back.

I gave this wonderful book as a gift for the holidays, and plan on giving it for housewarming and birthday gifts in the future. It is a fun read, and a sure crowd pleaser. Everyone can find something in this book to like - the recipes for someone who loves to cook, the pizza restaurant listings for your favorite traveler (there is a restaurant in every state!), and the history of pizza for the non-fiction readers. It has wonderful photographs and illustrations, and will make you want to order pizza for dinner.

I'm not a pizzeria owner or a book reviewer, just a guy who loves pizza. It seems like there are a lot of books about pizza out there these days, but this one covers more ground and is more entertaining than the others. There's no New York snobbery going on here - just a clear-eyed, authoritative approach to all styles. This book gives equal time to Chicago, New Haven, California, NYC, and all the others.

And the photos make me hungry.

It's strong on the history of famous indies and pizza chains, and the recipes look good - and they throw in a lot of fun blurbs here and there to keep things moving along ("best pizza moments in movies," "ten great pizzeria names," even a funny sidebar on "Seinfeld"'s apparent obsession with pizza).

There's a top ten list of the best pizzerias in the country, and I can't say I totally agree - where's Zachary's in Oakland? - but I guess that's the point of these things. Besides, the directory of 500+ great pizzerias has all of my favorite local (and national) places.

If you buy one pizza book, make this the one.

This is by far my favorite vegetarian cookbook. I've owned the book for almost 6 years now and given it as a gift to friends atleast 3 times :) Nothing at all needs to be done to these scrumptous recipes to "doctor" them up. My wife and I are vegetarians, but really require a lot of flavor in our dishes, and in our experience many recipes in the vegetarian cookbooks lack the flavor...we are often times needing to add a little of our own spices or salt to make them taste they way we would like them. These recipes are good as they are and oh so tasty!!!! My favorite recipe is the Indian Garbanzo Bean Curry (it's not the actual name given the recipe in the book) but it is oh so good. I have made it atleast a dozen times and have never had left overs. My favorite story is, I once made this recipe for a friend in order to deliver some as a gift, and by accident got my gift sack containing my tupperware of curry mixed up with an East Indian family's Indian dish that they were bringing for their Indian friend :) To make a long story short, their friend got my dish by mistake...or... divine providence, and loved every spoonful and thought it had been cooked by an Indian, which I am not. Two THUMBS UP!!! It's really a nice collection of Recipes.

I was excited to happen across this book and was hoping the recipes would offer simplicity and they do. Not only that, but most every ingredient can be found in your local grocery mart. No need to shop exclusively at organic / natural food stores for many of the ingredients contained within. The recipes are simple and short.

I spent a few days at The Expanding Light a number of years ago and recall my hesitancy over the menu. Not being a vegetarian at that time and not totally understanding what I was going to be eating left me a little wary. I have to say that I walked away from the retreat with a new found love.

If you're looking for good, wholesome and simple, this book is one of the best. Furthermore, if you're a new vegetarian, making this book part of your kitchen will get you off to an excellent start.

This book by Blanche McCord has the most fantastic, easy to follow recipes. Everyone absolutely loves the food I make when I cook from this cook book. Example: While camping last weekend one of our friends sampled a little of the red pesto pasta salad. The next day before we left he asked if I had any left. I said yes, that he should help himself to it. Later when I returned to our RV I spotted the empty container that had held the salad. He couldn't help himself. He finished it. Aside from the food being out of this world, you get insight as to why the food that comes out of Ananda is so outstanding.

We've been vegetarians for many years and have all the popular vegetarian cookbooks--but this is something different. The recipes are healthy and yet very tasty. I would say these recipes satisfy. I especially liked the menu ideas in the back of the book, which offer very creative and thoughtful combinations. It's also very interesting to learn how this yoga retreat makes their food "better"--I found the tips very helpful and inspiring.

I recently stayed at the Expanding Light Yoga Retreat and was awe-struck at the wonderful, flavorful foods created by Blanche. Eating was truly a spiritual experience that left everyone with satisfied bellies, calm minds, and smiling faces. As a vegetarian who loves to cook, there was no question that I would leave this place without this book. I have been nothing but delighted to read and create beautiful meals that are easy to make, maximizing the yield of flavors from just a few ingredients which I almost always have in my kitchen already, and well explained. The interview with the author at the beginning of the book, having spent time with her at the retreat, truly exemplifies the spirit in which she approaches her meal-planning and cooking-creating healthy food with a loving heart warms the spirits of all who share in eating it. The meal plan suggestions are truly thoughtful and outlined according to the season of the year. I cannot say enough good things about this book, and I have given it as a gift to a vegan already (almost all the recipes are vegan!). I highly recommend it to anyone.