Living Cuisine: The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods

I have read several raw foods book and must say this is the absolute best one I have seen. It is much more than a cook-book. It is like a comprehensive reference encyclopedia of raw foods. It explains all the obscure ingredients you hear about and breaks down the different kinds of vegetables and the vitamins they contain and so on. I always wanted to know which bean has the most protein? Which veggies are the healthiest to eat? What needs to be bought organic and what can I just get at the local supermarket? What machines do i need to purchase for my kitchen and which ones are just hype? SHould I really buy a $200 Juicer or a $350 Vita-Mix?? Should I get a dehydrator? Whats the healthiest sweetner to use? How do I sprout my own beans or grow my own wheatgrass? Well, you get the idea.....She answers pretty much every question you could ever ask about being a vegetarian or being a vegan or being a raw-foods vegetarian. I highly recommend this book, the recipes themselves are FANTASTIC, she is actually a world-renowned raw foods chef and gives away many of her secrets here. If you know nothing about raw foods this is the perfect book to buy to get started and even experts will enjoy the recipes. I am a cheap-skate that checks books out from the library and never buys them, but I bought a copy of this one because I use it all the time as a reference book and as a cookbook.

If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. I have several Raw Food Books - this is simply the best! The first half of the book is full of information - layout is easy to understand and follow. The second half - what a delicious treat - the recipes - it is almost sinful how good healthy raw food can taste - the pies and cookies are a must not to mention the delicious salad dressings - the salad dressings are soooo gooood! - you will just want to eat them straight out of the blender - who cares about the salad part!!! I have even e-mailed Renee with questions - really not expecting a quick answer - if an answer at all. She e-mailed me back within 24 hrs. She has another book coming out this spring which I have pre-ordered myself called "The Balanced Plate". I also have the DVD "Go Further" which is very inspirational - so check that out also. If you are a Raw Fooder or a Vegan or just thinking about eating a little healthier - shame on you if you do not get this book!!!

Compiled by Renee Loux Underkoffler, Living Cuisine: The Art And Spirit Of Raw Foods presents more than 300 sumptuous gourmet recipes. Tut this is far more than just another cookbook. Living Cuisine explains in detail the techniques and methods to healthfully and safely prepare raw foods and deftly bring out their flavor. Underkoffler (an expert raw-food chef and the former co-owner of the Raw Experience restaurant in Maui) offers professional techniques for balancing flavors, juicing, sprouting, fermenting, dehydrating, blanching, garnishing, and so much more. These high quality recipes include Vanilla Bean Cookies; Basic Buckwheat Crunch Cereal; and Layered Nueva Corntillas among many more delicious favorites. A superb guide for those seeking to explore the health benefits and fine culinary taste of raw foods, Living Cuisine is a welcome and much appreciated addition to any gourmet cookbook collection.

A wonderful addition to the growing raw-foods cookbook list! This is a delightfully written, very engaging book that would be an excellent introduction for anyone interested in a living foods lifestyle. The first half of the book is a compilation of information, from advice and the benefits of going raw to a comprehensive list of foods, tools and techniques. Very useful for the beginner (even veteran raw foodists might learn a thing or two).The second part of the book consists of Renee's delicious vegan recipes (no animal products or dairy). Everything I have tried is tasty, elegant and nicely balanced and her desserts are outrageous! Unlike Trotter and Klein's wonderful but complex "Raw", the offerings here are very easy to assemble. My one complaint is that many of the side notes and paragraph headings are printed in very pale gray. The lack of contrast makes these very difficult to read... it's a design flaw but doesn't diminish the overall quality of the book.As a raw chef, myself, I think Renee has done a masterful job of creating a book that will appeal to everyone. Simple, straight forward and delicious. There is a real sense of love and joy that pervades this book. Highly recommended!!Bon appetit!

I took 2 classes with the author in NYC this fall, and her food was amazing, so I eagerly awaited the book! So far, my boyfriend (who is not raw) and I love everything we have made. The pies are especially fabulous, and better than all cooked pies I have had. They are incredibly rich and delicious. I have also made the pasta puttanesca and linguine alfredo, sundried tomato flax crackers, caesar dressing, ginger miso dressing, strawberry and cream smoothie, and zucchinni spelt flatbread. The two pies we made were the Mango Papaya Coconut Creme with Raspberry Frosting, and the Walnut Pear Torte. Amazing. She does include some recipes for steamed vegetable side dishes, as she writes that some harder veggies may be difficult for some people to digest and assimilate in their raw form. Even if, as a strict raw-foodist, you were against this, I would still recommend buying this book. Everything is delicious, and very creative. The food is rich and luxurious, and if you are serving non-rawfood people, these are recipes that will really impress them. The first half of the book has in-depth information about raw food ingredients and techniques, such as sprouting, culturing, and fermenting. good for a raw foods introduction, as well as "advanced" cooks. If you are not a raw-foodist, you will still love the recipes, so if you would like to eat more fresh food, this is a great book. Some gadgets like a dehydrator and blender are necessary for some recipes, but others don't require them. Enjoy!