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Ani's Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable Living Foods Recipes
This is the ultimate gourmet, living foods "uncookbook" for busy people. You don't have to sacrifice taste or style to reap the benefits of raw foods. These delectable, easy recipes emphasize fresh, animal-free ingredients and how to include more organics into your daily diet. Chef Ani offers delicious raw, animal-free versions of: breakfast scrambles, pancakes, chowders, bisques, and other soups, cheezes, mylks, lasagna, burgers, cobblers, pies, and cakes, and more. Included are recipes for dishes such as Stuffed Anaheim Chili with Mole Sauce, Ginger Almond Nori Roll, Coconut Kreme Pie with Carob Fudge on Brownie Crust, Mediterranean Dolmas, and Chicken-Friendly Spanish Scramble. Make your own kitchen more living-foods friendly with Chef Ani's tips on Essential tools, Key ingredients, Stocking your pantry, and How-to kitchen skills.
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2007
29 people are currently reading
748 people want to read
About the author
Ani Phyo
14 books27 followersAni Phyo is an organic eco chef, author, whole food and sustainable agriculture advocate and founder of SmartMonkey Foods. Phyo's book, Ani's Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable Living Food Recipes published by Marlowe & Company, is in its 8th printing. She is a well-known advocate of the raw foodism lifestyle promoting uncooked and unprocessed foods that are organic, sustainable, and supports green living.
Ani is also the host of the award winning most popular uncooking show on YouTube, Ani's Raw Food Kitchen Show.
Ani is also the host of the award winning most popular uncooking show on YouTube, Ani's Raw Food Kitchen Show.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
June 21, 2010
We are pretty much a meat-free household here, and have been experimenting with various non-carnivorous points of view to broaden our dining experiences. Raw food came on the horizon for several reason recently. We're not convinced to take the plunge, but it's certainly added a new aspect to the possibilities for dinner. Ani's recipes (or at least the ones I've tried) are tasty and liked by us both. I still think it's a little weird to call things mylk or cheeze, just like I object to soy or mushroom products being called "chicken" or "beef". They're not. And if you go into an experience expecting these nachos or salmon burgers or minestrone soup to taste like nachos, or salmon or minestrone, you've got another think coming. But that doesn't mean they're not tasty in their own right.
The annoying bits for me were all the pictures of Ani, and her (moderate though it is in comparison to others) Raw Food proselytizing. We had a good laugh over her saying she was saving the earth by not putting a stove in the land fill, but neglecting to consider the electricity used by her blenders, food processers and dehydrators. And javaczuk swears he's getting me the pedal-powered blender some day.
All in all a decent book for a glimpse into Raw Foodie World. We're incorporating some of the recipes into our regular meal plans, for sure.
The annoying bits for me were all the pictures of Ani, and her (moderate though it is in comparison to others) Raw Food proselytizing. We had a good laugh over her saying she was saving the earth by not putting a stove in the land fill, but neglecting to consider the electricity used by her blenders, food processers and dehydrators. And javaczuk swears he's getting me the pedal-powered blender some day.
All in all a decent book for a glimpse into Raw Foodie World. We're incorporating some of the recipes into our regular meal plans, for sure.
February 13, 2012
Finally, approachable raw food recipes that don't require 1-week to prep time to soak, sprout and dehydrate your dinner. I like her non-dogmatic approach and suggestions for non-raw foodies to heat recipes. I had a sinus infection and did a cleanse and ended up craving raw foods so I picked up her cookbooks. Not a seasonal or local eating plan during an east coast winter, but these raw meals feel nurturing and embody what winter lacks- sunshine, juiciness and energy. I'm addicted to the strawberry mylk! There are a ton of nuts in these recipes- even the drinks. I may have eaten more calories than my regular plant-based, seasonal, whole foods eating style. But if you follow the SAD (standard american diet), eat packaged foods, high-sodium snacks, and/or meat, you will drop pounds with Ani Phyo's recipes while loving your meals.
