Customer Reviews

The Raw Gourmet

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Whether you're just looking to add more fruits and vegetables into your food program, are transitioning into becoming vegetarian or going more into raw foods, this is THE book for you.

It's got great photos, sections on; the basics including a guide to using the book and ten raw food kitchen essentials so you can prepare a meal within 20 minutes of arriving home; breakfast; juices and blended drinks; fundamental flavors including soups, sauces, dressings, etc.; entrees and desserts. There is a section on sprouting, food combining, a 3-week menu plan; special occasion menu suggestions, sources and grocery guide.

In the grocery guide, Nomi explains foods which some people may not be familiar with and what they may be used for. Most of the ingredients are common and familiar to most people or, if not, can be substituted for those that are.

In the sources section, she tells where to get many of the ingredients included in the recipes. Living in California, I've found I can get most of the ingredients at my local "natural" (many of the foods I wouldn't classify as natural) foods store, but for someone living far from these sources, it's nice to know where to go. I and my friends have purchased from a couple of these places and found the service and quality of foods to be excellent.

I would suggest that if you don't have one, the minimum to get to assist in making many of these recipes is a good food processor and a good blender. You can always upgrade as you become more creative. Nomi also lists sources for dehydrators, juicers and blenders. I purchased the ones she recommends before I knew about this book and I agree with her assessments.

Nomi was introduced to raw foods over 10 years ago by a holistic physician. At first she was eating about 50% of her foods raw and eventually became sincere about eat raw foods. She "said good-bye" to fibromyalgia, hypoglycemia, mood swings, allergic sinusitis, digestive disorders, including acid reflux and candida. You can see why she is a raw foods advocate.

If you're looking for a good, all-purpose book, I highly recommend The Raw Gourmet by Nomi Shannon

...This is one of the most beautiful recipe books I've ever seen; it doubles as a nice coffee table book! I've always loved cookbooks that show you what the finished recipes are supposed to look like, especially when I'm new to a certain style of cooking (or in this case not cooking). Her book is over-the-top wonderful with lovely photos on every page.

Another thing that makes this book so different from other raw "cookbooks" is that Nomi shows you to find the time to prepare raw meals, sprout, etc. Extras include "Ten Raw Food Kitchen Essentials," a sprouting chart, information about food combining, a 3-week menu plan, and so much more!

The recipes are as varied and wonderful as any cooked food you've ever eaten, from breakfast grains to juices and salads to pies, cookies, and ice cream! Check out the table of contents to see the incredibly long list of different kinds of recipes she has included in this fabulous book. You won't believe how much you can do with raw foods!

I also liked that she includes a notation that shows you which recipes are "properly combined" for those new to food combining. If I had to choose only one of my raw foods recipe books to keep, it would be this one.

This book does have beautiful pictures!! And the recipes are mostly not too complicated!! But it is not a basic book for a beginner...for much of it you need those harder-to-find ingredients, AND a kitchen full of uncommon appliances to prepare this stuff.

This book has beautiful pictures, interesting recipes of salads, juices and sauces, and helpful information on just about everything you need to know about raw food.

It is a great book for someone looking for recipes on salads, juices and sauces. However, I was looking for raw recipes that would be similar to traditional main courses, because I need help in that area. I don't have a problem making delicious salad type meals and juices, but have a difficult time with preparing a main dish that has a traditional "look".

This is a wonderful book, but it wasn't what I was looking for.

I couldn't wait to receive this book after ordering it from Amazon. From the other reviews I had read, I was excited about seeing all the mouth-watering recipes. After all, one needs to have some incentive to eat raw food over and over again. And, I wasn't disappointed.

The first recipe I concocted was on page 186 'Orange-Date Dessert Bars'. YUMMY. Fun to fix and delicious to eat. As a matter of fact, the taste was very similar to some health-food bars for which I pay $2.85 EACH. So, right away I probably made up for the cost of the book. (Not including ingredients)

Anyway, the photos are, indeed, incredible and will easily help you decide which recipes to try first. There's such an assortment of salads, soups, and drinks that anyone can find something they like.

