Living Cuisine: The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods (Avery Health Guides) [Paperback]

Renee Loux Underkoffler (Author), Woody Harrelson (Foreword)

Book Description

Release date: January 5, 2004 | Series: Avery Health Guides

Eating raw isn't just for naturalists anymore. Today, health-conscious eaters are filling their plates with the foods nature has already prepared. And these foods go well beyond the sprouts, carrots, and celery typically associated with this type of diet.

In Living Cuisine, celebrated raw chef Renée Underkoffler shows how varied, exciting, and healthy raw-foods cuisine can be. She introduces the many benefits of eating raw and offers guidelines for incorporating this healthier regimen into one's lifestyle. She provides clear, step-by-step instructions for raw-foods processing techniques-juicing, sprouting, culturing and fermenting, dehydrating, and even blanching.

At the heart of Living Cuisine are the more than 300 tantalizing recipes inspired by a wide range of ethnic and regional foods. These beverages, soups, salads, appetizers, side dishes, sushi, entrees, and desserts are all delicious and simple to prepare. This unique resource includes thorough information necessary for a foray into raw-foods living

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This extensive volume provides a compendium of information on the chic raw foods movement. Underkoffler, a Maui-based restaurateur and workshop facilitator, devotes several hundred pages to descriptions of fruits, vegetables and the other essentials of a raw foods diet; the economic and social effects of eating raw foods; and the health benefits of adhering to such a diet. Many of the volume's recipes make the prospect of eating all raw foods quite appetizing. Indonesian vegetable Pad Thai in Coconut Sauce, Golden Butternut Soup with Provençal Pesto, Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms and Crumble Apple Strudel Bundt Cake are all dishes that even non-raw converts might savor. And the author offers little tips to help soften the strict rules of eating raw. For example, she explains, "A wonderful secret of raw foods preparation is to serve soup in a warmed bowl. It allows the flavors to bloom a little bit more and keeps the soup warm without having to heat the soup to unhealthful temperatures upon serving." For readers who don't mind lukewarm bisque, or the significant effort that goes into preparing it, this book offers nice variety and valuable information.
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About the Author

RenÉe Loux Underkoffler is a raw-foods chef and former co-owner of the Raw Experience restaurant in Maui. She facilitates health retreats and workshops worldwide, which incorporate yoga and living foods into a balanced lifestyle.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Avery Trade; First Edition edition (January 5, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583331719
• ISBN-13: 978-1583331712
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.9 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #332,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

189 of 192 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspired Cuisine with Grace and Spirit January 25, 2004

By Lincoln Heartsong

Format:Paperback

A wonderful addition to the growing raw-foods cookbook list! This is a delightfully written, very engaging book that would be an excellent introduction for anyone interested in a living foods lifestyle.

The first half of the book is a compilation of information, from advice and the benefits of going raw to a comprehensive list of foods, tools and techniques. Very useful for the beginner (even veteran raw foodists might learn a thing or two).

The second part of the book consists of Renee's delicious vegan recipes (no animal products or dairy). Everything I have tried is tasty, elegant and nicely balanced and her desserts are outrageous!

Unlike Trotter and Klein's wonderful but complex "Raw", the offerings here are very easy to assemble. My one complaint is that many of the side notes and paragraph headings are printed in very pale gray. The lack of contrast makes these very difficult to read... it's a design flaw but doesn't diminish the overall quality of the book.

As a raw chef, myself, I think Renee has done a masterful job of creating a book that will appeal to everyone. Simple, straight forward and delicious. There is a real sense of love and joy that pervades this book. Highly recommended!!

Bon appetit!

97 of 98 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious every time! January 22, 2004

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

I took 2 classes with the author in NYC this fall, and her food was amazing, so I eagerly awaited the book! So far, my boyfriend (who is not raw) and I love everything we have made. The pies are especially fabulous, and better than all cooked pies I have had. They are incredibly rich and delicious. I have also made the pasta puttanesca and linguine alfredo, sundried tomato flax crackers, caesar dressing, ginger miso dressing, strawberry and cream smoothie, and zucchinni spelt flatbread. The two pies we made were the Mango Papaya Coconut Creme with Raspberry Frosting, and the Walnut Pear Torte. Amazing.
She does include some recipes for steamed vegetable side dishes, as she writes that some harder veggies may be difficult for some people to digest and assimilate in their raw form. Even if, as a strict raw-foodist, you were against this, I would still recommend buying this book. Everything is delicious, and very creative. The food is rich and luxurious, and if you are serving non-rawfood people, these are recipes that will really impress them. The first half of the book has in-depth information about raw food ingredients and techniques, such as sprouting, culturing, and fermenting. good for a raw foods introduction, as well as "advanced" cooks. If you are not a raw-foodist, you will still love the recipes, so if you would like to eat more fresh food, this is a great book. Some gadgets like a dehydrator and blender are necessary for some recipes, but others don't require them. Enjoy!

89 of 92 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars More than 300 sumptuous gourmet recipes March 6, 2004

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Paperback

Compiled by Renee Loux Underkoffler, Living Cuisine: The Art And Spirit Of Raw Foods presents more than 300 sumptuous gourmet recipes. Tut this is far more than just another cookbook. Living Cuisine explains in detail the techniques and methods to healthfully and safely prepare raw foods and deftly bring out their flavor. Underkoffler (an expert raw-food chef and the former co-owner of the Raw Experience restaurant in Maui) offers professional techniques for balancing flavors, juicing, sprouting, fermenting, dehydrating, blanching, garnishing, and so much more. These high quality recipes include Vanilla Bean Cookies; Basic Buckwheat Crunch Cereal; and Layered Nueva Corntillas among many more delicious favorites. A superb guide for those seeking to explore the health benefits and fine culinary taste of raw foods, Living Cuisine is a welcome and much appreciated addition to any gourmet cookbook collection.