November 23, 2008
She has a lot of great, yummy foods. Some of the recipes are heavy on the olive oil, but that's an easy fix. My favorites are the garlic walnut soup and the kale-cabbage slaw (I make this about once a week). What I don't like about the book are her little commentaries about not eating meat, being green, etc., and all the pictures of Ani. Those feel a bit self-serving, but the recipes are great, so skip over the annoying stuff.
July 11, 2010
TCL Call #: 641.563 Phyo
Madeleine - 1 star
OK. I recognize that you might need special equipment to prepare an all raw diet but how about you mark the recipies that don't require it so that people new to the idea don't just close your book automatically when it seems ever recipe calls for a dehydrator or a Vita-Mixer? Oh - and I'm thinking maybe less photos of you.
Madeleine - 1 star
OK. I recognize that you might need special equipment to prepare an all raw diet but how about you mark the recipies that don't require it so that people new to the idea don't just close your book automatically when it seems ever recipe calls for a dehydrator or a Vita-Mixer? Oh - and I'm thinking maybe less photos of you.
August 6, 2019
I got interested in the idea of raw foods after watching the movie, 'Food Matters'. Right now I am eating mostly vegetarian, but I do still eat some meat. I never thought about going vegan, but after seeing some of the recipes, I could understand that it is possible without having to use faux replacement products like soy "cheese" and faux "meat". I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but I am tempted to. However, where I live, some of the items she uses might be hard to track down. I know she mentions that you can mail order products, but I want to see if I like eating raw first before I go and invest in buying the hard to find products. Several of her recipes seem easy and like they would be delicious--there aren't many recipes that contain foods I don't like. But I wonder how my taste buds will react to eating the mixture of foods in their raw form. It may take some getting used to or be an acquired taste. I can see myself trying to incorporate a recipe here or there in my diet, but I can't see converting completely to raw foods overnight. But, it's like what she says in her book, "It's not about extremes. You don't have to suddenly eat only live foods to experience the benefits. This is a gradual lifestyle shift that'll help you live better and feel your best". Even Ani didn't go to a raw food diet overnight. She started with a vegetarian diet, vegan, and then on to the raw food diet.
While I do want to incorporate and try some of her recipes, I think it will be difficult to expect my toddler to eat it. He is at the picky food stage and texture is a big issue for him. If Ani ever wrote a book for families who would like to start eating raw foods, emphasizing on kid-friendly recipes, particularly young kids, I would most likely read it.
Overall, this seemed like a decent introduction book to raw food. However, like others, I was not too fond of the black and white food photographs. She talked about the vibrant colors, textures, and smells of fresh organic food throughout the book, yet you have these blah black and white photos of her finished recipes. I have nothing against black and white photography--I love it. But I thought using it throughout a cookbook, especially for the recipes examples, was a horrible idea. There are some color photographs in the middle of the book, but why not have all the recipe photos be in color?
One other thing that was interesting was that she put her pet dog on a raw food vegan diet. Call me confused. Dogs eat meat--they have teeth designed to cut meat. And yet she says her vet approves of her feeding her dog in the manner she does. I'm not saying she is wrong or right, but it baffles me, and yet I am curious at the same time if this is really beneficial or not to a dog. I'm not convinced enough to change my own dog's diet to a raw vegan diet, but I'd be interested in reading more studies done on the overall benefits a raw food vegan diet for pets like cats and dogs.
This review is also posted on the LibraryThing website.
While I do want to incorporate and try some of her recipes, I think it will be difficult to expect my toddler to eat it. He is at the picky food stage and texture is a big issue for him. If Ani ever wrote a book for families who would like to start eating raw foods, emphasizing on kid-friendly recipes, particularly young kids, I would most likely read it.
