The Blue Heron Ranch Cookbook, based on Cooking Off the Grid, also by Nadia Natali, blends 126 tasty, healthful recipes with lively tales of the Natali family’s adventures living close to the land—in the wilds of California’s Los Padres National Forest. Nadia Natali's varied dishes, suitable for any group or family, are presented in a simple style that makes them both visually appealing and effortless, as a sequence of ingredients that correspond to numbered directions. Each chapter opens with a vivid account of the family’s trials and triumphs at Blue Heron Ranch, followed by a particular category of recipes, arranged in seven groupings. Whimsical illustrations adorn the recipes and embellish the sometimes poignant, often hilarious stories about raising a family in the wilderness, running a meditation center, and facing nature’s seemingly endless challenges—with the Blue Heron Ranch kitchen being the center around which these events unfold. Recipes include Blue Heron Ranch Potato Leek Soup, Saturday Market Quiche, Miso Pine Salmon, Ojai Bouillabaisse, Early Morning Rice Cream, Aunt Ev’s Cardamom Bundt Cake, and Honey Almond Chai. The Blue Heron Ranch Cookbook offers culinary and spiritual sustenance to anyone who wants to experience, or revisit, the pleasures of comforting, communal meals at Zen and other retreat centers.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Not only are the recipes in this book delicious and easy to follow, the story that accompanies the recipes is both fascinating and lyrical—a real life triumph in a world that needs to know of these possibilities and victories. The illustrations are inspired and stylistically magical. Kudos to this mother/daughter team for creating such a fabulous read for all of us looking not only for a new culinary experience, but love at the table. I have given this book to five different people as gifts, and I have received a glowing phone call and review from each of them, along with their thanks.”
—Christine Denney, chef, The Ranch House, Ojai, California
“How fondly I remember my days on the construction crew of Blue Heron Ranch. When we were hungry, we ate—when thirsty, we drank. Lucky for us, Nadia usually did the cooking! Now, lucky for you, she’s written a cookbook of hearty meals and heartfelt stories!”
—Jim Tolpin, author of The New Family Home and The New Cottage Home
“Natali’s simple, wholesome, and practical dishes are the result of long hours in the kitchen and can be adapted to serve two or twenty. Recipes are complemented by charming illustrations by one of her daughters and her short reflections on the joys and challenges of living in the Californian wilderness.”
—Shambhala Sun
“Each of the dishes, dressings and desserts are explained in a manner that is clear and concise, and should be easily followed by everyone, from the culinary beginner to the expert chef. While most of the dishes are fairly simple to make, many are rare and adventurous enough to satiate even a seasoned palate.”
—Nao Braverman, Ojai Valley News
“Nadia Natali tells of her family and life’s work, while sharing the recipes that have sustained both for 30 years. Colorful drawings animate the narrative and garnish tempting delicacies like Ojai bouillabaisse and June apricot cake.”
—Santa Barbara Seasons magazine
“[The Blue Heron Ranch Cookbook] is not only a cookbook but a story…The illustrations are darling… warm and whimsical. And the recipes are down to earth and delicious."
—Naptime Reviews
—Christine Denney, chef, The Ranch House, Ojai, California
“How fondly I remember my days on the construction crew of Blue Heron Ranch. When we were hungry, we ate—when thirsty, we drank. Lucky for us, Nadia usually did the cooking! Now, lucky for you, she’s written a cookbook of hearty meals and heartfelt stories!”
—Jim Tolpin, author of The New Family Home and The New Cottage Home
“Natali’s simple, wholesome, and practical dishes are the result of long hours in the kitchen and can be adapted to serve two or twenty. Recipes are complemented by charming illustrations by one of her daughters and her short reflections on the joys and challenges of living in the Californian wilderness.”
—Shambhala Sun
“Each of the dishes, dressings and desserts are explained in a manner that is clear and concise, and should be easily followed by everyone, from the culinary beginner to the expert chef. While most of the dishes are fairly simple to make, many are rare and adventurous enough to satiate even a seasoned palate.”
