Customer Reviews

From Saint Hildegard's Kitchen: Foods of Health Foods of Joy

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Saint Hildegard lived in the 12th century. She was an abbess, a mystic, and eventually, a saint. Among the considerable writings she left are her thoughts and opinions on the spiritual as well as physical values of various foodstuffs. This rather unusual cookbook derives its recipes from these theological and visionary musings, although a few are directly from the saint herself. This is not a meat and potatoes diet at all, but surprisingly well-balanced, considering the limitations of medieval fare. There is an emphasis on greens and grains, especially that health food junkie's delight, spelt, a decidedly acquired taste. Dishes vary from the simple, using only a few ingredients to the much more complicated, requiring a very well stocked pantry. A few ingredients will be unfamiliar to most 21st century cooks in the Midwest. I doubt that many folks regularly cook with nettles, something we generally consider a weed these days, but St. Hildegard makes a omelet of them,praising their purgative, restorative, and stimulative virtues. While this slim volume may prove more for reading, than cooking, Chicken Cooked in Wine for the Heart and the Tunisian Ratatouille are quite delicious.

coconut soup, tomatoes and potatoes? in a book which allegedly features the recipes of a german mystic who dies before 1200 A.D.?

The recipes sound nice enough!
but this is NOT hildegardis stuff.
So, since that is waht I was looking for it was an epic fail even before I found teh chocolate cookies.
So this one WILL be returned, because, it is simply false advertisement

Hildegard was born in 1098, an inspirational and brave woman. her writings are still valid today.
If we even loosely follow her dietary advice we would have better health & greater well-being...