Overall, this seemed like a decent introduction book to raw food. However, like others, I was not too fond of the black and white food photographs. She talked about the vibrant colors, textures, and smells of fresh organic food throughout the book, yet you have these blah black and white photos of her finished recipes. I have nothing against black and white photography--I love it. But I thought using it throughout a cookbook, especially for the recipes examples, was a horrible idea. There are some color photographs in the middle of the book, but why not have all the recipe photos be in color?
One other thing that was interesting was that she put her pet dog on a raw food vegan diet. Call me confused. Dogs eat meat--they have teeth designed to cut meat. And yet she says her vet approves of her feeding her dog in the manner she does. I'm not saying she is wrong or right, but it baffles me, and yet I am curious at the same time if this is really beneficial or not to a dog. I'm not convinced enough to change my own dog's diet to a raw vegan diet, but I'd be interested in reading more studies done on the overall benefits a raw food vegan diet for pets like cats and dogs.
This review is also posted on the LibraryThing website.
December 19, 2020
I don't agree with everything she writes. Only the desserts have nutritional info and mega calories for 1/16 of a pie!
I'm sure she has a following, but it's not me.
I'm sure she has a following, but it's not me.
Read
May 4, 2022Great title! This book is packed with healthy delicious recipes.
September 5, 2023
When I was looking for raw food "cookbooks," I picked this one up, was drawn to it, and then looked at the reviews on Amazon. While most seem to like it, there were a significant number who panned her for, among other things, narcissism, preachiness, and lack of photos of her recipes (instead, she has black-and-white photos of herself). Some even said the recipes were gross.
So I decided not to buy it immediately, and I looked around for others that were less controversial. But I kept coming back to this one, and ultimately decided what the heck? I honestly do think it's really the best one for beginners. At least beginners with a blender and food processor. I have bought several raw food books recently and this is by far my go-to reference. Comments:
1) The recipes are complex enough to appear tasty, do not seem overwhelming. In fact, when I first had this book I realized I actually had the ingredients for one recipe on hand and made it immediately. And the instructions are not overly complex either.
2) There are little icons of the equipment you'll need next to each recipe. Many recipes only need a knife. But at least you quickly know whether you can make the recipe without having to read it.
3) As for the narcissism, it doesn't bother me that much. In fact, it's a little inspiring in a "I do this and so can you" sort of way. Pretty much every raw food book I've read is somewhat preachy, so you'll have to get used to that if you want to experiment with this diet.
Note that I may be speaking a bit too soon, as I have really only made the mylk recipes so far. But they were good, and I have bought the ingredients for other recipes.
Update (a year later):
I wasn't speaking too soon - I'm going raw for the 2nd January in a row and I just have to rave about this book some more. I've looked at numerous raw recipe sources and just keep coming back to Ani. The recipes are not only simple, and feel within your grasp, but they inspire creativity and mixing and matching ingredients. This book has a great intro with a shopping list of staples and explaining how to store things and how long they keep in the fridge!! I'm often delighted to open to a page and find that I have all the ingredients for something! Oh, and unlike most of the other raw recipes I've looked at, most of her recipes you can just make it without a lot of pre-prep... not too much soaking nuts overnight, etc.
The one thing I'll say is that sometimes the stuff doesn't taste that amazing. I tried the cauliflower and broccoli mashes and thought they were kind of gross, for example. But during this raw time, I'm eating to nourish my body, not to bask in flavor- so it's nice to have variety that I can actually handle without too much grief. Also, the recipes are enough for like 4 people at least. I'm usually preparing for 1 or max 2.
Good luck going raw... I feel AMAZING on this diet. It makes me feel like most of what I eat on a regular basis is poison. Unfortunately, I'm probably going to keep eating the poison because it's so delicious. But 1/12 of the year I get to experience this feeling of blissful balance through raw food. It's definitely worth a try!
