I've been a vegetarian since I was sixteen. In the late eighties, that was rough- even more difficult than being a vegan now. In the last year, I made the transition to vegan, but thanks to the work of innovative cooks like Isa Chandra Moskowitz, that just isn't hard anymore. The next challenge? Going raw- very difficult because apparently you need a Vita-Mix, a dehydrator (I don't think I've ever even seen one of those), a food processor, a grinder, and a bunch of other esoteric equipment I've never even heard of- right?
Ani Phyo earned four stars right off the bat by making almost every one of her recipes doable with a blender or, in many cases, a knife. There are maybe three recipes that absolutely require a dehydrator- and even that can be gotten around. For this reason alone, if you've been thinking about raw but you've been intimidated by all of the required equipment, check this out.
The recipes that I've tried- and I've gone a little crazy in the last few days- have been not only simple but really, really good. So far I have made her Miso Soup, Almond Yogurt, Black Pepper Cheeze, Nori Rolls, Coco Kream Pie (oh wow- so good), a bunch of her shakes and my version of her Sunflower Bread (hmm- how did I do that without a dehydrator?). Almost all of this has been accomplished with a blender, and I don't even own the legendary Vita-Mix. In other words, the majority of households can do this.
Every chapter opens with her thoughts and recommendations on environmentalism. I liked most of her suggestions, but I was a little put off by her statements that hers was not a "bargain body" and that she is thus willing to pay more for her premium produce. I applaud her- I even envy her and others like her- but I am disappointed that she doesn't touch on the readers who can't afford organic produce for the most part and live in areas with lousy public transportation systems and recycling. I shudder any time I read something that makes it seem as if health is only for the wealthy.
However, she didn't lose a star for that because her tone, as strident as it may have been at times, inspired me to find a work around for my dehydrator- and I did. Ever make yogurt using a heating pad? If you have a small enough pan- think one that fits into a toaster oven- and some tin foil- congratulation, you have the guts of a make your own dehydrator. I'm still tweaking mine, but I was very inspired by the results with my Sunflower Bread.
This is a soup to nuts guide to going raw, and it won't require you to reoutfit your kitchen. It may, however, inspire you to rethink your approach to food. Ani's Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable Living Foods Recipes
This truly is a beautiful raw foods book - in more ways than one. It's beautiful to look at, it's colorful, has lots of beautiful pictures of Ani and her friends, and most importantly - contains some amazing raw foods recipes. Every page is filled with Ani's little tidbits, useful information, and her thoughts and beliefs on doing all we can to make this world a better place to live in. I tried 4 of Ani's recipes, and all I can say is that if the rest of the recipes are anything like the ones I tried, then it's money well spent.
So why did I give it only 4 stars ?? Well, for starters, Ani repeats a lot of stuff in her book. Here are some examples : Reasons to shop at farmers markets, to eat organically, not to put something into your body just because the item is cheap or free, etc etc. Ani says these same things in several different chapters. She probably just wanted to get the message across loud & clear.
Don't get me wrong, I still think this book is a GREAT BUY, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in raw foods, or in eating healthfully. I would also recommend it to anyone interested in "treading lightly" on our planet. If you can only read one book, and want to get information on "living green", eating organically, healthfully, learning about raw foods and enjoying your meals, then buy this book!
One more comment: I thought that it was strange that Ani's book was not printed on recycled paper (I looked 3 times to find some information on that in the book, but couldn't find it anywhere). Consdering all the information she's provided on living as responsibly as possible, I was disappointed to think that she didn't insist that the book be printed on recycled paper, or at least to state somewhere that it's printed on recycled paper - if it is.
i really wanted to like this book. it's got a cute concept, the author seems great, and there seemed to be a good number of recipes within. however, after trying several of them, i have to give the book a big thumbs down. i made one of the breakfast "scrambles", and it was a rather unpleasant texture as it was simply pulverized seeds, with seasonings. i also made a recipe she raved as being so yummy, one of her favorites, a faux mashed potato. what was it ? pureed broccoli with a few seasonings. maybe you have to be in a certain mindframe to get something out of the food offered in this book. the final recipe i tried was the baja nacho cheese. this is by far the worst raw food item i have made thus far. it was pulverized brazil nuts, water and a few spices. how in the world is that even comparable to cheese ? i understand it's raw, but i have tried other raw cheeses, and they were much, much better. this one was gritty and flavorless.
i own four other raw cookbooks, and this one is my least favorite, and i will probably never use it. i really believe that vegetarian/vegan/raw food can still be delicious, gourmet, enticing, etc to the palate. i've made many raw recipes, and they rival the most high end fare you can find. when i have people over for dinner, i want them to be amazed and delighted that they are eating healthy food that's also delicious. i'm afraid with ani's selections, they would either laugh or be spitting it out in their napkins. - Vegan - Raw Foods - Raw - Raw Food Recipes'
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