I have been asked what my favorite raw prep books are. I never know what to call them. They aren't cook books. So what on earth do you call them? Raw prep books? Raw recipe books? Anyhow, I have purchased several books and a few stand out to me. I have chosen these based on ease of preparation. This is especially important if you are starting out. The second criteria is taste. It would be very miserable to eat food that just doesn't taste good. Your taste buds can and will adjust and you will find that you no longer need so much sweetness, or whatever tastes and flavors you are addicted to. You must allow at least two weeks to begin to appreciate new flavors. I have found however, that people who aren't accustomed to raw foods, still like the recipes in the books I will be listing.
Raw Energy by Stephanie Tourles:
I love this book because it has very simple kid friendly recipes with easy to find ingredients. The emphasis of this book is on preparing snack foods. The first third of this book is dedicated to the whys and wherefores of eating raw foods. The last two thirds are for the recipes. She has a section on nut milks, smoothies and frozen fruit creams. Another sections on energy bars, balls, and trail mix recipes. She includes breakfast foods, parfaits, chips, dips, and spreads. Lastly she has sweet indulgences. My mouth is watering!
Raw Food Made Easy by Jennifer Cornbleet:
The thought of going raw or mostly raw is daunting enough for most people. Throw in a complicated raw preparation book and the task becomes an impossibility. I love it when all I see are maybe five ingredients and they all look easy to find. This book has many very good recipes! My favorite is the chocolate mousse. I can float ten feet off the ground with that one!
Live Raw by Mimi Kirk:
If you remember, Mimi Kirk was voted the sexiest vegetarian over 50 at age 70! These recipes are very flavorful and delicious. Some require harder to find ingredients. But honestly, it is only as hard as ordering from Amazon. Don't you just love Amazon? The Prime membership is fantastic! Mimi has put together a great collection of recipes. Some absolutely scrumptious!
Living Raw Food by Sarma Melngailis:
Sarma Melngailis is the very beautiful chef and owner of Pure Food and Wine in Manhattan, New York. This book is more involved but why not have a more involved book in your collection? This would be a perfect book for special occasions and for a more gourmet presentation of raw foods. It is also better for entertaining larger groups of people. However, she does have very simple recipes in this book. I have loved everything that I have tried. Her desserts look decadently out of this world. I choose one day out of the week for sweets. I love indulging in delectable raw desserts and knowing that I'm not harming my body. Bypass the dairy, bleached flours, butter, sugar and eggs for amazing flavors that rival any dessert you can imagine. Yes, even non vegetarian people loves these desserts!
Don't forget the raw food blogs! I have a few listed in my blog list but there are more online. Be sure to search those as well.
Enjoy the Journey!