So I decided not to buy it immediately, and I looked around for others that were less controversial. But I kept coming back to this one, and ultimately decided what the heck? I honestly do think it's really the best one for beginners. At least beginners with a blender and food processor. I have bought several raw food books recently and this is by far my go-to reference. Comments:
1) The recipes are complex enough to appear tasty, do not seem overwhelming. In fact, when I first had this book I realized I actually had the ingredients for one recipe on hand and made it immediately. And the instructions are not overly complex either.
2) There are little icons of the equipment you'll need next to each recipe. Many recipes only need a knife. But at least you quickly know whether you can make the recipe without having to read it.
3) As for the narcissism, it doesn't bother me that much. In fact, it's a little inspiring in a "I do this and so can you" sort of way. Pretty much every raw food book I've read is somewhat preachy, so you'll have to get used to that if you want to experiment with this diet.
Note that I may be speaking a bit too soon, as I have really only made the mylk recipes so far. But they were good, and I have bought the ingredients for other recipes.
Update (a year later):
I wasn't speaking too soon - I'm going raw for the 2nd January in a row and I just have to rave about this book some more. I've looked at numerous raw recipe sources and just keep coming back to Ani. The recipes are not only simple, and feel within your grasp, but they inspire creativity and mixing and matching ingredients. This book has a great intro with a shopping list of staples and explaining how to store things and how long they keep in the fridge!! I'm often delighted to open to a page and find that I have all the ingredients for something! Oh, and unlike most of the other raw recipes I've looked at, most of her recipes you can just make it without a lot of pre-prep... not too much soaking nuts overnight, etc.
The one thing I'll say is that sometimes the stuff doesn't taste that amazing. I tried the cauliflower and broccoli mashes and thought they were kind of gross, for example. But during this raw time, I'm eating to nourish my body, not to bask in flavor- so it's nice to have variety that I can actually handle without too much grief. Also, the recipes are enough for like 4 people at least. I'm usually preparing for 1 or max 2.
Good luck going raw... I feel AMAZING on this diet. It makes me feel like most of what I eat on a regular basis is poison. Unfortunately, I'm probably going to keep eating the poison because it's so delicious. But 1/12 of the year I get to experience this feeling of blissful balance through raw food. It's definitely worth a try!
June 8, 2011
One day flipping through some vegan cookbooks, and saw this. The sandwich on the cover looked so yummy I had to check the book out of the library. My emotions are mixed about raw foods, mostly because it lacks any scientific basis. But I do feel like there is SOMETHING about raw foods that is good for you.
With that said, I feel like Ani Phyo hits or misses in the cookbook. Some of the problem is from Ani's lack of description of the recipes. Her recipes are suppose to be for the everyday, and inexperienced cookers. Many recipes I feel like I am doing SOMETHING wrong because one step isn't working. For example when I made the donut holes I could get the coconut shavings to "stick" to the holes, or I can't get the mylks to ever ground up all the way. Bits of almond and dates float around.
But sometimes Ani is great at mixing flavors. The flax coconut pancakes are great for breakfast and the deserts are FABULOUS! In fact I think sweets is what Ani is good at, savory not so much. In fact I have yet to find a meal that I haven't decided to modify from this book that isn't sweet.
She also tries too hard to make "balanced" meals. The biggest example are her soups. I am a big miso soup fan, and never been so revolted by a recipe in my life. The soup required 1/4 cup of oil in one serving, which made it taste oily. After a few alterations I made a soup that I was very happy with.
All in all, Ani has a half decent cookbook but I do wish it had more recipes and less preaching about the environment in it. I understand that raw food in certain ways is good for the environment but it is a little silly. Is it really substantial for a whole nation to eat nuts? And she stresses eating local but does have many ingredients that are being shipped all around the world, such as pineapple and coconuts. With that said, Ani I think is aware of this, and is only just trying to get the reader aware of more eco-friendly options, even if it is worded in a very "strict" fashion.
