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Title: Raw Food/Real World: 100 Recipes to Get the Glow
ISBN: 0060793554
Author:
Matthew Kenney
Sarma Melngailis
Publicate Date: 2005-07-01
Publish: 2005-07-01
List Price: $37.50
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $20.99
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $19.90
Amazon Merchant Price: $24.75
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| Customer Review: |
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1: raw food, but not the real world
This book has lots of beautiful pictures that make raw food look really tasty. However, the recipes I made never looked as beautiful as the pictures. I also had a hard time finding a recipe I could actually make. Many of the recipes in this book contain ingredients that are hard to find , and take a lot of prep time to prepare. The recipes I did make tasted good, but due to the time factor, I probably won't be making them again any time soon.
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2: Raw Food Unreal World
This book can't be faulted for the culinary artistry of its recipes, which are among the best I've come across compared with several previously purchased vegan cookbooks. (The Chocolate Gnosh recipe is outstanding, and if prepared with the same ingredient quantities in the book, will leave a couple with a high-end restaurant quality desert every night for a week. And, amazingly, the desert is good for you.)
The second part of the book's title "Real World" is only partly true. Its truth lies in the personal anecdotes, advice and information scattered throughout the book. For the new or even veteran vegan, this is high quality information generated from about the most intensive experimental lab you can have--an upscale NY vegan restaurant. If you spend long hours everyday in a kitchen innovating new dishes, perfecting old ones, and sourcing ingredients and suppliers, you'll learn something. These authors have, and they share it with you.
The downside to these high quality recipes is that quite a few make rather tall demands on your time. Many vegan recipes call for soaking (nuts for example) and dehydrating (the substitute for high temperature cooking), and this book is no different in this regard. But many of the recipes in this book require a decent amount of kitchen time--not all of them, to be sure--the authors are people too and sometimes just want to whip together something fast. As with most recipes, shortcuts and substitutions should be readily apparent, and these can save you time. Let's remember that low time commitments and quality are usually not fungible.
Finally, I should note that for those hoping the world will move in a more vegetarian and vegan-y direction, the kind of high quality recipes found in this book will likely be key to changing the minds of others. Almost everything we've tried in here has been delicious and could serve as an eye-opener to skeptical carnivores.
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3: is it a cookbook or a fashion shoot?
I want to start off by saying that the recipes in here are pretty great, and I really like the pretty pictures of the fancy raw food dishes. I am not a "raw foodie"- I am simply a cook who likes to expand her horizons. I gave this cookbook four stars, because it fulfilled my expectations, and I was not disappointed with the recipes. Some are quite clever and have been well thought out.
However, I held back that fifth star for a number of reasons. First of all, the title is somewhat misleading. Many people can not afford to shell out money for truffles and nut butter smoothies. These recipes are certainly aimed at people with a little extra money to burn.
If you are thinking of becoming a raw foodist, make sure that you do your research! This might not be an appropriate book for a beginner, because many of the recipes could be a tad intimidating once you glance at the prep time. Dehydrators are used a lot. Good food can take a long time to prepare, so keep that in mind.
The one thing I really didn't care for about this book was the abundance of photo spreads picturing the authors. They are an attractive couple, and that's nice, but this is a cookbook. Chuck the thirty photos of yourselves and replace them with more pictures of the recipes.
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4: Got the Glow
Absolutely love this book. The images of the food are excellent. There is an explanation for the kinds of food they use, and most importantly, the recipes excellent. The dishes are colorful and imaginative.
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5: Haute cuisine
I have to say that after reading a chapter in this book, I felt as if I did not fit the criteria to attempt to belong to this elite group of people, "raw foodists." This couple sounds quite smug about themselves in general and seems to suggest a superior mindset. The recipes are OK and interesting, but the overall style is condescending. I may change my mind eventually, but first impressions are important! Read something more down-to-earth and not written by such important "chefs." It will make more sense in the long-run.
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