Customer Reviews

Witch in the Kitchen: Magical Cooking for All Seasons

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book lays out a spiritual practice of reconnection with nature and the seasons of the year through the food we eat and its preparation. As with all paths there is a need to establish the environment and rituals for practice that enable the alchemy of transformation. With chapters on setting up the sacred space of the kitchen and rituals based around the wheel of the year, the stage is set for connection to our world through feeding our bodies. The healthy, earthy vegetarian recipes sound deeply satisfying for both body and soul. The dishes I have tried were a joy to make and eat.

If you are like me and looking for ways to eat veggies without being obvious, you will enjoy some of Cait Johnson's ideas for soups, salads and breads.

The big plus is that most of Cait's recipes are fairly healthful. Take the Cailleach or Kale-Leek Soup. Made without cream or butter, it includes olive oil and two veggies that are good for you.

Arranged seasonally, Johnson't book begins with Autumn (Mabon and Samhain fare) and continues through the witch's year to the festivities in mid-Spring when Johnson offers the reader-cook a lovely Miso soup and Salad Nests that are good for you and don't taste too bad (if you like sprouts, it will help).

I'm not much of a summer cook, but Titania's Cherry Soup made with honey, yogurt and Maple syrup finally allows me to make something other than muffins with my spring cherries. The Midsummer salad helps me make use of the various excess from the stock of hot peppers I grow every year for my parrots and my son-in-law. One of my favorite soups, however, is the Tomato-Venus soup around the feast of Lugh which I prefer to the cherry soup, which seems truly weird to me. Or, there's Juno's Summer Quiche if you can bear to turn on the oven.

In addition to following the Wheel of the Year and it's holidays as an organizing principle for her text, Johnson includes a little mystical background information about each of the various celebrations along with a list of supplies and other-worldly information.

Well, I ordered both of Ms, Johnson's books "Cooking like a Goddess" and "Witch in the Kitchen". Imagine my suprise and disappointment when I found that they are the same book from different publishers! Both have the same yummy treats and are packed full of cooking lore and ideas. If you are a Kitchen Witch or just starting to explore, either one of these books is a must for a Cooks bookshelf.

I was suprised that this was a vegan/vegetarian cookbook. After that wore off, I liked the book. I like books that I don't have to actually cook to enjoy. I was able to curl up with a glass of wine and read this without ever have to turn on the oven. I tagged some recipes to try later and have found the ones that have been made to be good. I am looking forward to making some more of them.

The combination of Wicca and cookery is not usual, but works well in a title where the author shares spells and meals centered around the eight pagan holidays, ideas for creating a kitchen altar, and season preparation methods which account for planetary signs and changes. The recipes for seasonal fruits and vegetables provide plenty of ideas.

This is the book that started my Path... a wonderful book, nonthreatening and gentle, but also full of ideas to bring out your witchy side. A gem!

the ideias of cait to create a sacred space in the kitchen are wonderful , her recipes are delicious ,but above everything i love the meditations and the spell for a gretefull heart... although i'm not a kitchenwitch i'm enjoying more and more the time i spend there, Ms Johnson thank you so much for this inspirational book .

I loved this book! The recipes were beautiful and tasty but more importantly (to me at least) its a cookbook I could curl up with and read without even turning on the oven. Enjoyable and relaxing!!

The recipes are okay, (I'm not vegetarian), but it's the other content that makes this book truly special. Somehow she manages to find the spiritual link between the ancient and the modern, and I adore her for it! She is also a co-author of "Celebrating the Great Mother" I didn't recognize her name right away, but I quickly recognized her writing. Both books include thoughtful meditations, and rituals that skip the pomp and focus on the meaning. Her books make me feel grounded, while at the same time spirit soars. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her writing, and wish there was more!

Eh, this book is more about creating your space in the kitchen, and the energy of the kitchen, rather than providing great recipes. I was really just hoping for some wholesome 'good for the body and soul' type recipe ideas, rather than prayers to the goddess for each season. The stuffed acorn squash recipe was great, but that's about it.