With that said, I feel like Ani Phyo hits or misses in the cookbook. Some of the problem is from Ani's lack of description of the recipes. Her recipes are suppose to be for the everyday, and inexperienced cookers. Many recipes I feel like I am doing SOMETHING wrong because one step isn't working. For example when I made the donut holes I could get the coconut shavings to "stick" to the holes, or I can't get the mylks to ever ground up all the way. Bits of almond and dates float around.
But sometimes Ani is great at mixing flavors. The flax coconut pancakes are great for breakfast and the deserts are FABULOUS! In fact I think sweets is what Ani is good at, savory not so much. In fact I have yet to find a meal that I haven't decided to modify from this book that isn't sweet.
She also tries too hard to make "balanced" meals. The biggest example are her soups. I am a big miso soup fan, and never been so revolted by a recipe in my life. The soup required 1/4 cup of oil in one serving, which made it taste oily. After a few alterations I made a soup that I was very happy with.
All in all, Ani has a half decent cookbook but I do wish it had more recipes and less preaching about the environment in it. I understand that raw food in certain ways is good for the environment but it is a little silly. Is it really substantial for a whole nation to eat nuts? And she stresses eating local but does have many ingredients that are being shipped all around the world, such as pineapple and coconuts. With that said, Ani I think is aware of this, and is only just trying to get the reader aware of more eco-friendly options, even if it is worded in a very "strict" fashion.
May 30, 2009
Admittedly, I've been skeptical of the whole raw food trend, but I have to say I appreciated the relative simplicity and efficiency of these recipes. The coconut pancakes were quite tasty and some of the soup and entree recipes sound quite yummy. The author is a former pastry chef, a living foods enthusiast for a decade and, based on the shameless plugs throughout, co-founder of Smart Monkey foods. She has street raw food cred. A few things, however, detracted from my enthusiasm about this cookbook.
The descriptions and info are not always scientific or accurate, for instance, stating that beans should be avoided because they are hard on the digestive system; you could make the same argument about raw food. She also writes that "the brain is a muscle" *face palm* and repeats a lot of anecdotes and health information. In addition, she seems to be obsessed with Thai baby coconuts and recommends them throughout--this choice of food is ironic given all of her green living tips as surely the Thai baby coconut is not a local pick from her Portland farmer's market.
Am I now convinced that a raw diet is the way to go? Personally, a life of "living food" mylks and pates would be an express train to Crazy Town for me; however, incorporating some raw foods into my diet doesn't seem like a bad idea. Besides, the author has such beautiful skin and looks so happy page-to-age, I have to wonder if she's onto something here...
The descriptions and info are not always scientific or accurate, for instance, stating that beans should be avoided because they are hard on the digestive system; you could make the same argument about raw food. She also writes that "the brain is a muscle" *face palm* and repeats a lot of anecdotes and health information. In addition, she seems to be obsessed with Thai baby coconuts and recommends them throughout--this choice of food is ironic given all of her green living tips as surely the Thai baby coconut is not a local pick from her Portland farmer's market.
Am I now convinced that a raw diet is the way to go? Personally, a life of "living food" mylks and pates would be an express train to Crazy Town for me; however, incorporating some raw foods into my diet doesn't seem like a bad idea. Besides, the author has such beautiful skin and looks so happy page-to-age, I have to wonder if she's onto something here...
July 5, 2020
A few things to watch out for before buying this:
1. Many of the recipes call for a lot of oil - not a problem for me but I know a lot of people watch out for this. The amounts of oil can always be cut back though.
2. Hard to find/expensive ingredients - ie. vanilla beans, dates, and hemp products - these may be easier to find elsewhere in the world but I had trouble with them. The only vanilla beans I've found cost a fortune and Phyo's recipes toss them around like they grow on trees...oh wait, they kinda do.
