Customer Reviews

Cooking the Whole Foods Way: Your Complete, Everyday Guide to Healthy Eating

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This cookbook is the solution for those "health-seekers" who want to eat by the rules (more fiber, more whole grains, less refined sugar, more vegetables). Many of the recipes are delicious, and it's nice to make something that tastes good but that won't give you pangs of food-guilt later.

A few caveats: 1. This is not a pure vegetarian cookbook. She has a whole section on fish. The author does not eat fish herself, but wanted to more fully represent the macrobiotic philosophy. 2. This doesn't give a good look at the full spectrum of macrobiotics. I'm not an expert by any stretch, but from what I've read of some of the other macrobiotics founders, this seemed very incomplete. She seems to concentrate primarily on the yin-yang principle (in her next book she talks about the elements), but doesn't give a comprehensive overview of how those can affect certain conditions. Also, as another reviewer pointed out, she includes a lot of ingredients most macrobiotics shun (chocolate, garlic, etc.) She seems to bend the rules a lot when it comes to desserts. 3. Having said that, when the author thinks a rule is important, she runs with it. Don't even think of eating raw vegetables or fruits, any white flour, or certain vegetables, like tomatoes.

All in all, I thought this cookbook was a valuable addition to my collection, but I didn't think it was a very good lifestyle guideline.

Wow! Not since reading Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy by Dirk Benedict has a book about nutrition (in the case of Cooking the Whole Foods Way, a Cookbook!) changed my life so completely!. I've been a vegetariian since 1993, but had always believed marcobiotics was "pushing it" a little. I was so wrong! Christina Pirello has eliminated all fears of unfamiliar and unknown foods. She doesn't simply give you recipes; she tells you what the ingredients will do for your health and (finally!) explains WHY some foods are not good for you and some are! Exactly what do carrots do for your health? What makes mushrooms good for you? What vegetable grows through rock--not around it? How can an onion help satisfy a craving for sweets? Why do we crave certain foods? Why is garlic a healthier choice for meat-eaters than for vegetarians? How does food influence your mood? Learn to take control of your life and become healthier and happier for it! Don't want to be vegetaria? That's okay. Christina Pirello isn't trying to turn you into one. She's just giving carnivores and omnivores a chance to balance the meat in their diets. If you are vegetarian, you just may end up macrobiotic. Funny, that's not as scary a thought as it was before I read this book!

I have sampled a number of recipes from this book and been quite happy with them. Many cookbooks offer healthful recipes, but this one, more than most, offers healthful recipes that are actually edible and have some character--mostly Italian. The scope is vegetables plus fish, so it offers an excellent guide for heart patients and those who cook for them.

I love this cookbook, which I have been using for about 3 weeks now, nearly everyday! The recipes are very easy for me to follow. I have been vegetarian or vegan for many years with some breaks, so many of these ingredients are familiar to me, but some are new, too. The main thing that I love about Christina's style is her sense of flavor & fun...my husband is Italian-American, & loves to cook, too, I'm Irish-American, & learned alot of Italian cooking from his family, in addition to my own vegetarian foods. This is really the first time my husband has 'fallen in love' with so many whole foods dishes. We have enjoyed nearly every recipe I've made from this book. This book is jam-packed with recipes & ideas-- it could be overwhelming, but as we love to cook, it is an adventure in pleasurable good health. I've been losing weight, which I needed to, also, without even trying. I have nearly no cravings for things I previously was tempted by which were unhealthy, because I love the food we eat at mealtimes so much. Thank you Christina!

I bought this book a few years ago, just because I was trying to adapt a more healthy lifestyle, and for the immense amount of recipes in the book (a lot!).

I really don't see how Christina could have possibly tried all of these recipes! The several that I've tried have seemed relatively tasteless and almost inedible! The only reason why I'm giving it 3 stars is because the entire beginning section has some wonderful explanations on macrobiotics and a glossary of some different ingredients that most cooks wouldn't know on their own.

As for the recipes, I can honestly say that in my ever growing repertoire of vegan cookbooks, I very rarely refer to this one. If you're looking to go macrobiotic, maybe it would be useful, but if you're a vegan/vegetarian looking at this book because of the number of recipes....don't bother.

This is a very, very good book if you're trying to add vegetables, reduce meat/dairy, or just eat healthier. She limits added sugars to brown rice syrup, barley malt, and the occasional maple syrup, although she's open about not really wanting to use maple syrup. Recipes are pretty comprehensive, everything from sauces to desserts. Information on how to organize a meal is limited, however; you have to search through the recipes to find one that might be suitable for breakfast, and her menus look like five-course meals. As for the macrobiotic issue (in which I'm !not! an expert), she gives the basics of macrobiotics and admits that some of the foods she includes are not usually part of macro cooking. She also doesn't include a lot of detail about macrobiotics, so I was left scratching my head at some of the recipes (I thought in macrobiotics you weren't supposed to eat foods not native to the area?). But if you're not aiming for a strict macrobiotic diet, this is a great book!

I'm transitioning into a macrobiotic lifestyle and this book looked interesting to me, so I bought it. I really like each recipe I've tried.

However, even though the author opens her book with a chapter entitled, "What is macrobiotics?" this book is not pure macrobiotics. Many recipes call for ingredients which should probably be avoided by newcomers to the practice. On the flip side, this book does seem like a good transitionary book for those desiring to try a more macrobiotic diet while still eating many foods which are familiar.

To the author's credit, the word "macrobiotic" doesn't appear on either the front or back cover, so obviously she isn't making a claim to be die-hard macrobiotic. While some recipes are 100% macrobiotic, some others which are not may be altered to make them so, if desired.

The beginning of the book describes many of the unusual and unfamiliar ingredients needed, items like kuzu, agar-agar, arame, hiziki, mochi, and shoyu, among others. Menu and shopping suggestions are given as well.

I'm not vegetarian but I imagine this book being a valuable addition to a vegetarian's cookbook library. Just skip the chapter on fish.

This cookbook offers a great amount of variety of whole foods and preparation options compared to recipes I have in Macrobiotic cookbooks. All the recipes I have tried so far have all been good. One of the things I have learned about changing to a new way of eating is that it takes time to ajust to new foods and tastes. This is true for me with some of the foods, such as kale, so I continue to try different recipes, etc. until I find one I like. All the grain dishes have been very good, and pressure cooking brown rice has made it into a wonderful tasting rice. Thanks for a very good book.

I cook for my family of four by night and also for a single man by day. Each one of us has our own unique style of eating and various taste buds.

Everyone of us agree the recipes in this book create some fabulous meals. While there is a learning curve on some new fruits, vegetables and grains to use; Christina guides you through the process with a great index and introduction to each section.

If you are truly interested in spending some time learning how to eat Macrobiotically this is the cookbook for you. It is well worth the investment.

I really love this book! As for the women above that wished the index was better (it does contain a substaintial 500 recipes) I have it divided with post its so I never loose one delicious recipe. This book is the best way to ween yourself off dairy, you really won't miss it. She is very informative and funny too! She also has another great book that was just published with more of the background info on the strengths of different foods. She has completely changed the way we eat and I feel so much healthier!