Fresh: The Ultimate Live-Food Cookbook
by Sergei Boutenko, Valya Boutenko
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Book Reviews of Fresh: The Ultimate Live-Food Cookbook
Book Review: fresh is fresh
Summary: 5 Stars
i picked up this book today and began reading.
the introduction and comments by serge and his sister valya are beautifully written and inspirational, packed with wisdom, grace and insights.
the recipes are relatively simple compared to most raw food cook books which is a great thing when you want to eat.
prep is a great thing...but raw prep can be very time intensive and a lot of the recipes in this book are geared NOT to take three days or even three hours to make.
i thought the first thing i'd make would be a nut burger but i actually made a variation of the seeded candy balls. *** YUM *** (even though i didn't completely follow the recipe!!! LOL!!!
another nice about this book also...the recipes are there as a guide, you can follow them, and or take the encouragement to branch out and TRY this or that-- add this or that...***YUM*** i'm glad i did :)
(a recipe is a guide not set in stone and it's fun to experiment--that's how i've always cooked and prepared foods.)
i have serge and valya's other book as well as the 12 steps to raw food in my library already plus about 9 or 10 other raw food books.
i am very happy i purchased this book and plan to finish reading the introductions this evening.
it is beautifully thoughtful, laid out well and easy to access. i will treasure this book and the wisdom within.
thanks for sharing your lives and your lessons. they are valued and appreciated, truly.
sincerely,
to health and healing...
xo...
r.
Book Review: ahead of its time
Summary: 5 Stars
You better have some free time when you pick up this book, because it's hard to put it down. Just like their mother, Victoria Boutenko, Sergei and Valya have a way with words. Both talk about their journey to raw foods, and tell the story of how they were able to reverse life threatening medical problems and go on to thrive. They discuss challenges like how to eat raw while traveling, how to get children interested, and maintain a healthy diet in a world where that's not always so easy.
The Boutenkos are so far ahead of their time in nutritional wisdom, but draw from the oldest and most simple, instinctive knowledge. Once they point to it, it's as plain as day and you wonder, how did we ever get so far away from this?
The first quarter of the book is full of insight and information. The rest is comprised of recipes that are accessible and loosely written as to encourage experimentation. At one point they talk about how odd it is that we even need recipes with measurements to consume raw foods. How is it we are the only species who don't know instinctively how and what to eat?
This book is thought provoking and filled with great ideas for yummy food. There are some beautiful photos, but not that many. Normally I like my cookbooks to have a photo accompanying each recipe, but this book is so rich that it didn't bother me. Maybe the Boutenkos will one day do a hardcover traditional photo laden (un)cookbook? I look forward to more from this knowledgeable, inspiring family!
Book Review: Not enough to inspire
Summary: 2 Stars
I ordered this book because the front cover and the index both looked tantalizing, promising great things! But the interior just fails to deliver.
Being already familiar with the Boutenko story (and I love it - I have all of Victoria's books and also the sibling's other cookbook, Eating Without Heating), I thought that there was entirely too much real estate given to the 'why raw food' intro. While it may be just what some people need to hear to start eating more raw, this is not the place. "Fresh" isn't a recipe book for beginners, so why put all that in there? This part of the book really felt as if it should be in another book.
Also, I need a lot more guidance in the preparation steps, and pictures would be helpful too; it's not that the book was terrible, but the last thing I need is another book just sitting on the shelf never getting used - and that's what this would be. It just didn't inspire me at all.
I totally agree with B. Perkins' review, especially [It's almost as if they took their index file and said "hey, let's make a book."]. I returned my copy for the same reasons. Perhaps in a couple of years, when I'm more familiar with raw foods and looking for fresh inspiration, I'll look at it again - but I doubt it, as there will be more options by then. Right now I'm using Raw Food Made Easy, Eating Without Heating, and Rawsome! but RFME is by far and away the best! Happy Raw-ing!
Book Review: really nice surprise
Summary: 5 Stars
It is a bold move to include words like "ultimate" in the title of a non-fiction book of any kind. On first look, I was disappointed by the seeming simplicity of the recipes, but after 6 months of ownership, this is the raw foods un-cookbook that I come back to on a daily basis for quick, tasty eats and "weekday" meals. I believe that is definitely one of the "ultimate" in accessible raw food recipes for a few reasons, the first being that the ingredients may be obtained at any well-stocked market. That is great when you are on a budget! Second, the recipes are quick and are only time-consuming if "dehydrate" is part of directions. Third, raw foods is about playing with ingredients and taste! We all have different taste buds and I have grown to really like the fact that the authors purposefully stay away from exact amounts in the recipes. It leaves one free to play with different combos while having nice guidelines to guide the overall flavor of the dishes. Because of this collection of recipes, I am now able to combine my own raw foods dishes based on the flavor teachings of the authors. All of the recipes that I have tried (and re-tried!) have been delicious and satisfying. I am especially fond of the russian carrot salad, gorilla burgers, chocolate pudding, and a variety of bar cookies.Book Review: Good basic raw food
Summary: 5 Stars
Thia book provides good basic raw food prep education (I was not a cook before), so I've learned things like how to combine flavors, what to use for sweetness, what to add if it seems like something is missing, etc.
FIVE BIG PHAT STARS!! This is a wonderful book to own whether you plan to embrace the raw food lifestyle or not. It's full of great récipes....
Along similar titles, you can add more receipts from these titles to your collection:
Mrs. Richter's Cook-Less Book: The Original Raw Food Recipe's From The Original Raw Food Restaurant!
Raw Food And Health: The Raw Food Classic By The Founder Of The Raw Food Movement
The Advantages Of Raw Food
The Black Art Of Cooking: The Raw Truth
The Unfired Food Diet Simplified: The Raw Food Guide