3. Dehydrator - but Phyo does give alternatives to using a dehydrator for the most part.
Those things aside, this is a great book for anyone trying to get more raw foods into their diet or for anyone starting out on an all raw food diet. Phyo has drink and food recipes for every meal of the day. My favourite recipes so far have come out of the salad section. I know it's not the most exciting section of a cookbook in general, but these are incredibly original flavour combos like 'Arugula with Golden Beets and Walnuts in Orange Miso Dressing'. I've liked every salad and dressing that I've tried so far.
The only recipes that I haven't enjoyed have been from the soup section. However, I think this has more to do with my firm belief that soup is supposed to be hot, than any fault of Phyo's recipes. All in all a good book to have on you cooking shelf for reference.
1. Many of the recipes call for a lot of oil - not a problem for me but I know a lot of people watch out for this. The amounts of oil can always be cut back though.
2. Hard to find/expensive ingredients - ie. vanilla beans, dates, and hemp products - these may be easier to find elsewhere in the world but I had trouble with them. The only vanilla beans I've found cost a fortune and Phyo's recipes toss them around like they grow on trees...oh wait, they kinda do.
3. Dehydrator - but Phyo does give alternatives to using a dehydrator for the most part.
Those things aside, this is a great book for anyone trying to get more raw foods into their diet or for anyone starting out on an all raw food diet. Phyo has drink and food recipes for every meal of the day. My favourite recipes so far have come out of the salad section. I know it's not the most exciting section of a cookbook in general, but these are incredibly original flavour combos like 'Arugula with Golden Beets and Walnuts in Orange Miso Dressing'. I've liked every salad and dressing that I've tried so far.
The only recipes that I haven't enjoyed have been from the soup section. However, I think this has more to do with my firm belief that soup is supposed to be hot, than any fault of Phyo's recipes. All in all a good book to have on you cooking shelf for reference.
June 5, 2011
Is it just me or are authors of raw foods recipe books unusually narcissistic with their excessive use of photos of themselves looking pretty and eating food? It's not just Ani - but Juliano, Matthew & Sarma ("Raw Food Real World" - on that note - who sits on the floor of the kitchen, backs to the stove - to eat food?). Based on the ego factor alone - I would usually avoid buying a book.
Ani, however, has a huge following and I watched a lot of her videos on YouTube - she's chirpy & bubbly. I think quite a lot of the copy could be trimmed out of this book - it seems very basic/entry level. I also noted like one mention about it was her mom who was the raw foods enthusiast who got her into this and a jillion mentions of her company (more props to mom, please!).
I didn't learn much new from this book but did bookmark about a dozen and a half recipes that I want to try, esp her raw sesame/flax bread which looks quite yummy and seems to make a reasonable amount (1 Excalibur tray). When I try recipes - I'll post to my blog - http://www.livegreenwearblack.com/
Ani, however, has a huge following and I watched a lot of her videos on YouTube - she's chirpy & bubbly. I think quite a lot of the copy could be trimmed out of this book - it seems very basic/entry level. I also noted like one mention about it was her mom who was the raw foods enthusiast who got her into this and a jillion mentions of her company (more props to mom, please!).
I didn't learn much new from this book but did bookmark about a dozen and a half recipes that I want to try, esp her raw sesame/flax bread which looks quite yummy and seems to make a reasonable amount (1 Excalibur tray). When I try recipes - I'll post to my blog - http://www.livegreenwearblack.com/
August 22, 2008
If you're equipped with a powerful blender, a food processor, and some raw veggies, this is the perfect companion! Ani gives the reader recipes of all things mock--chicken, eggs, tuna, salmon, etc--in a non time consuming manner in addition to original recipes to make soups, salads, and even desserts. There are a few recipes I make on a weekly basis and I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to experiment with a new eating style. I was surprised how much better I felt after eating a raw diet, and unlike some other raw foods I consumed in the past, I never felt hungry after eating any of her meals. The only personal gripe I have with the book is that I felt most recipes called for too much salt, but that is a personal taste. And, if you are not used to consuming a lot of oil in your diet it might take a few weeks before your stomach adjusts.
