Living Raw Food: Get the Glow with More Recipes from Pure Food and Wine

This is the first time I have ever taken the time to write a review, but felt driven by some of the unfortunate negative responses of this remarkable book above. I also understand that everyone has their own opinions and that is great - so here is mine and if this has resonated with some of you reading this then this was not time wasted.I am so glad that I ordered this wonderful book and have been able to put it to great use with making delicious raw food for myself and my family. As a new mum and relatively new to raw foods; but have been vegan for some time, I feel blessed that I stumbled upon this book after searching and researching online.I chose this particular book after learning about Sarma's successful Raw food restaurant "Pure Food and Wine" in NYC and I wanted to be able to re-create some of the dishes served in her restaurant half a world away! In my opinion, any person who has had a long standing exclusively raw food restaurant in a big city with all of the critics and the like and be able to not only survive but do exceptionally well is someone who just might know what they are talking about. Moreover, it occurred to me that if you can keep it going and have people pay for your meals and keep coming back then you are doing something right - the dishes must be 'amazing' and I am writing here to tell you that they are. What really struck me about the book is Sarma's heartfelt pouring of herself into these pages. Some of you may prefer to think of Raw Foodists as a 'group' of people, who look at non-raw people as not being fully evolved. I really liked the fact that Sarma embraces all people - the meat eaters, the non-vegans, the non-raw foodists and the smokers (I have never smoked and cannot stand it, but they are people too who just might be looking for a better way to heal their insides, or for a different meal and that's OKAY). In any case, this is for people from ALL walks of life - it does not isolate raw foods and foodists as being the holy grail, rather this book seeks to find common ground for everyone, from all walks of life wanting to live a healthier, more vibrant and full life.Whether you want to be 100% raw, or 20% raw, the point is living at your optimum level and Sarma meets you where you are. It's not an all or nothing approach and I absolutely love this - it shouldn't have to be, unless that is what you feel is right for YOU. I love the fact that this book doesn't come across as an 'I am the hard-core raw teacher and you are the reader. Instead, it has an all inclusive approach that accepts people are not perfect and that everyone eats raw in the quantities that feel right for them. What is most important is that people try it because once they eat raw they will want more! Yes, some of the portion sizes are for 6-8 people. The plus side is that you can have left overs in your fridge, which is so nice when you don't feel like making anything. I think we are all bright enough to do the math to reduce amounts if need be too?? It would be nice to have four servings, but Sarma owns a restaurant that feeds many people and I would prefer to get her recipes than someone who has not tried and tested things properly with servings for four. In the book there is SO much information on all things raw. Yes, there are pictures of Sarma, her staff and her restaurant, but there are also wonderful descriptions of ingredients, her personal journal entries and superfood benefits. The book is literally bursting with fantastic stuff for people who are transitioning into raw foods, just want to dabble, or for those who are 100%. Everyone can get something out of this book if you do not have an "us" and "them" attitude. This is a very realistic book and Sarma has obviously considered everyone when she wrote it.I hope that this review has helped someone. This is just my opinion - a 35 year old Aussie mum who wants the best for my new family. I have nothing to do with Sarma, or her operation - I am simply writing from my heart to anyone who is thinking about buying this book. Sarma, if you ever read my review thank you for inspiring me with this book. Making food and watching people enjoying it is also my hobby and passion. The look of amazement on people's faces when they discover it is all raw is addictive!This book is a true gem! Sarma has written a real book for real people and I am a fan. Thank you for reading my review and I wish you an abundance of health and happiness on your journey into raw foods.

