Ani Phyo's Raw Food Essentials Cookbook

So, I'm not sure how often I will review cookbooks on here since me and cookbooks rarely get acquainted with one another. Now, I'm not dissing cookbooks AT ALL! But I think I'm just so particular about what I'm wanting in my head that I can hardly ever find it in a cookbook that I have at home. And I know the ones I have bought rarely get used. But- recently I have gone through a lot of my cookbooks....from Great Mamaw's hand-me-down early 19th century ones to Rachel Ray's most recent...so cookbooks have been on my mind lately!

And then, I saw that Borders was going out of business....

While I was first excited (because my mind of course went to what kind of steals can I get?), it does make me sad to think that bookstores are some of the first casualties of a down economy. I mean how many movie theaters do you know closing? Just sayin'...I'm a sucker for the old fashioned :)

Anyways, so I did find a steal at Borders for Ani Phyo's newest book, Raw Food Essentials Cookbook (40% off!). I have noticed this cookbook before, whenever my husband goes to Barnes and Noble or Borders and I just find myself in the "Special Diet" section looking for new healthy things to try. Of course, on a student budget- this book has been off limits. But at 40% off (and the fact that I am now working :), I got to snag it up, and man am I pleased!

This morning for breakfast my husband and I made the Banana Brazil Nut Pancakes with fresh banana, pear, and Ani's Blueberry Jam (we omitted dates and put a pinch of banana in instead). And we had these things syrup-less and they were yummy!

Last night we had Hawaiian Pizza. This recipe was in her book, but we made it "mostly raw" adding some cooked smoked zucchini and rutabaga (her recipe calls for some yummy coconut meat "bacon", but we didn't have the time to dehydrate any). We made her Marinara Sauce (and added a few extra sundried tomatoes), spread that on a flax-seed pizza crust, added her Basic Cheeze, and topped with pineapple and zuchini and rutabaga that were fixed like these Chipotle BBQ sweet potatoes.

I am not eating all-raw anymore; however I do feel like I felt more energetic eating all raw so I am trying to fix us a couple raw meals a week. My husband is eating mostly raw right now (just nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables) as well (for health reasons- under the direction of a doctor/ nutritionist). So it works out that I just got this cookbook because of our need for more yummy raw recipes!

I hope you will check her website and cookbook out. She makes it simple to incorporate more raw in your diet. Her recipes are flavorfull, yet very few ingredients. Many of her recipes require a dehydrator- but she gives directions for attempting to dehydrate in you oven if you don't have one. Also, most recipes can be made if you have a food processor, but it probably helps to also have a Vitamix or Blendtec.

Ani Phyo's raw, vegan, healthy cookbook found it's home on my pantry shelf right between Southern Living's 2005 Annual Recipies and Bo Friberg's The Professional Pastry Chef; 4th ed! How is that for middle of the road cookbook ownership? :)