September 24, 2016
An old fave, I bought this probably not long after it was released almost 10 years ago. Plenty of faves in this... but first, the complaints! Too much oil in quite a few of the recipes for my taste, especially the soups, but it's easy to leave most of it out without having to make many adjustments... With a little nutritional yeast added, the cheezes go from great to amazing.
Many of the smoothies and mylks are still amongst my faves to this day... although these days I usually reduce the sweetener/number of dates a tad and throw in a handful of greens. The cabbage kale slaw is great, and the Asian greens salad is phenomenal - always a hit with vegans and non-vegans at potlucks! Her desserts really are the highlight. I loooove the apple pie. The carob torte with buckwheaties recipe also makes excellent crowd-pleasing bliss balls.
Many of the smoothies and mylks are still amongst my faves to this day... although these days I usually reduce the sweetener/number of dates a tad and throw in a handful of greens. The cabbage kale slaw is great, and the Asian greens salad is phenomenal - always a hit with vegans and non-vegans at potlucks! Her desserts really are the highlight. I loooove the apple pie. The carob torte with buckwheaties recipe also makes excellent crowd-pleasing bliss balls.
July 19, 2012
I like the whole raw food concept. This book however, was NOT the book for me on this topic. I read cookbooks cover to cover. So I actually read all the little snippets and asides that the author throws in. By page 50 I was wanting this chick to just shut up already. I wanted fresh ideas for salads and interesting ways of combining raw vegetables, instead I was subjected to the author blathering on about the environment and what types of businesses she feels good supporting. And the recipes...I found not one interesting idea or a single solitary thing I would prepare. No, I will not dehydrate some mash up of raw crap and call it a cracker. Where are slaws, salads, and smoothies with ingredients my grocery store carries? Sadly, these things are missing from this cookbook.
March 3, 2008
I’m hopeless and a lost cause in the kitchen. I’m trying to eat healthier and Sandy (my coworker) has convinced me that raw food is the way to go. This book gets a little preachy at times about being vegan and raw, but there are so many easy recipes to try once you get past that. What I like about this cookbook is that you don’t actually have to cook anything. The majority of it is cutting or blending and I can definitely do that. All of the food is fresh and living, which are supposed to make you healthier according to raw food fanatics. I’m done with eating most processed foods and this is a book that I am going to rely on during the journey of eliminating them from my diet.
August 9, 2009
I've been messing about in the kitchen with this book for a few days now, and I'm really liking that she's doesn't use a dehydrator very often in her recipes, because I don't have one yet! The philosophy here seems to be that fresh is the best. She even makes a distinction between "raw" and "living" foods which I found to be quite interesting. It's a pretty hardcore way of looking at the raw lifestyle, maybe even a bit extreme, but it's definitely different than any other book I've come across.
July 31, 2007
Well, I actually saw her on YouTube doing a few recipes that have ingredients I like.
You should search for her and subscribe. What's also cool about her is that she does web design books, too!
But I haven't read the entire cookbook yet. I'm giving it a four because I'm really happy with her concept, how fast it is to learn from her YouTube, and because she is excited about eating healthy.
You should search for her and subscribe. What's also cool about her is that she does web design books, too!
But I haven't read the entire cookbook yet. I'm giving it a four because I'm really happy with her concept, how fast it is to learn from her YouTube, and because she is excited about eating healthy.
July 26, 2009
This was a nice start for someone just getting interested in raw food. It's not incredibly heavy with information, but that meant it wasn't too daunting to start. I wanted to pick up a book, read it and start trying raw cuisine that day-ok, it ended up being the next day but it still was a quick start.
It did leave me wanting more information, so I went out and bought a couple more-but I have made 5 or 6 things so far that I'm sure I will make again, so I think it's a good investment.
It did leave me wanting more information, so I went out and bought a couple more-but I have made 5 or 6 things so far that I'm sure I will make again, so I think it's a good investment.
