Eat-Taste-Heal: An Ayurvedic Cookbook for Modern Living [Hardcover]

Thomas Yarema (Author), Daniel Rhoda (Author), Johnny Brannigan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2006

Eat.Taste.Heal is a groundbreaking work within the field of holistic health and nutrition, written by a medical doctor, a patient, and an acclaimed chef. A complete guidebook and cookbook in one, Eat.Taste.Heal demystifies the ancient healing science of Ayurveda, humankind's most ancient system of healthy living. The aim of the book is simple: to create harmony within through using common foods and healthy lifestyle practices as medicine. The collection contains over 150 cross-cultural recipes and received a Maverick Award for excellence in photography. The authors are a unique trio: physician, patient, and chef. Dr. Thomas Yarema M.D., director of the Kauai Center for Holistic Medicine and Research, created for his patients an understandable dietary program rooted in common sense. Daniel Rhoda, a patient who found healing through Ayurveda, demystifies the ancient science that helped restore his health. Chef Johnny Brannigan, an internationally trained Ayurvedic chef, has created more than 150 recipes to empower individual healing through the exploration of taste.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Holistic physician Yarema, patient Rhoda and chef Brannigan contribute their individual perspectives on India's ancient medical science, ayurveda, to this attractive volume. Introduced to the system by different routes (disillusionment with Western medical practices, illness and transcendental meditation, respectively), the authors detail an array of ayurvedic techniques (diet, breathing, meditation, exercise, aromatherapy). Much more than a cookbook, this guide can serve as a complete introduction to ayurveda. Readers will learn how to identify their ayurvedic type; detect and treat imbalances and illness; select foods, daily routines and activities best for them; adapt to seasonal and aging patterns; and, most importantly, put the power to heal in their own hands. Based on cuisines from around the globe, the recipes demonstrate how to vary ayurvedic meals to nurture each of the ayurvedic types. The tempting selections include Roasted Sunflower Pâté, Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce, Seared Sesame Trout with Coconut Curry Sauce, and Mango and Passion Fruit Cheesecake. The recipes are easy to follow and require little preparation time. The authors stress that adopting an ayurvedic lifestyle requires time, commitment and much self-inquiry, but make an enthusiastic and persuasive case for doing so. Color photos. (Jan. 25)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Publisher

"Ayurvedic cooking for healing is ancient, timeless, practical wisdom based upon taste, hot and cold energy and the post-digestive effect of food at the cellular level. A proper diet is good medicine. In the near future, medical professionals, instead of prescribing just drugs, will suggest proper, individualized balancing recipes to their patients. Dr. Yarema, Daniel Rhoda and Chef Brannigan’s profound work in the field of food as medicine, Eat Taste Heal, is a most timely and practical guide for people everywhere." - Dr. Vasant Lad, author of Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Five Elements Press (February 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976917009
• ISBN-13: 978-0976917007
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Alternative Medicine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Lotus, August 30, 2006

By 

Lincoln Heartsong "Barefoot Sage" (Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eat-Taste-Heal: An Ayurvedic Cookbook for Modern Living (Hardcover)

What a beautiful gem! For more than a decade, I've been following and living by Ayurvedic principles and when this book fell into my hands, I felt as if I'd received a gift from the heavens. As an Ayurvedic educator, this is absolutely my favorite guidebook to date. I now recommend it enthusiastically to all my students, clients and friends.

In Part I, The Guidebook, the authors have done a commendable job of condensing the vast expanse of Vedic wisdom into manageable pieces while still offering a decent yet thorough overview. This book is an excellent introduction for Westerners; important concepts such as doshas, daily and seasonal routine, health and disease, and food basics are all given adequate due. With an emphasis on the elements of food & taste, the reader gains a clearer understanding of why the recipes are relevant to each particular dosha.

In Part II, The Cookbook, the authors specifically address the issue of cooking for different doshas in one family, a puzzlement for many who discover Ayurveda. Many people will find the information on organics, sustainibility, and modern food concerns (such as GMO's, food irradiation, and pure water) very useful and informative, though it does not pertain solely to Ayurveda.

As a professionally trained chef, it's inspiring to find Ayurvedic recipes that ignite and inspire, ones that rise above meager health food or standard Indian fare. All previous Ayurvedic cookbooks have left me hungry for something better, more appealing and refined. Mostly, I've had to create my own recipes. The offerings in Eat, Taste, Heal are complex enough to be interesting without being overwhelming or difficult, and the cross cultural flair is welcomed. For those who feel more confident in the kitchen (or simply have more time) check out the Expanded Recipes.