I don't have an expensive professional juicer. I use a Juiceman Jr. and I have a Cuisinart Blender/Processor Combo, which I found sufficient for use with the recipes found here. After using the blender, I poured the puree into a sieve and mashed it down with a wooden spoon to release as much juice at possible.

I'm very happy with the purchase of this book and plan to share it with others ( at least temporarily) to motivate them into getting 'healthy', too.

Gail Gupton, Author: The 31-Day Diet of Spiritual Enlightenment and Seekers of Truth.

This book has the most wonder recipes that are sure to get anyone on the right track to raw foods. The tone is warm and friendly and you feel like a guest in her home. There is a chart on sprouting, and many other wonderful resources. She opens up with info you can't miss. Read it first (I know you want to get to the recipes first, so did I)

Now let's get down to business:

There is not one recipe that didn't make my mouth water. From the almond milk to the zucchini pasta. The raw Nori roll are the most delicious. The sinfully, scrumptious sunburger is a keeper, and the pizza's are made to perfection.

Soups and salads are simple yet flavorful. Don't miss the Hijiki & sweet potato medley it's a calicum/vitamin packed treat. There are many colorful recipes to brighten up your diet and satisfy your palate.

The deserts are to die for. If you love sweet treats without all the fat and artificial ingredients you are going to be in heaven. The apple pie is better than the one your mother used to make and definetly better for you. The sweet potatoe pie will knock your socks off as well as give your stomach a rest. No butter and cream needed here this is the real deal without the guilt.

What more can I say but BUY THIS BOOK! You won't be disappointed!

This is a very beautiful book, and is worth buying just for the spectacular food photography. There is also a lot of useful information for dishes going beyond fruit and salad, and hints for preparation. If, like me, you are seriously considering adding one or more raw meals to your diet, this book will be helpful.

Unfortunately most of the meals seem to require a bit of preparation or planning (soaking) and a Champion juicer or similar food processor. (The blank screen on the Champion emits both juice and pulp together instead of seperating the juice).

Thank you Nomi (and Coral).

I have followed healthy eating habits for about 10 years with great results. I began with "transitional" type cookbooks and gradually became more raw over time. Great tasting and easy to follow recipes are contained in this eye appealing book. For the beginner in this type of eating some of the ingredients may be a bit challenging to find if you don't have access to a quality health food store. A little perseverance is well worth the effort.

The very first thing you will notice about this book is the absolute beauty of the photographs. Edmond Fong captured the smell and taste of the food featured on every page.

After reading and testing recipes, I have found this book to be a must for every cook of every level of food savvy. Anyone would be able to prepare these recipes and the ingredients are readily available in most grocery and/or health food stores. The level of preparation runs from beginner to the gourmet.

This is the book we use for entertaining our friends and neighbors. The teenagers even like to browse through the photos and pick out something to prepare.

"The Raw Gourmet" is truly the recipe and instruction book for the cook who wants to impress friends or the food preparer who wants to help her/his family make dietary changes to become healthy and happy.

The recipes in this book are delicious and fun to make. They leave lots of room for experimentation and creativity. The recipe for Asian Paté would knock anyone's socks off!
I found the book very educational and inspiring as well: Nomi does a great job of explaining the benefits of a raw diet and emphahsizes the importance of organic foods. Various not-so-common ingredients are well-defined for beginners too.

My only suggestion for improving the book would be to have the ingredients indexed a little better (for instance, if you're looking for that yummy dressing you made with dulse and red pepper previously, you won't find it under "dulse" or "red pepper" because it's indexed in the back under "Dressing Del Mar")... but this is only a small inconvenience.

Also, I became a little frustrated when many of the recipes I wanted to make required a juicer equipped with a "blank screen"... I have a pretty good (fairly expensive) juice extractor, but it doesn't have a blank screen, so I couldn't figure out how to make the recipes.

All in all, I would say this is a very worthwhile and inspiring book.