Customer Reviews

A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

...both modern and historic, and from nearly every region in the world. The various recipes included in the book are, with a few exceptions, rare and creative. So far, most of the recipes I've tried have been great successes, with the rest becoming very palatable with the addition of simple ingredients like salt, pepper and/or lemon juice. The best part was that most recipes were easy to follow, though heavy on spices both rare and common, even for a beginner like myself. I recommend the Rosemary Sorbet, the simple apple pie and "Marian's Stuffed Salmon."

Since I'm not a culinary historian, I cannot comment on the authenticity of some of the "historic" recipes (including the aforementioned sorbet allegedly from 16th century England). Nonetheless, they all taste wonderful and makie interesting additions to the common repertoire.

The only problem I found was that the author seemed undecided whether her audience were experienced cooks or green beginners and was inconsistent on the specificity of her directions in her recipes (e.g. cooking times, salt & pepper spicing, etc.)

To be honest, I have a problem with Llewellyn Publications, yet I still buy them from time to time because with all the chaft you're bound to find some wheat sooner or later, right? This is one of the few that I bought without a feeling of dread. Simply put, it's a collection of suggested recipes together with an assortment of common magical associations for food and general ingredients. I've found that it is a useful book for planning a meal for a ritual or Sabbath, but perhaps more for the themes from the suggested recipes rather than from the recipes themselves. Over all, it's at least a fairly good cookbook with useful suggestions. One warning: The recipes do tend to be on the Yuppie-fied side, so if you absolutely have to follow the book, be sure to bring your checkbook.

Geez, what a mess.

Ms. Telesco is capable of writing a passable recipe, provided that the cook is capable of making judgement calls about cooking time, spicing, and other details she occasionally omits. There's a nice variety of flavors in this cookbook. As a book of recipes it is serviceable, if not stellar.

However, if you're hoping for a reference to aid you in actual magical cooking LOOK SOMEWHERE ELSE. I'm quite sure the author meant well but the magic in this book is a train wreck. Rather than provide a handy list of ingredients and their magical affinities, Ms. Telesco provides the recipe and blithely decides what the combination is supposed to do. In the paragraph of banter accompanying each recipe, if one is lucky she'll mention one or two of the ingredients and divulge what she's using them for in that recipe, but have a care--the sympathies of a single ingredient seem to vary widely from recipe to recipe. And again, one is basically left to rely on her interpretation.

She also tosses in some ill-explained numerology (five is apparently the number for vision, but according to who? And what are the other numbers supposed to mean?). Related holidays and god/desses are also listed with the recipes. This was a nice touch, but it seems like Ms. Telesco has made the mistake of seeing 'witch' as a synonym for anything non-Christian. A dizzying index of holidays is in the back, including Buddhist, Shinto, African, and a few Mexican Catholic that apparently made the cut because they were fun. Witching has enough of its own holidays--cribbing them willy-nilly from other faiths seemed just a little cheap and tacky to me.

In short, I suspect Ms. Telesco of making up the magic bits as she went along. But some of the food she makes is tasty. Buy this one used.

As a member of the Wiccan Pagan Press Alliance and the Universal Federation of Pagans, Trish Telesco is one of those authors who lives the life she writes about. This book is a must read, as much for the recipes as for the tidbits of folklore and cooking traditions that accompany each one. There is an extensive appendices section with lists of kitchen gods and goddesses, magical correlations of ingredients, and celebrations from around the world. The unusual treats in the "Divine Desserts" section will keep your mouth watering -- it's definitely my favorite chapter! You can use these recipes for every-day cooking or serve them at your next gathering. You won't be disappointed with this one!

this is packed with delicious ways to bring magick into your life, she has a great appendix at the end filled with useful info. for each recipe she tells you the magick it does and the celebrations it goes with. she works with numbers, colors, aromatherapy etc. to make your cooking spell more successful.

I purchased this book along with a number of other "witchy" cookbooks, including Celtic Folklore Cooking and Goddess in the Kitchen. While this may not have been as focused as the other two, I did find a number of good, tasty recipes suitable for family meals. The step-by-step instructions are easy-to-follow and the ingredients in most cases attainable. Unlike a number of neo-Pagan books there are few flights of fancy and the scholarship seems pretty solid. I would recommend this book.

Telesco's wonderful writing style is informative and informal. She has applied it to this book beautifully.

The Kitchen Witch's Cookbook is a fabulous reference when you want to make something extra special that has a bit more meaning than just food. The recipe sections are a bit too cutely titled for me ("Visionary Vegetables"), but my preference does not change the fact that the recipes are both exotic and homey, and full of magic. Each recipe lists its magical attributes, so you can be sure that you're choosing the perfect menu. She also suggests celebrations for each one, so if you're feeling frazzled at Yule, she has done the work for you - just flip to the index, and pick your dishes with no fuss at all.

Her appendices are terrific, and the bibliography and index are thorough. Whether you're making scones, broom wine, Turkish eggplant or rosemary sherbet, you're sure to find just the right recipe for your next special meal.

If Trish Telesco is to be remembered for one book, it should be this book. If you wanted to add one Trish Telesco book to your library, again, it should be this book.

This is a wonderful collection of recipes that will warm the heart and comfort the soul. Trish adds the "magic touch" to her recipes by connecting the recipe with either a piece of history, or a magical attribute or an herb that adds a special "witch's touch" to the dish. There is a lot of reference material also included that gives you God/Goddess associations to either your kitchen or your food, herb magical associations and days to celebrate with your new found culinary delights.

There is a lot more here than just a cookbook. It is a well balanced collection of what is commonly called "kitchen witchery". A good reference book, a wonderful cook book, and a primer for anyone wanting to explore the kitchen in a new and delightful way. This book is another staple on my bookshelf.

My wife love it, everything on the book is full of new knowledge to her.

This book gets right down to business. From the Introduction I was ready to cook.But found most recepies very unpractical for an everyday menu.I don't plan on using it all the time. If you're a parent with kids,this book may not fit your busy schedule.A good income is a plus.Apart from the recepies I found how to make my kitchen a truly magickal place! Not a book I should have bought, instead would have rather borrowed it.But it may be the book for you.