January 22, 2010
I have made many of the recipes in this book and was surprised at how good most of them were. With a lot of raw food books, they can be hit or miss because the author has a different palette. I especially like her vanilla "mylk", stuffed anaheim chiles with mole sauce and the sun-dried tomato marinara. Like most raw food books, you do need some equipment such as a food processor and high speed blender but many people have these items so it is a little more user-friendly.
May 27, 2010
If you're into raw foods I'd recommend you pick up this one. Ani talks about the raw philosophy and the benefits of going raw. I've learned a ton from it. She'll tell you what kind of foods she stocks in her kitchen. I had a hard time personally with finding some of the ingredients, as if you've been eating meat most of your life, you'll be introduced to new types of food through this book. It's a great aid, and I reference it everytime I prepare a raw meal.
July 4, 2011
I appreciate this book for introducing me to the raw foods alternative, and there's some good information about food preparation and general clean living. But the recipes aren't that good, overemphasizing nuts and fake versions of standard foods. (Spare the kream, mylk, and cheeze, pleeze!) It's also got way too many photos of the author. I got it because it was on the shelf at the Co-op where I shop, but there are better books on the subject out there.
March 24, 2010
Raw food is all about blending foods in a food processor- very appealing in the heat of summer. I can't believe the amount of nuts they eat- it isn't for the budget conscious. This cookbook seems to be designed around showing you how hot she is... lots of pictures of her running on the beach. But the book makes incorporating more raw foods into your diet seem easy, and that is good.
November 20, 2008
surprisingly, not as vile as expected. especially if you love eating dates and using your food processor. including recipes for your dog, the canine-american.
the most annoying thing about this book is the piercing on her face that looks like a crumb that should be flicked. i keep trying, but it just won't go away.
the most annoying thing about this book is the piercing on her face that looks like a crumb that should be flicked. i keep trying, but it just won't go away.
March 1, 2009
at this point i think i have read most of this book, cookbook is hard to do cover to cover. many great ideas that i have incorporated into my diet. go a little less on her desire for garlic and sweeteners, i think some people overdo it with raw food by overburdening the food with the dominant flavor of a dish, trying to capture the cooked item it is emulating.
April 16, 2009
This is my favorite raw book so far. It has great, simple ideas. Good for anyone who wants to add a little more fresh food into their diet. It also contains lots of interesting info about using more of what we have, composting, recycling, etc. I think I'll have to buy it, I can only renew it from the library so many times.
July 27, 2009
This book is like Healthy Life Kitchen in that I will never make any of the recipes as prescribed. Either the prep requires a machine I don't have, or my Kroger doesn't carry one of the hippie ingredients. However, this book makes you excited about healthy food (aka fruits and veg), and excitement is necessary in the day to day battle of getting healthy.
October 11, 2011
This is the first accessible raw "cookbook" I have come across. The recipes are easy to prepare, especially if you already cook from scratch on a regular/semi-regular basis. Best of all, they actually taste good. Whether you are an experienced raw cook looking for recipes that won't frighten off your friends and family, or just experimenting with new cuisine, this book is a great buy.
December 30, 2012
This book helped me incorporate more raw food into my vegan diet. I make the smoothies, soups and nut scrambles on a regular basis. I usually reduce the oil and sweetener in recipes, but I love the prevalence of raw garlic!
Yes, she does talk a lot about herself, but I appreciated hearing her reasons for following a raw lifestyle and some of the benefits she's experienced.
Yes, she does talk a lot about herself, but I appreciated hearing her reasons for following a raw lifestyle and some of the benefits she's experienced.
January 27, 2013
Too much preaching, not enough original content. Too many photos of the author, and hardly any of the food! The center of the book has some color photos, but that's not enticing to me if it's not next to the recipe. I just didn't care for her style of writing -- not the book for me, nor would I recommend it to anyone else.
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