This book has not been released yet.  We will review as soon as we get it.  Until 2007 she was Madonna’s chef so we are looking forward to it.

This book has great macrobiotic recipes for babies and toddlers and my husband and I love it too. The most useful recipe from the cook book which allows me to get sea vegetables in our family’s diet everyday is the sea veg mix. I use it in everything.

2 tablespoons kelp
¼ cup crushed hiziki
¼ cup crushed arame
¼ cup crushed wakame
1 strip kombu

Crush sea vegetables with your hands and place them in a blender. Grind to a coarse powder. Store in covered jar.  Yield: ¾ cup

Jola

I bought this book about a week ago and I immediately made sauerkraut.  It was easy, quick and tasted great.  I now eat a spoonful of sauerkraut every day and I am healthier for it.  The book has recipes for miso, kimchi, mead, beer, kombucha, sourdough bread and many more.  I look forward to trying many of them this coming winter.  What I liked most of all about this book is the discussions about the history and traditions behind the recipes.  Fermentation is a way of thinking and actively participating in the world we live in.  It is an elemental process that has contributed to the health and longevity of many cultures throughout history.

Amelia

 

Christina Pirello is host of the public television series Christina Cooks and lectures extensively on vegan cooking. This is much more than a cook book. She helps you transition from a standard Western diet to a healthy whole foods diet in a 21-day detoxification and weight-loss program. She includes many recipes but also talks about stress reduction and a balanced lifestyle in an easy going informal style. She looks at the vegan way of life in all its aspects and if you are not yet into this lifestyle you will be after reading this book.

When I first went on a macrobiotic diet I used this book all the time. I still use it and I tried to take a picture of it and upload it to this site to show you how tattered it is from all the use but unfortunately my camera skills were not good enough so I guess you don't get to see the torn up version. This is a macrobiotic cookbook with great explanations of all the basics for anybody just starting out with macrobiotics. What you need in your kitchen, how to cook beans from scratch and many, many easy to follow recipes. Pirello was diagnosed with terminal leukemia at the age of twenty-six and turned to macrobiotics. To the shock of her doctor she went into complete remission. This is not a vegan cookbook. It does include recipes on fish. She has some great explanations on why some foods are good for you and why others are not, how to satisfy a craving for sweets, how certain foods can influence your mood. If you need lots of detail about macrobiotics this is not the book for you but a great companion book nevertheless because it gives you a more relaxed perspective on macrobiotics.
Amelia

This is my favorite dessert cookbook. Not only are all the recipes vegan but she does not use refined sugars or flours. Her sweeteners are maple syrup or barley malt. Thickeners are arrowroot powder or agar flakes. In her book there is a recipe for "The Chocolate Cake to Live For". My whole family loves this cake. I have been making it every birthday, every Thanksgiving and every Christmas for three years now and there is no end in sight. You will see a lot of vegan cookbooks that use refined sugars and flours. Not this one. These are really healthy desserts.
Amelia

The new book by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, the author of VegNews’ Cookbook of the Year, The Joy of Vegan Baking, The Vegan Table promises that “whether you’re hosting a formal dinner for eight, taking one dish to a buffet-style potluck, or preparing a romantic meal for two, your vegan and non-vegan friends alike will enjoy delicious, in-season dishes for every occasion.”.

Nancy Mehagian’s culinary memoir, Siren’s Feast contains over 40 recipes as well as being a travel, adventure, and spiritual journey. This Forest Stewardship Council certified “green” book is a finalist in the National Best Books 2008 Awards.