Simple Food for the Good Life

Rating:
Summary: ...Buy It For the Simple Recipes...
Review: ...because the recipes are the best part of this book. I'm not particularly fond of the writer's style, though one could admire the honesty and candor in her writing. To me she seems just too self-righteous, and I'm not too fond of any book where meat-eaters get unnecessarily criticized. If I choose not to eat meat, why in the world would I want to bash those who do? What? Does it make ME look better? Make THEM feel stupid for their choices? To me that doesn't really accomplish anything, and only pushes people further away. She has a real take it or leave it attitude ("here's what I cooked. Eat it. If you like it, good. If you don't, go get it somewhere else.") Well, it's pretty easy for her to have that attitude, because she and her husband eat the same way...she can afford to make that statement without great risk. I just wasn't feeling her attitude in this book, but to her credit, her recipes are great. Nothing is too time consuming, and everything is healthful and all natural...just the way I like to eat. If you want to create food that's simple, close to the earth, and fast and easy, without much fuss or muss, or if you just plain old hate to cook, then this IS the book for you...read it and enjoy...

Rating:
Summary: The most unusual cook book you will ever read
Review: Helen Nearing does not mince words. She tells it like she thinks it, which is part of the beauty of her style. This book will make you thing about the way you eat, and what you feed those you love, so get ready to have some assumptions challenged. I have used some of the recipes in this text, and have not been disappointed (try any of the salads described or the banana cookies for a snack).

Rating:
Summary: simplify
Review: I borrowed this book from my local library. Not being able to sleep one night, I picked it up and dug into page one. At 2 am, I finally set it down, reading the entire volume in one entranced sitting, eagerly anticipating the next morning when I could try some horse chow for breakfast rather than my usual cooked oatmeal glop. A handful of raw oats, a banana, some nuts, a few raisins, and a splash of soy milk was all it took that morning for me to become addicted to a way of eating that makes so much sense, it's amazing to think of mind-numbing habits that contribute to the dismal American diet. I love the author's no-nonsense approach, writing for "the rest of us" that don't relate to the idea of spending three hours in the kitchen to make a meal that will be gulped down in twenty minutes. I recommend it to anyone wishing to slow down and simplify in this diet-crazed country of ours.

Rating:
Summary: HORSECHOW REDUX
Review: I must correct my receipe above (below?) for Helen's horse chow. It's four cups oldfashioned oats, a half cup of raisins, good olive oil, salt, and juice of a lemon. MIX RAW, NO COOKING NEEDED. Believe me, that is an unbearably delicious breakfast. You MUST STOP at one bowl--but you don't want to. I usually make a big salad bowl full, two or three pounds (and it's far cheaper than processed breakfast food), which might last four days, if I'm a good boy.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful read
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, more than I enjoyed "Living the Good Life." Helen Nearing gives clear, concise arguments for eating simple, unprocessed food. As a strict vegetarian who has to sometimes defend my dietary choices to my family and friends, I treasured her well-laid out chapter on vegetarianism. Though Helen definitely had her own opinions and stuck to them, I like the message of tolerance that comes through when she speaks about dietary choices and conciences. The recipes are all very simple and easy to understand, and, unlike some vegetarian cookbooks, do not call for hard-to-find ingredients. I also liked her use of quotes on vegetarianism, food in general, and cooking. A very good book, good for anyone who is reevaluating his or her diet.

Rating:
Summary: Good reading - Simple Recipes
Review: If you Hate to cook but really want to be healthy, this is your book. A good value. You get a lot of ideas from this book. It encourages good thinking. Not for people who Love to Cook. This is for the rest of us. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Good reading - Simple Recipes
Review: If you Hate to cook but really want to be healthy, this is your book. A good value. You get a lot of ideas from this book. It encourages good thinking. Not for people who Love to Cook. This is for the rest of us. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Intriguing and Interesting
Review: This book is more than a cookbook. It is filled with centuries-old quotes about food and cooking as well as the author's opinionated views of food and her preference for vegetarianism. I am definitely not a vegetarian myself, but I got a lot out of this book nonetheless. It will make you stop and think about your food choices, what is simple as opposed to what is excessive. I recommend this book if you're re-evaluating your food consumption.

Rating:
Summary: YOU GOTTA EAT YOUR HORSECHOW,BABY
Review: This is my favorite cook book. My favorite receipe herein is probably the simplest--for horsechow. Which is pretty much raw oats, olive oil, salt. Breakfast couldn't be simpler.