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745 of 759 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Exotic but complicated dishes, May 4, 2006
This review is from: Raw Food/Real World: 100 Recipes to Get the Glow (Hardcover)
I based my purchase of this book on the reviews listed here; however, I fear they may not be a good representation of this culinary book.
I agree that the book is full of beautifully photographed and mouth-watering delights and include detailed recipes to exotic looking meals.
My perception from a raw foodist point of view is that whist these raw food recipes require no cooking, please expect a lot of preparation time, particularly days in advance. Many dishes require a dehydrator, which apart from being an expensive piece of equipment, does require dehydrating for 6-12 hours.
There are also uses of heated foods (such as maple syrup) but the authors suggest strict raw foodists to try other ingredients. I also have a concern with the use of a lot of salt (the authors say they love the coarse nature of it in their recipes) and nut butters, which both ultimately are not a good thing to have in large proportions, whether it be via cooked or raw means. There is also mention of a lot of specific types of vegetables and greens, which is not easy to get a hold of by the general public.
The book is certainly written by talented artists of food, but from my point of view, a lot of the recipes (but not all)are beyond the typical householder.
If you are wanting to spend some creative time in the kitchen, finding exotic ingredients, then this exploration will lead you into culinary passion. But if you're looking for raw food dishes to whip up after work, you will have limited choices. I hope this gives the book a more rounded overview for those intending to purchase.
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189 of 193 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous cookbook for ANY style of cooking, March 24, 2006
This review is from: Raw Food/Real World: 100 Recipes to Get the Glow (Hardcover)
I completely love good cookbooks, to be inspired to try new dishes and tempted by the photographs. This cookbook (or un-cookbook!) does not dissapoint!
Throughout the book are beautifully photographed pictures of Matthew and Sarma, their restaurant and of course the food! A recipe might be great but if it has no photo, or yet even worse a bad photo then Im not usually compelled to try making it. Every picture in this book makes my mouth water! Even meals made with ingredients I dont typically love are tempting me from the pages.
The recipes are clearly written and easily understood.The process for preparing the food is also explained throughout the book.In the back of the book is a special section for locating ingredients, whether easy or hard to find.
Special chapters focus on tools, techniques and the why's of raw foodism. Also chapters on cleansing, organic living and dealing with friends and family about your new way of eating.
Throughout the book are Matthew and Sarma's personal stories and comments. These make the book fun to read and as though they are speaking to you from the pages. It's not just a cookbook, but almost a journal of sorts and we get a sneak peek!
I have read a few complaints about the recipes in this book using expensive machines and taking too long to prepare. But I dont find this a problem. Ebay has given me many a good deal on dehydrators and blenders, Im sure you can find a deal there too!
But the key to any successfully run kitchen whether restaurant or home is being prepared. And that certainly comes into play with raw food. Unless you want to eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables as they are out of the fridge then you need to make an effort. Other raw cookbooks who claim to give you recipes in 10 minutes or those without machines may be fine, but I wouldnt want to eat them very often. Without using a dehydrator or soaking nuts and seeds you wont get any variety in texture as far as moisture content. Simply plan out your next weeks meals and make your grocery list. I like to prepare items such as cookies and cereals at the same time to let the dehydrate on the weekend ready for the week. And while some recipes require you to think about what you want to eat tomorrow, they are well worth the effort.
Who knew you could enjoy so many delicous foods on a raw food diet? You will find delicously tempting recipes for cereal, maccaroons, pizza, samosas, tacos, ice creams, smoothies, juices, apple cinnamon crepes, cocktails and more!
I am in LOVE with this book! Thank goodness for these two wonderful chef's and their creativity for raw foods!
Buy it......you WONT be dissapointed!
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107 of 108 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Skip the Glam, Focus on the Food, August 28, 2006
This review is from: Raw Food/Real World: 100 Recipes to Get the Glow (Hardcover)
I've been "raw" for a long time now and, as a professionally trained chef, I'm always thrilled when a quality "living foods" un-cookbook comes out. When I first picked up Raw Food, Real World and thumbed through it, I put it right back on the shelf. It struck me as incredibly egocentric and self obsessed, overflowing with glamour shots of the authors. While I appreciated their insights into the living food lifestyle, I don't care about their relationship or uber-hip, trendy New York life. Americans tend to be celebrity obsessed and I'm sure many folks will just LOVE this aspect of the book. For me, it was a turn off. I'm interested in the food and recipes, not Matthew and Sarma (who, it turns out, aren't even together any more... so much for all those glam photos and cutesy anecdotes).
Raw food is suddenly "en vogue" and I do appreciate the attempt to elevate healthy cuisine beyond the realm of dehyrated patties. The food shots speak for themselves... could we skip the celebrity aspect, please?
It took a couple more browsings of the book on subsequent visits to the bookstore to get over my initial judgments. I tried to focus on the recipes, themselves. Unique. Flavorful. Upscale and refined enough to serve to discerning non-raw dinner guests. I appreciated the actual food photography and I finally decided to buy it. Apart from the Matthew and Sarma glamor photo shoot mayhem, it's a great collection.
As with most raw food that rises above salad, everything takes time to prepare. You'll find little in this book can be thrown quickly together for dinner except some soups, salads and smoothies. Special equipment is needed (dehydrators, juicers, etc) and the ingredient list is decidedly geared towards "foodies" who have access to a really diverse farmer's market. The average, busy homemaker may throw their hands up in despair.
Still, if you're ready to expand your raw repertoire (even if you're just starting out), there are some excellent offerings here. As a chef, I feel there's just enough complexity to the dishes to make them creative and interesting without being overwhelming to prepare (from a raw foods point of view, that is). You'll have Matthew and Sarma staring you in the face on every other page but, if you can get over that, the recipes are delicious.
Bon appetit!
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