Tomato blessings and radish teachings [Paperback]

Edward Espe Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1998

For more than 30 years, cooking has sustained and enriched Ed Brown's life. A Zen priest and a master chef, he has found that cooking is healing, meditative, artful and joyous; preparing each meal can be an act of generosity and love. In Tomato Blessings and Radish Teachings, he brings together his practice of both Zen meditation and cooking to tell stories that delight our spirits--and teach us how to create many of his most beloved recipes, from ginger muffins to potato leek soup. Here is a book for the willing cook in all of us--an inspiration for everyone who enjoys the pleasure of a great cook's company.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It is no surprise that Tomato Blessings and Radish Teachings offers a transcendental experience; the author is a Zen monk. He also ranks just behind culinary luminaries Alice Waters of Chez Panisse restaurant in California, and Deborah Madison, an expert on natural ingredients. Brown's 125 vegetarian recipes range from an elementally simple sauté of apple slices plumped in butter, cinnamon and sugar, to the exciting combination of Chili Crepes with Goat Cheese Filling Served over Garlicky Black Beans. Garbanzo Bean Stew with Spinach and Saffron, and a lasagne made with cabbage leaves and potatoes simmered gently with lots of garlic, red wine, and a dash of cream are other ways Brown shares his refreshing creativity, which is always tempered by his innate sense of what works.

Direct but playful, Brown devotes half of Tomato Blessing and Radish Teachings to stories about his spiritual path, which led him through the kitchens of the Tassajara and San Francisco Zen Centers. Most of his learning centered around working with food. So do these stories, intended to help the reader move towards inner peace and contentment. "Playing with Fire," for instance, is a fable about starting a fire with wet wood. It is a comment on how life proceeds at the pace it requires, which then ties into thoughts about grilling! Recipes for Grilled Eggplant Salad and the exquisite revelation of Grilled Figs accompany this wisdom. As Brown says, you can read this book for its stories, just for its recipes, or for both. You will be amply rewarded whichever path you take. --Dana Jacobi --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In the 1970s, countless novice bakers considered Brown's Tassajara Bread Book (1970) their bible; the book has sold more than a million copies. His Tassajara Cooking (1973) also came out of his experience as baker and head cook at the Tassajara Zen Center, and he later coauthored The Greens Cookbook (1987) from San Francisco's acclaimed vegetarian restaurant. Some of the recipes in this book are adaptations of earlier ones, but most are new, and many are from Brown's cooking classes: Endive Salad with Grilled Figs, Asparagus with Roasted Almonds, Red Bartlett Pear Tart. Recipes are grouped into small chapters and follow musings on Zen teachings, meditations, or stories, from "Homemade Bread Touches My Heart" to "Potato Fiascoes" to "Tomato Ecstasy." The text is readable and quite absorbing, and the vegetarian recipes are simple but often elegant. Recommended for larger and special collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 293 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Trade (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573226734
• ISBN-13: 978-1573226738
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,077,418 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful, wise and mouth-watering, August 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Tomato Blessings and Radish Teachings (Hardcover)

I'm predominatly vegetarian and have many vegetarian cookbooks. To date, this cookbook is my favorite. The recipes are very simple to make yet elegant in both appearance and taste.

The best parts of this book, however, are the stories and bits of philosophy that precede each set of recipes. My favorite section has to be the one called "Celebrating Tomatoes," in which the author discusses in colorful metaphor the joy of tomatoes in season. It's the perfect prelude to actually making the tomato salad, during which I have time to meditate on being fully me just as a tomato in season is fully a tomato. If you really want to torture yourself, read this section in the middle of January in upstate NY.

If you enjoy simple, practical wisdom or if you simply enjoy easy, delicious recipes this book will delight you. If you appreciate both this book will become a treasured and fiercly guarded companion.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent autobiography of a chef, February 11, 2002

By 

jumpy1 (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tomato Blessings and Radish Teachings (Hardcover)

As someone who a) loves autobiographies and b) reads everything I can about chefs, food and cooking, I loved this book through and through. It is a surprisingly humble story about how Edward Espe Brown became the great chef and teacher that he is. He writes in the same simple style that won me over years ago in the Tassajara Bread Book. I don't believe he intended this book of "Recipes and Reflections" to be considered a cookbook (since he's already done so many of those by himself and with others), but to inspire cooks and would-be cooks to explore the wonders of the Universe, via food or any other avenue they might choose. For me it was very inspiring, both personally and professionally, and for some reason I often think of this book and the things he's said, though I read it over a year ago. Since I didn't try any of the recipes scattered throughout (although I found some good ideas in them) I cannot comment on that. Just, I've found this to be one of the most enjoyable and encouraging reads on cooking, teaching and life in general.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple and inspiring, February 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Tomato blessings and radish teachings (Paperback)

If, like me, you found the recipes in The Greens Cookbook complicated and intimidating, you will probably love this book. It is filled with simple recipes for vegitarian meals that look and taste wonderful. It's food for people who like to eat, rather than for those who like to cook and show off.