The Complete Book of Raw Food: Healthy, Delicious Vegetarian Cuisine Made with Living Foods (Paperback)

~ Lori Baird (Editor), Julie Rodwell (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Every raw food lover would appreciate having The Complete Book of Raw Food on the kitchen bookshelf. -- Vegetarians in Paradise

More than 350 creative recipes from fifty raw food experts...a beautiful anthology. -- VegNews

This is a terrific book to get you started. -- Vegetarian Journal

Product Description

Including all-new recipes from 50 of the world's leading raw food chefs, the bible for aficionados of this healthy gourmet style is now more accessible than ever.

Once thought to be a somewhat dull collection of salads and sprouts, raw food has become the hottest new trend in the food world. It's been featured in stories in the New York Times, The New York Post, and Vegetarian Times. And whether you're a raw food devotee, a curious vegetarian, or just an adventurous chef, The Complete Book of Raw Food is the essential handbook for raw food preparation and dining pleasure.

In addition to its more than 350 nutritious and healthy recipes—from Walnut Burgers to Thai Coconut Curry Soup to Raw Apple Pie—The Complete Book of Raw Food includes step-by-step instructions on how to set up the raw pantry, easy-to-follow techniques for handling and preserving raw food through sprouting and dehydrating, and expert advice on how to choose ingredients and equipment.

These simple, delicious, and healthful recipes are perfect for anyone who wants to eat better and fresher. The first essential how-to guide to raw food preparation, The Complete Book of Raw Food belongs in every kitchen. 40 photos.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Hatherleigh Press (May 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578261945
• ISBN-13: 978-1578261949
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #399,774 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

144 of 147 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 50 Recipes, One Month, January 26, 2006

By	Xiola (Lansing, MI) - See all my reviews

I prepared and ate food from this book only for one month and was for the most part satisfied. Some of the 50 recipes I tried were redundant and others ranged from inedible to fantastic. I didn't become emaciated, lost maybe 6 pounds which is fine, because I'm a little overweight. I also wasn't hungry and my cravings for cooked food minimal. This experiment has certainly led me to incorporate more raw foods into my diet. Anything that calls for honey can easily be substituted with agave nectar. You don't need to have all the top-notch equipment listed, I used a cheap food processor, ordinary blender and a used Ronco dehydrator I got for free. Admittedly, most of this is very labour intensive.
Karyn's Tomato and Pea Salad (63)- Crunch, light and good. I would use less Bragg's.
Lentil Salad (63)- Pretty good.
Quinoa Tabouli (68)- Great in small quantities because the flavour is so potent.
I Can't Believe It's Not Waldorf Salad (79)- Quite good, but not spectacular.
Butternut Squash Soup (95)- Pretty good, but bland. I used ½ the amount of water for desired consistency.
Carrot/Orange/Pumpkin Soup (95)- Good, I used fresh onion and garlic instead of powdered. The recipe didn't include a liquid, so I added two cups of water.
Ants in a Canoe (110)- Almost as good as Ants on a Log.
Ants on a Log (110)- A person could easily live off of this!
Mesquite Melts (124)- Absolutely terrible. The texture is very unpleasant.
Spring Rolls (131)- Good, can be almost anything wrapped in anything.
Corn Torillas (169)- very good, they've got some kick. Nothing like tortillas though.
Jameth and Kim's Original Flax Crackers (168)- Good, easy and flexible.
Sweet Golden Crackers (176)- Not so good, but edible.
Barbecue Chips (177)-Okay, just don't add too much cayenne and skip the beat.
Almond Milk (182)-Tied with hazelnut for the best milk I ever had.
Almost, Hazel, or Sunflower Milk (184)- Can be done with pretty much any nut or seed. I used soy and added maple syrup and vanilla. Strain it in a cheesecloth.
Quickest Tahini Milk (186)- So, so terrible.
Banana Bites (193)- Good, but no very exciting.
Granola/Grawnola (194)- Made a combination of these two recipes and it is wonderful, takes a long time though, so make a lot.
Spiced Strawberry Granola Crunch (197)- Very tasty, would be better with less allspice because it's pretty overpowering.
Viktoras' Secret Raw Horamola (198)- Terribly bland.
Italian Rawsage (202)- Very very filling and pretty good.
Italian Style Zucchini Pasta Pesto (202)- NEVER put 1/4 cup of salt, I put 1/8 and it was still not edible.
Mock Spaghetti (205)- Okay, but boring.
Avocado Burritos (208)- Very boring and way too many tomatoes.
Chinese Wild Rice with Tender Vegetables (217)- Good but I would use less ginger.
Chow Mein Memory (218)- Wonderful! I would add more tamari.
Curried Kofka Ball in Cashew Tomatoes Curry Sauce (219)- One of the best recipes in the book, especially the sauce. I upped the spices a lot.
Easy Sushi (221)- Fast, easy, good and flexible.
Roast Tofu with Satay Sauce (223)- Good and simple. Don't overhydrate mushrooms. I added ½ can of coconut milk, some garlic and some chile pepper to the sauce.
Falafels (220)-SUPER! Just as good or better than traditional falafels.
Live Gardenburgers (232)- Delicious. Next time I will add garlic.
Neat Balls (234)-Really good, but again, better with garlic.
Pecan Almond Stuffed Mushrooms (237)- Pretty Bland so spice at will. Cut pate recipe in half or you will run out of mushrooms.
Spinach and Potato Latkes (241)- Just awful. I like spinach, but this has a fishy taste.
Sun Garden Burgers (242)- Really good, mild flavour. Easy and fast, makes 14 large patties.
Thai Crane's Nest in Coconut Curry (244)-Tastes pretty ok, but I was unable to form nests because they fell apart.
What's for Dinner Loaf (247)- Very good! I made them into patties and dehydrated until crisp on the outside.
Carrot and Tomato Spread (250)- Okay, but bland.
Miso Mayo (254)- Good, but a very strong miso flavour.
White Sauce/ Salad Dressing (270)- Not more than ok.
Guacamole (274)- Pretty great.
Pine Nut Sour Cream (276)- Good Base for any dip.
Ranch Dip or Dressing (276)- Easy, fast and super yummy.
Raw Hummus (277)-Pretty good, not spectacular.
Salsa Fresca (278)- Good and fresh tasting.
Tahitian Almond Dipping Sauce (278)- Really, really wonderful.
Raw Candy (295)- Good, but not at all like chocolate as the book would suggest.
Whip the Mister (327)- Yum! Mix with 50% frozen almond milk.

