Dharma Feast Cookbook: Recipes for a Fresh Start

Who can doubt that Americans are in the midst of a health crisis? We are plagued with rampant obesity and epidemic diabetes, along with allergies, arthritis and cancer, all of which are linked to food intake and diet. At the same time, our media and food industries intensify our junk food obsession and sanctify the "time-saving," highly processed foods or take-out menus that are fast becoming the norm for family meals. It is now possible for busy moms to buy frozen, individually wrapped, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for kids' lunchboxes! Dharma Feast Cookbook supports the critical need for wellness and healing through food, for gently and effectively transitioning to a healthier lifestyle and for providing a sane, natural way to diet. These 200+ recipes are nutritious, delicious, time-efficient and easy to prepare, even for beginners who might need coaching in how to make a meal from scratch. Unlike many cookbooks that advocate one system, these tested recipes are drawn from a variety of food cultures-including vegetarian, vegan, macrobiotic, gluten-free, raw and juice-based. In all, this book makes use of readily-available, fresher and less-processed ingredients. From sumptuous breakfast alternatives, like Papaya Pudding Smoothie; to summer picnic lunches that might include Potato, Beet and Cabbage Salad; to tried and true winter soups, like German Hokkaido Pumpkin; to hearty daily entrees of Soba Noodles with Asian Sauce; to special occasions menus from India, France or Japan; to desserts of Lemon Sorbet and Cardamom Shortbread - this cookbook has it all. As it encourages slowing down, learning about food, preparing it properly and eating it consciously, Dharma Feast Cookbook helps cooks (and their families and guests) to take a giant step forward in self-esteem and self-understanding. Allowing better care of ourselves, we model for our children and others a relationship with food and life itself that is an expression of beauty and sanity. Dharma Feast is so much more than a cookbook. It is also a Transitional Plan, in three stages, for gently and enjoyably reorienting our diets from "toxic" to life-supporting. This is not gourmet food, but elegant food. And despite its appeal of back to nature, the recipes are chosen for people with busy lives. The book is conveniently Indexed, and contains gorgeous black and white photos.