Right before the holidays, one of my favorite health-warriors, Kris Carr, released her latest book. Her latest endeavor is cookbook full of delicious plant-based recipes that will tempt even the most devout meat-lovers. Carr paired with Chef Chad Sarno (the head Chef for Whole Foods) to create these delicious recipes. I was so excited for the release that I put it on the top of my Holiday wishlist. And then I received a copy from Hay House, Inc. for review. (PS Hay House is a fantastic publishing company from Louise Hay – one of the leaders in spiritual growth and holistic lifestyles.)
If you have read any of Carr’s publications, you will love this one as well. Carr’s book progress from memoir, to health tips, to disease prevention and diet, to a full-fledged recipe book. In Crazy, Sexy, Kitchen, you learn not only how to make fantastic recipes, but also the tools you need and a brief overview of disease prevention and a vegan lifestyle. It’s so much more than your average cookbook.
The book starts with an introduction to the authors and the concept of the book. It then leads into the first “course”, which focuses on Carr’s “Crazy, Sexy, Diet” and Lifestyle. This part focuses on much of the same content as her previous book, Crazy, Sexy, Diet, and acts as a great overview for those who haven’t read it before, or as a refresher course for those who have. The second “course” dives into food preparation. In this section, you learn the some of the kitchen staples and tools you’ll need, when to buy organic, and how and where to shop to get the best deals. In the third “course” you move into how to prepare, store, and cook your beans and grains for the most nutrition. You will also learn about knives, cooking and prepping of beans and grains, tips for digestion, and how to navigate the coming recipe symbols – including gluten free, soy free, kid-friendly, and difficulty level.
The fourth “course” is where you dive into the recipes. There are not only fabulous recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but also snacks, juices, desserts, and sauces. I tried several of the recipes and each one tasted amazing. There were also some recipes that had a few different ingredients than my usual go-to, and it made all the difference. My very favorite though were the Hearts of Palm style Crab Cakes with remoulade. I never had hearts of palm before, and was surprised at how close in texture they were to crab meat. It tasted so much like real crab meat! They didn’t last long either – three of us finished them pretty fast. The sauce was also fantastic. It tasted much like a fancy Thousand Island Dressing, which I had missed dearly since going plant-based (in used to be my weakness).
Overall, this was fantastic. I recommend it to anyone who is already vegan and looking for more variety, for someone looking to make the switch, or for anyone looking to cook vegan food for a meat-lover. All in all, I absolutely love this book and look forward to making many, many more recipes from it.
Peace and Love and delicious health,
Jessi
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.
