New Consciousness Review Fall 2016 | Page 35

HEALTH ing to fear; each brothy bowl is warm and healing. You may experience a subtle catharsis.” With a recipe like this, from the “Comforted” section, one indeed feels comforted, cared for, and transformed. Sometimes simple ingredients are the best, and this soup has seemingly magical qualities of simultaneously grounding and transporting. While a food processor is called for to make dishes such as Zesty Kale Chips (from the “Peaceful” section), most recipes simply require such typical kitchen appliances such as a blender, mixer, refrigerator, oven and stove. Most of the recipes are vegetarian or can be converted to vegetarian, and many can be converted to gluten-free, if need be. People interested in reducing or eliminating sugar from their diets can similarly make substitutions for the “Treated” (dessert) recipes. The design and layout of this book make it a snap to find recipes of interest, in order to make sure to 35 | NEW CONSCIOUSNESS REVIEW have required ingredients on hand, and a joy to leave out on the coffee table to gaze at the beautiful images of freshly cooked meals. I love the selection of quotes included together with each recipe, such as this one by Mantak Chia and William U. Wei, “If you cannot sing or laugh before a meal, skip it until you can.” This marvelous advice can make all the difference in ensuring one’s digestive system is ready to enjoy full benefits of a meal, and I feel a sense of a blessing being conferred in the positive words shared with every dish. I love the combinations of tastes and textures in these recipes, that help to make each dish stand out as a feast in itself. Marci clearly knows how to make the most of basic ingredients in ways that are as delicious as they are nutritious and soothing to the soul. I highly recommend this book!  Reviewed by Cynthia Sue Larson