I bought this book because I like smoothies and started juicing on a vegan diet, both of which I find beneficial. I hoped this book would help me to incorporate more raw greens in a tasty way into my diet. I could go on forever about how much I dislike this book and how much money I have wasted on obnoxious quantities of nuts (& oils) called for in various recipes as well as dehydrator. I already had a juicer and high speed blender and opted not to get the ice cream maker which is required for a number of recipes.I felt worse from these recipes. First, I normally do not drink alcohol and it is called for in most of the main course meals and it does not cook out due to the fact that is is RAW food. Second, the dishes are laiden with salt which is not something I actively add to things typically because it causes me to feel an exacerbation of muscle and joint pains in addition to dry mouth & irritability. Third, the main event of every meal is a fat not a vegetable (the exception being salads) and there is only 1 recipe in the entire book that mentions kale or spinach and it isn't even a meal but a shake that sounds like the worst tasting thing in the world because it is basically every vegetable and then grapefruit, as though a grapefruit will sweeten 1 bunch of kale, 2 cucumbers, 2 carrots, coriander and ginger sufficiently. I have never had a problem getting protein on a vegan diet with beans but she does not use beans sprouted or otherwise and the amount of fat and calories plus salt in the dishes in astonishing to me. I didn't realize raw vegan could be so devoid of vegetables but I guess I have now been informed. I also do not normally eat oils because they are highly processed foods and do not have the other nutrients contained in eating a whole food (i.e. avocado) for fat and oils are used liberally along with nuts. One recipe calls for 4.5 cups pine nuts and serves 8 people. Aside from how expensive and questionable that is nutritionally, it did not even taste good which is not something I say about a lot of dishes. Usually my threshold for taste is lower than the rest of my family so when I say that every recipe in this book caused me to have muscle aches and pains, feel totally and utterly depleted of energy worse than when I was not vegan and my bank account took a severe plummet due to the ingredients I urge you to listen. The only time this may be appropriate is if you are hosting a party and would like to serve rich, sophisticated foods in small portions and either have a wide variety of bulk nuts and seeds or an unlimited source of funds.All in all, I think this book is most appropriate if you would like to be a vegan and still retain your risk of early death due to hypertension and coronary artery disease.

As someone who's never been a pure raw foodist for more than a few days, I love Sarma Melngailis and her brand. This cookbook, and her NYC restaurant and juice bars, show how vibrant, organic raw food recipes can be part of ordinary life. I enjoyed the sections of this book that talked about how and why Pure Food and Wine is staffed mostly with foodies who also know how to work with old-school cooked cuisine. I think raw food can be fun for chefs to experiment with, since at its best it showcases pure flavors of nature's tastiest fruits and vegetables...however, I'm no chef. I'm a working mom with a young baby. The sections of Living Raw Food that give advice about whipping up a delicious meal with no dehydrator and no time are very welcome!Glossy author photos aside, the book is full of content...not just recipes, but really good, detailed discussions of ingredients, equipment, etc. I've read a lot of raw cookbooks, and the writing in this one is the funniest and most engaging. I see why some readers find the glamour shots annoying, but I find her inspiring--a female entrepreneur in a male-dominated business, who's been publicly upfront about her struggles with body image issues/disordered eating, her experiences in the business world, and her (sometimes failed) raw food experiments. I think raw food books are so often full of author photos because one of the great advantages of the diet is that it makes you skinny, pretty, and glow-y, at least compared to the Standard American Diet. There are lots of good insights in this book, as well as plenty of recipes that can be used to inspire simpler dishes for non-chefs to fix at home on regular nights.

Actually a good book from someone who is clearly a purist and respects food. I pray she will overcome her problems and be able to return to her gift.

Some fab recipes

Lots of very useful info and great recipes to match.

Really great book, well not for beginners I'd say but for somebody really in to raw is great! I have my own restaurant and we use some of Sarmas recipes and our customers absolutely love this food!

I own a lot of raw food cookbooks and both of Sarma's books are 5-star books. They are informative, beautifully illustrated, encouraging and great for any level of experience with raw food. The recipes are absolutely amazing! If you are new to raw foods, the first 30 pages will teach you almost everything you need to know about why going 10%, 50%, or even 100% raw is a great choice and how to do it. The recipes range from basic and delicious smoothies to more elaborate multi-step dishes that show that raw vegan food can be as gourmet as any food out there. Hands down my favourite books.