Eat, Taste, Heal is gorgeously photographed and filled with colorful, easy to read charts, sidebars and overviews. The layout is user-friendly and the stunning food photography inspires a reader to actually attempt the recipes.

My one slice of criticism is really just a design issue. The organization of the recipes seems a bit odd to me, and there is only a pale gray footnote on the bottom of some pages to indicate the different sections (Vata breakfast, Pitta lunch, Snacks, etc.). Also, I wish the Expanded Recipes were not in a separate area; many do not seem complex enough to warrant being sequestered in a different section. Still, this is just a personal preference and in no way diminishes the outstanding quality of the book. The recipes are clearly labeled for Vata, Pitta or Kapha and substitutions are offered to amend the dishes for other doshas.

At the heart of Ayurveda rests the importance of developing a relationship with oneself. Eat, Taste, Heal serves as a clear and inspiring (not to mention tasty!) guide along the path of self discovery. The entire text hums softly with heartfelt gratitude and love. Could your entire life change with the purchase of just one book? With this one, it quite possibly could.

Namaste!

161 of 177 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Expected Better, August 29, 2007

By 

Pat (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eat-Taste-Heal: An Ayurvedic Cookbook for Modern Living (Hardcover)

I'm glad so many people like this book. But I am not one of them.
I have followed Ayurvedic cooking for a few years and have reaped many healthy results from it (besides enjoying some of the most wonderful meals that I have ever experienced). Obviously, I came to this book with very positive expectations. I guess that I found two areas of the book that I did not like - the first part and the second part.
The first part sounded like a Western MD giving a very judgmental and negative-slanted presentation. It was all about what TO DO and what NOT TO DO. He crossed the line on allowing his readers to own their own thoughts. He also put much emphasis into the 'magic bullet' view of 'when this is wrong - do this' or 'to fix this symptom - do this'. To me, Ayurveda is more about cherishing one's Dosha (constitution) through food, thought, activity, etc in a whole life setting. When one looks to the symptoms, one looks (and gives power to) the negative expression of the body. The presentation of Ayurveda that I have been exposed to honors my intelligence and informs me that my life and health are my responsibilities. Gentle guidance then follows.
The second part of the book, the Recipes, is yet another presentation of Macrobiotic cooking. They ARE clean, healthy recipes. They just are not the rich, complex, exotic recipes that I have come to associate with Ayurvedic cooking. These recipes would actually make a good Macrobiotic Cookbook. People following these recipes would do very well for themselves and their health. That's just not what I intended to purchase.
I guess this book fills an important niche in presenting Ayurveda to a new audience. I was just looking for an Ayurvedic cookbook with wonderful recipes. If anyone out there is looking for this, then I would highly recommend Heaven's Banquet/Hospodar and Healing Cuisine/Johari. The latter is authentic and the former is a combination of authentic and adapted Western dishes. And when Ms Hospodar gives Ayurvedic instruction, it is like she is sprinking rose petals around you - enjoyable bits of information that invites you to select what you want to 'own'.
Eat right - digest well - live long - and enjoy.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will quickly prove a popular and appreciated addition to any household cookbook collection, January 11, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eat-Taste-Heal: An Ayurvedic Cookbook for Modern Living (Hardcover)

Eat * Taste * Heal: An Ayurvedic Cookbook For Modern Living is a compendium of recipes and information that combines groundbreaking and seminal work within the field of holistic nutrition and healthy living. The collaborative effort of a medical doctor, a patient, and a professional chef, Eat * Taste * Heal is enhanced throughout with color photography, features an extensive background information (Ayurvedic Concepts in a Nutshell), a great deal of solidly practical instruction (Buying, Preparing & Storing Vibrant Food), then goes on to present the reader with "The ABC's Ambiance, Blessing & Consumption"; "The Rhythms of Nature"; and "Food as Medicine". From Stewed Apples with Dates and Cinnamon; Avocado Soup with Cucumber; Warm Almond Milk with Coconut & Mango; Braised Chicken with Cilantro Reduction Sauce; and Steamed Kale with Lemon and Dill Butter; to Cream of Beet Soup with Puy Lentils; Samosas with mango Chutney; Braised Bok Choy, Fennel & Tofu with Lemon & Coriander; Green Beans & Carrots with Fried Almonds, Chapati (Indian flat bread); and Chocolate Saveur with Coconut Creme, Eat * Taste * Heal will quickly prove a popular and appreciated addition to any household cookbook collection.