Changing Seasons Macrobiotic Cookbook
by Aveline Kushi, Wendy Esko
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Book Reviews of Changing Seasons Macrobiotic Cookbook
Book Review: #1 Favorite Cookbook
Summary: 5 Stars
I own ~50 cookbooks, and this is my #1 favorite.
The book emphasizes cooking fresh, seasonal produce absolutely as simply as possible. It might just be the ultimate minimalist cookbook. Some recipes are as simple as: "Chop kale, boil for 3 minutes." But ALL of these simple recipes are placed in the context of a meal, and all meals are placed in the context of a day in the week of a season of macrobiotic cooking. So you are not just learning to boil kale for 3 minutes, you are learning where to place the kale-boiling in your daily routine.
Yes, I agree the book would benefit from a few more seafood recipes. But at least it has some, which is more than many other macrobiotic cookbooks (at least the ones in English.) And the recipes include seafood as an easy side product (eg "you could add shrimp to this soup alongside the cabbage"), which is an authentic place for seafood in traditional macrobiotic cuisine.
I would also agree that strict macrobiotics is probably not the ideal dietary regime according to modern dietary science (no olive oil? no avocados? no spinach? _a lot_ of brown rice?) However, a few small changes to the menus (not necessarily to any of the recipes) and i think the book fits in with modern dietary recommendations perfectly.
Finally, the book also has an interesting set of suggestions for daily living: "walk barefoot on grass, or sand", "maintain active correspondence", and "chew each bite 50 times." Take them as interesting suggestions or leave them as crank science, but i think they make some sense.
Overall, the best cookbook i've found, and probably the first i will actually cook from cover to cover.
Book Review: Fantastic
Summary: 5 Stars
As a newcomer to macrobiotics, I absolutely loved this book and have used it every day since I bought it. It outlines easy, quick basic recipes that anyone can make - most of which involve few basic ingredients.
Everything down to how to make basic brown rice is in here. I am so blessed I happened to get this book in the beginning. After now having read some of the other macrobiotic books, I realize I might have been frustrated by the foreign ingredients and complicated recipes and been turned off from macrobiotics otherwise.
One thing I did when I bought this book (as I was just slowly learning macro foods and starting to introduce them to my cupboards) is sift through the book and start noting common themes of ingredients. After identifying and buying some of the "base" products identified, I was able to make several different recipes. These recipes make up my diet today and every day.
I would recommend this book to anyone, especially beginners like me.
Book Review: nice idea....nicer food
Summary: 4 Stars
I really have used and enjoyed this cookbook thoroughly. This is my second macrobiotic cookbook. Though I'm not eating a 100% macrobiotic diet I still appreciate the principals and ideas associated with the concept. The philosophies are laid out in the beginning of the book.
The book is formatted by the seasons. It gives three menus for each meal of the day for seven days per season. Some of the recipes repeat itself; however, they are usually staples of a macrobiotic diet anyway.
The only thing that may frustrate someone new to macrobiotics or this book is that it requires some ingredients that will need be hunted for. Most health food stores and oriental grocers will have what is needed. One thing worth mentioning about macrobiotics and the recipe book is that the food is extremely affordable.
Book Review: Vegan cuisine is not macrobiotic cuisine
Summary: 2 Stars
This cookbook's well-organized menus and recipes specific to each of the 4 seasons in a temperate climate zone is very helpful, but the book's title is misleading. The word macrobiotic is used in the book title, however all of the book's recipes are vegan. A little history is recounted here: During the first decade of macrobiotics in the USA, all the macro cookbooks featured a moderate use of fish and fish products. Fish products played an especially important part of soup recipes, such as miso soup. The alteration of traditional macrobiotic recipes in this cookbook to excise fish means that the authentic macrobiotic diet is actually not being represented here, and the fact that this cookbook does not discuss that omission makes it even more out of balance with mainstream macrobiotic thinking.Book Review: Macrobiotic diet simplified
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased this book for a friend living with ovarian cancer because I am convinced that following a macrobiotic diet since my ovarian cancer experience
12 years ago has been an important component of remaining in remission and because I find books by Aveline Kushi and Wendy Esko easy to "digest." The principles and philosophy of macrobiotics, including eating locally grown, organic foods in harmony with their season, is explained well and clearly in this book and there are hundreds of simple, easy to follow recipes for anyone who is inspired to explore a macrobiotic diet for healing and health.
Dawn Nelson, author
Making Friends With Cancer