—Nao Braverman, Ojai Valley News
“Nadia Natali tells of her family and life’s work, while sharing the recipes that have sustained both for 30 years. Colorful drawings animate the narrative and garnish tempting delicacies like Ojai bouillabaisse and June apricot cake.”
—Santa Barbara Seasons magazine
“[The Blue Heron Ranch Cookbook] is not only a cookbook but a story…The illustrations are darling… warm and whimsical. And the recipes are down to earth and delicious."
—Naptime Reviews
About the Author
Nadia Natali is a mother, a Zen practitioner, and a long-time cook for numerous Zen retreats on Blue Heron Ranch. The stories she tells of the triumphs and tragedies of her family’s life in the wilds of California’s Los Padres National Forest and her profound appreciation for the land are at the heart of her recipes. She has an M.A. in dance therapy and is working on a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She and her husband, photographer Enrico Natali, live in Ojai, CA.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book to keep,
By Paquita "Paquita" (usa) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Blue Heron Ranch Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from a Zen Retreat Center (Paperback)
This book is a must have. Simple recipes that I will use over and over. I'm a huge cookbook fan, my husband and I read them like fiction. This one is always at my fingertips and never intimidating.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
puts me in the mood to muddle around the kitchen....,
This review is from: The Blue Heron Ranch Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from a Zen Retreat Center (Paperback)
This book gets me in the mood to spend time in the kitchen, relaxing with my children, and inviting guests over... A mood I like!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Blue Heron Ranch Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from a Zen Retreat Center,
By
This review is from: The Blue Heron Ranch Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from a Zen Retreat Center (Paperback)
This beautiful book has both heart and spirit stored within its pages. It was the only cookbook I took to Holland as a bride, because the aspect of love in food was what I wished to bring to my new marriage.
With a stunning narrative about a family in the wilderness (with challenges few of us face, living as we do in sheltered towns and cities) interwoven with delicious recipes, the combination of food and place brings a sense of cool canyon winds, flowering orchards, and an abundance of living into our kitchens. Though many of us would like to experience life in the wilderness, few have the opportunity. Family members at Blue Heron Ranch have honed their sensitivities through immersion into nature, and share this quality through their Zen workshops and retreats, and through these food offerings. Taste these foods with reverence, delight, and joy. You will find unexpected treasure on your plate.
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Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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tbs butter, tbs sugar, tbs water, goat cheese salad, tbs vinegar, thin knife inserted into cake, medium pot saute, medium pot combine, orange rind grated, large pot saute, buttered cookie sheet, cups white flour Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Tbs Olive, Tbs Lemon, Baby Green Salad, Tbs Tamari, Green Enchilada Sauce, Tbs Orange, Tbs Honey, Tbs Rice, Tbs Maple, New York, Tbs Mirin, Tbs Ginger, Tbs Balsamic, Blue Heron Beans, Cloved Fruit Compote, Basic Pie Crust, Cool Cucumber Salad, Matilija Tamari Sauce, Home-Baked Granola, Rainy Day Tofu Soup, Blue Heron Salad Dressing, Rice Salad, Sunday Stuffed Potatoes, Pesto Lemon Sauce, Festive Cranberry Sauce Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
tbs butter, tbs sugar, tbs water, goat cheese salad, tbs vinegar, thin knife inserted into cake, medium pot saute, medium pot combine, orange rind grated, large pot saute, buttered cookie sheet, cups white flour Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Tbs Olive, Tbs Lemon, Baby Green Salad, Tbs Tamari, Green Enchilada Sauce, Tbs Orange, Tbs Honey, Tbs Rice, Tbs Maple, New York, Tbs Mirin, Tbs Ginger, Tbs Balsamic, Blue Heron Beans, Cloved Fruit Compote, Basic Pie Crust, Cool Cucumber Salad, Matilija Tamari Sauce, Home-Baked Granola, Rainy Day Tofu Soup, Blue Heron Salad Dressing, Rice Salad, Sunday Stuffed Potatoes, Pesto Lemon Sauce, Festive Cranberry Sauce Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
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