By Victoria Boutenko
Victoria Boutenko has done it again!* She has created another book that adds to the growing interest in live foods. This book is actually a tutorial with step-by-step photos for creating such items as Sprouts, Flat Breads, Cultured Vegetables, Green Smoothies, Raw Mango Jam, Mousse Cake (made without flour) and, of course, Green Smoothies.*
Perhaps the best way to describe this book is to explain one of the category chapters. Since I love to sprout I choose “Sprouts and Sprouting Salad.†The first page of this chapter gives the nutritional benefits of sprouts, giving credit to her source. (She mentions the International Sprout Growers Association, of which I was a member when I co-owned a commercial sprouting operation in Central PA.)
The next four pages explain how to grow sprouts, with photos of how the sprouts look from Day 1 (Soaking the seeds) to Day 5 (Harvesting your sprouts). Boutenko notes that growing time varies between 3 to 6 days, but 5 is the average for most seeds.
Since some of the recipes involve specific equipment, such as a food dehydrator, the author has provided a section on equipment, the cost of each piece of equipment, and where you can purchase it.
Here is scanned photo of one of the pages. My scanner does not do the photo justice, but I wanted you to see that the book is actually a “picture-on-every-page” tutorial recipe book.
This 8 ½â€X11†beautifully photographed book (photos by Robert Petetit) is not for sissies! In fact, the Dedication reads: “We dedicate this book to all those who dare to explore new possibilities.â€
If you are ready to attempt some dishes that require some hands-on steps and willing to sample foods that are not cooked in the oven or on a grill, then this is the book I would recommend. It’s a perfect beginner’s guide to fresh foods with their enzymes intact.
You can share this book with a friend or a neighbor who is interested in live foods and the two of you could experiment and do the tutorials in your own kitchen. Or start a small cooking class where you can all participate.
To order this book, which costs $18.95, go to http://www.rawfamily.com/products.