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Collection of Raw Food Recipes, March 14, 2005

By	Athena - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Book of Raw Food: Healthy, Delicious Vegetarian Cuisine Made With Living Foods--Includes Over 350 Recipes from the World's Top Raw Food Chefs (Hardcover)

I must say that with the previous review, I was influenced and had my doubts about this book. However, when I received the book from the library, I was surprised and delighted, and glad that I decided to judge for myself. I have been researching raw food living and found that this was one of the key books I was looking for to help transition to raw eating in an organized, helpful manner. It may not be the only book you would want on your shelf--I myself have others.

What I like about The Complete Book of Raw Food is that it helps make the transition from cooked food to raw food easier to conceptualize and even exciting! I agree that many raw food books do seem quite complicated, where you would need to spend much time processing and dehydrating, etc., and often times with expensive equipment (like a Champion Juicer). However, this book has the best of everything, from simple to complex. And, I found that most of the recipes require minimal equipment, and therefore being able to make good use of the book. Only a few seemed to mention the Champion Juicer, and the book stated that you could use a food processor instead for most of those mentioned. Each recipe states what type of equipment is required, and this is another feature I liked. Another thing I liked about this book was the sources of chefs they use, and I found that many of them I had heard of and researched in books and on the internet. What I can say is that you can be assured that the recipes in this book were created by very passionate, creative, and experienced raw fooders who experienced much positive transformation in their lives. The beauty of a raw food diet is its capabilities of spanning from simple to creatively complex. But, the choice is yours, and you can expand at your own pace and willing.

While this may not be the best first book to use as a raw fooder, it is close up there. For a beginner, you may want to try Your Natural Diet by T.C. Fry and David Klein, which helps to introduce a more basic approach to a raw food diet, using the mono food "pearamid" and contains lots of motivating health information that makes good sense. You won't miss all those pots and pans and slaving over a hot stove!

Happy reading and eating!

62 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, November 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Book of Raw Food: Healthy, Delicious Vegetarian Cuisine Made With Living Foods--Includes Over 350 Recipes from the World's Top Raw Food Chefs (Hardcover)

This book is packed with recipes and preparation skills from the top raw chefs around. Well edited and beautifully presented. An important book to own.

I met several of the contributing chefs at a recent event...over 40 in total...each with their own unique style. From gourmet raw cusine to simple every preparations and everything in between, this book has it all. It's nice to be able to experiment with such a range of recipes.

Color pictures are included that show select final dishes and serving suggestions. Complete index, resource directory, shopping hints, and more are also a bonus.

A terrific value for the price.