natural foods

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

My husband and I are transitioning to raw foods. We have read numerous books and were prompted to buy The Raw Gourmet because of the cover and the incredible photos inside. Truly, the pictures are stunning. Unfortunately, the recipes lack that certain something. We made a few, but there were no instructions on exactly how to get the results she got in her pics. In some recipes, the photo didn't even show the same ingredients she lists in the recipe! I returned the book to the health food store after one week. There are better raw food books out there. See my review on Rainbow Green...

...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.