The Rawvolution Continues: The Living Foods Movement in 150 Natural and Delicious Recipes

Matt and Janabai Amsden, the husband and wife owners of Los Angeles's raw food Euphoria Loves Rawvolution restaurant, have been serving up raw and vegan food for years. This follow-up to 2006's RAWvolution: Gourmet Living Cuisine cookbook gives raw foodies 150 more options for every meal of the day. Yes, there are the ubiquitous smoothies and salads that make up virtually every raw/vegan/healthy cookbook, but there are also options like a green tea latte, taquitos, pad thai and even a raw food version of a Reuben sandwich to give followers more options and help those new to the movement ease into raw foods. One thing both new and old devotees will need to steel themselves for is the complex and time-consuming preparation these dishes require. Some soups require a from-scratch soup base in lieu of broth, wontons need homemade cream cheese and wraps, and nachos call for DIY corn chips and "taco meat" (made from walnuts, coconut aminos, spices). This prep-heavy approach to cooking, along with arcane ingredients like dulse flakes, sea lettuce, and lucuma powder, will likely cause many a reader to throw their hands up in frustration. Raw foodies with plenty of time on their hands and/or access to well-stocked health food store will surely find new inspiration here, but many others will likely look elsewhere instead. (Aug.)