Rating: 
Summary: I am still digesting this book
Review: This book is great for anyone who is interested in macrobiotic cooking. I am a beginner and feel totally at ease with the ways this book is written and layed out. The recipes are varied and very interesting. This book makes me feel like I could create my own macrobiotic recipes. After reviewing this cook book (which I am still doing) I felt as if I'd want to meet the author and take cooking classes from her. This is a great book to have around.
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Summary: My carnivorous husband loves every recipe in here!
Review: This cookbook has become my daily mantra. It convinced me never to eat meat, eggs, dairy, sugar, honey again - Christina's recipes are too wonderful. She even uses capers and olives! My husband is constantly amazed that the gourmet meals from this book are indeed macrobiotic after years of eating my mother's excellent but medicinal macro cooking.
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Summary: Good whole foods cookbook
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Good whole foods cookbook
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Good whole foods cookbook
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A very goodcookbook to expand on the basic macrobiotic diet.
Review: 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.
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Summary: Not a lot of macrobiotic detail, but delicious nevertheless
Review: 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!
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Summary: very good and practical
Review: this is an excellent book that takes the mystery out of whole foods cooking. Once a cook gets used to the new types of ingredients the recipes are very good. It contains the very simple and straight forward to the more challenging and gourmet.
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Summary: Get started & do wholistic magical cooking!!!
Review: This is such an informative book. Recipes galore. Having read so many books on whole foods cooking, I rate this one the absolute best. Simple & concise. I just felt like doing more cooking and felt truly inspired on a creative level. To make my own brew. Which is hard to find in any cookbook w/out pics. But what I really liked most was that the author credited her sources. Just about unheard of in most cookbooks. I like knowing where some of these recipes come from so that I can check the sources myself & see whatever modifications may have been made for american taste buds. Many recipes in American cookbooks are modified presicely because authors are afraid of revealing the ethnic origins of some of their recipes. Thinking that the American public is not hep enough. I stay clear of those books. Give me diversity in my plate. I like sauce & spices, I can modify it myself thank you very much. Additionally, so many cookbooks are written w/out crediting their sources. Also I liked that most of the recipes are not only good tasting but healing as well. I started using more obscure herbs & roots because of the info in this book ie. burdock root for blood strengthening. I especially enjoyed the kimpira and the vitality stew. Cook those bones for calcium & get healthy w/out the pills & supplements from these vitamin shops. Pop a vitamin, na, I'd rather eat my way to health.
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Summary: Whole Foods does not = Macrobiotics
Review: Whole Foods does not = Macrobiotics as this author has decided. Whole Foods includes meat, very heartily, as it is a "whole food". I planned on a book full of recipes including snacks, which are very hard to think of, and was disappointed. The copy is trite and recipes are not very helpful regardless.
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