The SimplyRaw Kitchen by Natasha Kyssa – Book Review
Natasha Kyssa’s The SimplyRaw Kitchen is a user-friendly book featuring plant-based, gluten-free, raw and cooked dishes.
I follow a plant-based eating plan and thought I was doing ok until stomach issues from the post came back with a vengeance. A few trips to the doc and GI scans yielded no results. A friend suggested I consider food sensitivities and try an elimination diet. I did and discovered sensitivities to dairy and wheat. Dairy was no biggie, but wheat hurt. To help get wheat out of my system, I turned to gluten-free goodies. I inhaled every gluten-free cookbook and guidebook I could get my hands on and felt better. So much better that I stopped avoiding dairy and wheat for a while. Ha was a mistake and a half. I realized I need to shift the focus back to a dairy and gluten-free plan and include more raw dishes just because.
Natasha Kyssa wrote the guide to raw living in 2009 and her 2011 TED Talk on food as medicine suck with me. When asked if I wanted to review her upcoming book, I jumped at the chance. The Simply Raw Kitchen is a user-friendly, non-intimidating collection of healthy plant-based dishes that appeal to many.
Natasha Kyssa is a 21 year raw vegan, founder of SimplyRaw, and owner of SimplyRaw Express. The best-selling author teaches people in Canada and around the world to safely cleanse and detoxify their lives with a plant-based whole foods way of eating. Her commitment to an integrated approach to healing is evident in her words and actions. The Simply Raw Kitchen is her second book.
The SimplyRaw Kitchen starts with a bit of Kyssa’s history and a note from her mother. The words from her mother in particular made me smile. Maybe it’s just me, but I like learning about the inspiration behind the recipes. Kyssa includes a thorough chapter on kitchen essentials that covers tools, techniques, ingredients, and recommended sources for more information on transitioning to a whole food-based way of eating. The tidbit on balancing flavors alone is worth giving his book a read. I’m going use that info for everything I cook that seems a little off.
No book on the raw lifestyle would be complete without a chapter on beverages. Juices, smoothies, and alternative milks are included here. The Holiday Nut Nog is on my list for this season. If I’d realized before how easy and inexpensive making my own nut milks would be I’d never had bought them. The soups are especially good. The Lentil Soup with Kale ad Real Tomato Soups were enjoyed by everyone here. The salad chapter is my favorite for two reasons, the Creamy Tahini and Sweet Miso Dressings. The miso dressing is a fab substitute for mayonnaise-based slaw dressing. The Spicy Thai Salad is a keeper! I could eat that one weekly and not get tired of it.
Don’t think that raw or vegan foods are all rabbi foods. The chapter on pates, dips, spreads, and cheeses will rock you. The Rustic Rawella is better than Nutella according to the Nutella-addicted Teen Boy. It was fab in a crepe and straight from the jar. The Simple Cashew Pine Nut Cheese is a quick substitute for cream cheese or goat cheese on a bagel or toast. And if anyone doubts that raw desserts can be satisfying, serve them a slice of the Luscious Lemon Cheesecake with or without the strawberry jam.
The SimplyRaw Kitchen is a good guide for anyone wanting to go high raw or looking for more plant-based goodness in general. The recipes are plentiful and pictures drool-worthy. I love it so far and will work my way into the main course chapter soon.
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Disclaimer: Sherrie T has personally reviewed the product listed above. Sherrie has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Sherrie did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. Two Classy Chics is not responsible for delivery of any giveaway items won from this blog. We are not responsible for injury or mis-use of any products won from the Two Classy Chics Blog. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering our giveaways. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook or Google+ in any way. Thanks!