Master Plants Cookbook: The 33 Most Healing Superfoods for Optimum Health

I was persuaded to buy this book because of all the 5-star reviews. Having received it, I'm mystified as to why such high ratings. To be fair, it is a beautifully presented book with great photographs for every recipe, and there are a couple of good recipes which I've tried, mainly the sweet ones. However the instructions for one recipe are not clear and another has an item in the instructions which is not in the ingredient list. To me, oil and salt-free cooking, even though nuts and miso are allowed, lacks the delicious factor and makes for food that is empty and unsatisfying (dry-baked potatoes with no oil or salt anyone?). The recipes are no doubt very healthy, but healthy food is not of much use if nobody feels inspired to eat it. This book would be suited to hardcore vegans who are happy to cook and eat this way, but it's way too grim for me. I'll be giving my copy to anyone who will take it off my hands.

This marvelous book is more than just a cookbook. Although there are over 100 excellent recipes, it also contains wealth of information to cover not just the HOW, but also the WHY of choosing a plant-based diet for optimum health. It even has chapters regarding the history of vegetarianism and plant-based eating in other cultures. Next, the book goes into depth on the 33 “master plants”—the superfoods at the core of a plant-based diet—with their origins, benefits, and nutritional analysis. Then, as mentioned before, are the recipes. They are easy to follow and the photography is absolutely stunning. I’ve tried several of the recipes so far, and they are all delicious. It is almost hard to believe they are oil-free, sugar-free, salt-free, and gluten-free. What’s more, so many of the dishes are as artful and stunning visually as they are delicious. Whether you’re a seasoned vegan or just starting to look into a plant-based diet, this book is for you.

I received my book today and the book exceeded my expectations. First off, the book is lovely to hold and look at. The pages are nice and thick and filled with colored photos. Each of the 33 superfoods has 2 pages dedicated to that food. For each of the 33 items, there is a history of that particular food, its nutrients and its benefits. The first section of the book goes through the history of veganism and vegetarianism through various cultures and common questions about the plant based diet. Then, there are the lovely recipes, each one with a colored photograph.Just as the magazine, Naked Food, which I have subscribed to since its first issue is a beautiful magazine, this is a beautiful book. So far, I have only paged through it but I plan on taking it along on my vacation tomorrow and reading every word of it. Thank you Margarita. What a great contribution to the plant based diet.

Great read with a look back at different cultures and their reliance on the health benefits of grains and other plant based foods. Beautiful colorful pictures. Ancient civilizations teach us that their is no need for animals foods for health benefits since the plant kingdom is superior in that category.

I don't think much of this book as a cookbook. About 40% is about various ancient cultures and plant associations. I didn't find all that background pertinent and I'm not sure of its value in a cookbook. I don't really have any desire to eat like ancient Indians or any other early culture where their food choices were limited by their geography and knowledge. The recipes themselves contain a disproportionately large number of desserts and sweet recipes and far too much reliance on nuts and seeds for my taste. As for the few recipes I tried, they were nothing special and left me unimpressed. I think there are far better vegan and vegetarian cookbooks out there and I've collected quite a few of them, most of which are much more suitable to cook from.

Margarita Restrepo the force behind the luscious and nutritionally sound magazine Naked Food Magazine succeeds again with the superb book Master Plants cookbook. Stated in the book "Vitality and strength depend not on how much food is eaten, but on how much of it is digested and absorbed into the system". Real food recipes, real nutritional facts and so much more in Master Plants cookbook. Our health depends on the vital information in Master Plants cookbook.

I enjoy plant-based cookbooks that are padded with food knowledge and great recipes, and this book does both. The excellent photography truly represents the finished product. Recipes are easy to follow. Most ingredients are already in your pantry--no need for a "special trip" to the market. Def worth purchasing.

The cheesecake recipe was way too nutty! Still modifying the ingredients to sub tofu for some of the cashew

The cookbook of all cookbooks for plant based eaters. Many yummi recipies can only recommend it.

Superb

Very informative on historical diets and the transformation to our modern day state, (which is about half the book). As a cookbook I was less excited. There are a fair number recipes similar to what I've seen in other books, sprinkled between some original recipes. Not what I was expecting. I would not recommed it as a cookbook. I bought the kindle version.

We rented that book at the library so many times. We were moving at the time and were trying to not buy too many books. This is the first book we bought when settled down at our new place. Great and easy recipes. They use easy to find ingredient and you don't need a PhD to execute them. This is our kind of cooking book; ones that provides you good ideas you can leverage further down the line.

Beautifully illustrated cookbook and the recipes are great!