Sacramental Magic in a Small-Town Cafe: Recipes and Stories from Brother Juniper's Cafe

I've owned a copy of this book for years and years, and purchased many more to give to friends and family as gifts. The stories in this book are excellent, but the recipes are even better. The recipe in this book for Tuna Salad is, in my humble opinion, the best in the world, and I wish that it would be more widely adopted (it's a little different - tart, not sweet). Other fabulous recipes are the recipe for a very garlicky hummus, the greek salad, the recipe for tabbouleh, the pasta dishes, the sandwiches, and a way to make your own homemade ginger ale. I very highly recommend this book. I have tons of cookbooks, and this is one of my top five. Also, I don't eat beef or chicken, and there's still plenty of recipes that I can make and love.

I discovered only one of the many dimensions of this truly amazing man, Peter Reinhart, a few years ago while trying to learn to bake bread. After meeting him in his bread classes, I became a "Reinhart Groupie"---for he truly is amazing!---as is this book.Published in 1994, he has described in vivid verbiage in this book his continuous quest for the best in all things, including but certainly not limited to food and all its components as they relate to each other and to the human body and soul.The recipes in this book are absolutely outstanding! Peter's commentary is even more so, reflecting his unfailing faith in God, his spiritual journey, and his understanding of the communion between the joy and comfort of good food and the human spirit.It's a good read! It's also a great cookbook with fantastic recipes you will die to try before you finish reading even one!And if you ever have an opportunity to attend one of his classes, by all means do so---even if it's just to meet the man. You will never forget him or be quite the same again....

I love cookbooks. They are as exciting and gripping as novels. But, very few cookbooks are made to be read like a novel-but this one is. Before each recipe is a short essay by the author explaining the addition of or the history behind each recipe or group of recipes. Some of the stories are wildly funny, such as the author's quest for the perfect barbecue sauce...The recipes really shine, though. The only weak part of this cookbook is the section on soup (although, the Lentil-Spinach-Chorizo Soup is one of my all-time favorite soups). Otherwise, this cookbook has definitive recipes for some popular food: the Hummus, Baba Ghanouj, and Tabbouleh. The Tuna Salad (in connection with the Tuna Grinder in the sandwich section) is stellar, as is the Coleslaw. But, the very best recipe in the book: Caesar Salad with the accompanying croutons. Once you try these recipes, you will never, ever look at other recipes for these foods! Be warned, however: Br. Peter Reinhart LOVES garlic. This is not a book for people who are squeamish about garlic!

This is one of my most favorite cookbooks, with easy-to-prepare, unique recipes such as tasso sandwiches and cream of watercress soup that are fun to make and delightful to eat. Stories that accompany the recipes give an added special flavor to each one.