natural foods

This cookbook offers a great amount of variety of whole foods and preparation options compared to recipes I have in Macrobiotic cookbooks. All the recipes I have tried so far have all been good. One of the things I have learned about changing to a new way of eating is that it takes time to ajust to new foods and tastes. This is true for me with some of the foods, such as kale, so I continue to try different recipes, etc. until I find one I like. All the grain dishes have been very good, and pressure cooking brown rice has made it into a wonderful tasting rice. Thanks for a very good book.

This cookbook is the solution for those "health-seekers" who want to eat by the rules (more fiber, more whole grains, less refined sugar, more vegetables). Many of the recipes are delicious, and it's nice to make something that tastes good but that won't give you pangs of food-guilt later.

A few caveats: 1. This is not a pure vegetarian cookbook. She has a whole section on fish. The author does not eat fish herself, but wanted to more fully represent the macrobiotic philosophy. 2. This doesn't give a good look at the full spectrum of macrobiotics. I'm not an expert by any stretch, but from what I've read of some of the other macrobiotics founders, this seemed very incomplete. She seems to concentrate primarily on the yin-yang principle (in her next book she talks about the elements), but doesn't give a comprehensive overview of how those can affect certain conditions. Also, as another reviewer pointed out, she includes a lot of ingredients most macrobiotics shun (chocolate, garlic, etc.) She seems to bend the rules a lot when it comes to desserts. 3. Having said that, when the author thinks a rule is important, she runs with it. Don't even think of eating raw vegetables or fruits, any white flour, or certain vegetables, like tomatoes.

All in all, I thought this cookbook was a valuable addition to my collection, but I didn't think it was a very good lifestyle guideline.

This is a very, very good book if you're trying to add vegetables, reduce meat/dairy, or just eat healthier. She limits added sugars to brown rice syrup, barley malt, and the occasional maple syrup, although she's open about not really wanting to use maple syrup. Recipes are pretty comprehensive, everything from sauces to desserts. Information on how to organize a meal is limited, however; you have to search through the recipes to find one that might be suitable for breakfast, and her menus look like five-course meals. As for the macrobiotic issue (in which I'm !not! an expert), she gives the basics of macrobiotics and admits that some of the foods she includes are not usually part of macro cooking. She also doesn't include a lot of detail about macrobiotics, so I was left scratching my head at some of the recipes (I thought in macrobiotics you weren't supposed to eat foods not native to the area?). But if you're not aiming for a strict macrobiotic diet, this is a great book!