Recipes for a Small Planet

by Ellen Buchman Ewald, Diane Coleman (Illustrator), Frances Moore Lappé (Introduction)

Ellen Buchman Ewald was an inspiration for France's Moore Lappe's successful nutrition regimen, outlined in DIET FOR A SMALL PLANET. Now, here is Ms. Ewald's long-awaited cookbook, basic and complete, containing hundreds of delicious, body- and planet-conscious recipes for better health, ecology, and above all, better eating.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Health, Reference, How To

356 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[Dioscita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have recently found and dusted this off again; I don't remember the recipes as rocking my world, but the spirit behind them sure does...

[Rachel B · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are no photos, and these recipes don't sound all that good.

There seems to be a strong reliance on dairy products and soy, which won't work for many people.

[G.G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alas, I no longer have a copy of this and gather that the "complementary proteins" theory behind the cooking style isn't regarded as gospel anymore, but between 1980 and 1983 I cooked almost every recipe in the book and so had to include it on my list. The lentil soup is still good!

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was groundbreaking when it was written. Though it style may seem dated to us now, the recipes are still quite good. While I am not a committed vegetarian, recipes in this book have helped me design several meatless or very low meet meals for my family each week.

[Sarah Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the earlier nutritional vegetarian cookbooks, in the wake of Frances Lappe's "Diet for a Small Planet"(which pushed consuming complementary amino acids at the same sitting, which we now know is not really that important). This cookbook, thank God, recommends less powdered milk, the taste of which I find disgusting. I will say that the revised new edition of "Diet for a Small Planet" has significantly more appetizing recipes, and that Lappe and her daughter, with other collaborators, have done admirable work concerning global hunger. Ewald's book is not heavy on tofu--one soup recipe I believe--and very heavy on soybeans, which are hard to find these days. My primary care doctor assures me that soy is perfectly OK in view of estrogens. Moderately high fat, nuts and eggs and hard cheeses and so forth. Very whole grain. Not a bad cookbook.

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting information regarding protein. Recipes give amount of protein per recipe.

[Stormy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best recipe: Lentils Monastery Style

[Laura Stiller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the concepts in this book to be fabulous, but the more recipes I tried the more I didn't like this book. Most recipes were thick and bland and not to our liking.

"If one amino acid (proteins are made of amino acids) is even partially missing from the patter, the use of the other amino acids for protein synthesis is reduced proportionally." - pg. 3

"NPU - net protein utilization - tells us how much of the protein we eat is actually available to make human protein."

Combinations:

granola & milk (even powdered)
peanuts & milk
beans & wheat (lysine & sulfur)
sesame seeds & brown rice

Protein requirements:
Male - 43.1 grams of usable protein daily
Female - 35.8 grams of usable protein daily

[Fran]

My husband and I have had this book since 1976. I unearthed the book the other day and he made the "Complementary Pie." It was as good as we remembered it! We made another and sent it to an ill friend, and they requested the recipe.

Like any other cookbook I own, this one has some really great recipes along with the so-so ones.

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book 6 in my quest.... Given that the first recipe in this book is "All Protein Crunch Granola" it shouldn't be a huge surprise that this book was published shortly after the "summer of love", by a lady living in Berkeley, CA. I guess it's a decent vegetarian cookbook. But it's not like I have a lot to compare it to. Yet.

[Cwalsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If, like me, you lived in a student co-op in Berkeley in the 1970's, this 1973 book will bring back memories of the vegetarian cooking of that era. I think I'll go stir up a batch of the "Kitchen Sink Cookies" which my forgotten notes in the margin say are good for breakfast.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very 1970's back to the land era. The recipes are vegetarian, but there are some very good ones in here if you're wanting to have a meat-free meal occasionally. I've enjoyed quite a few of the recipes and will definitely keep making them.

[Karen Ganderton]

A vegetarian's necessity in the 80's but outdated now. Complementary proteins were made up by Lappe to make vegetarianism more acceptable to nutritionists of the day. There are much better vegetarian and vegan cookbooks available. It still has some good recipes.

[Shen Shellenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fed my family from this book and the Moosewood Cookbook for more years than I can count. It's a gem, using the principle that combining (non-meat) protein sources creates a sum greater than the parts.

The Scalloped Potatoes are to DIE FOR.

[Kathie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

The recipe for Risi i Bisi on page 165 is one of my family's all-time favorites!

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

the art and science of high protein vegetarian cooking..
Very well written and wonderful recipes

[Philip Bergstresser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the soybean croquettes from this cookbook!

[Mckinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forward thinking applied to cooking.

[Elie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of my mother's favorite cook books. I enjoyed reading it, and was inspired by many things she talked about. But I didn't like the recipes very much.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

compliments RSP, doesn't live up to it

[Nancy Noyes-ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my earliest cookbooks from a book sale in the '80s. Complementary protein cooking can taste better, surely? It is interesting to look through.

[Bart Everson · Rating 4 out of 5]

a true gem of a cookbook

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've used this book for years - just like any cook book - some recipes are great, others not so much

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been very helpful in raising 4 children who did not know they were vegetarians at home.