The Golden Temple Vegetarian Cookbook

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 224 pages
• Published by: Hawthorne Books October 1, 1978
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0801530679
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0801530678
• Book Dimensions: 20 x 20 x 20 inches
• Weighs: 20 pounds

Product Description
WRITTEN IN COLLABORATION WITH SHAKTI PARWHA KAUR KHALSA. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Golden Temple Vegetarian Cookbook (Hardcover) Here's something you're not likely to see again: a cookbook, or more like a manual for eating, by the champion of Kundalini yoga and genuine 70's spiritual icon Yogi Bhajan. The book is lacto-vegetarian and is definitely a product of its time, though I feel that there is no reason to confine the principles of the 60's and 70's "health movement" to a specific age since being healthy and conscious is no fad but timeless and honest. What is different about these recipes from a lot more current health-related cookbooks is that it is not rigorously fat free but balanced. For years I avoided any fats in my diet, didn't dare even share a single bite of a dessert, and after a while I realized that this attitude is not sustainable or healthy, and in fact I even lost weight after I began to relax a little. I'm a pretty scrawny dude to begin with and this book is good by me, so health nuts and others please take equal heart. The book bases itself of a collection of complimentary principles: alkaline/acidic foods, ayurveda, (less directly) Buddhism, and the general adherence to natural foods without preservatives and produced organically. It is a yogic diet. Generally speaking, ghee is used instead of butter, honey instead of sugar. That might give you an idea of what "health" means in this book. Not the ABSENCE of sweetness or fat, but a balance is maintained and still many of these dishes include neither. So how's the food?? It is really almost invariably delicious, I have to say. I use it more than any other cookbook and I was intending at first for it to be a fun occasional retreat. The Banana Apricot Loaf is exemplary, and if you want to give it a shot first you can go to the wonderful 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization) website here: http://www.3ho.org/clients/3ho/recipes.nsf/d075b8704d7c40e2c1256cc2002c6d14/CDF92F80091E57DC87256EF5006D50E7?OpenDocument and I think it is tremendously representative of the book. Other amazing things are the Ginger Curry, the Carrot-Raisin Cashew Spread, the alarmingly good "Avocado Sat Nam Special" (no kidding: avocado, banana, raw peanut butter, almonds, sunflower seeds, alfalfa sprout, and somehow all this together is actually really really good). Many of these recipes are for live or raw foods, in fact there is a noticeable reverence for them, (even a RAW "NO-BAKE BIRTHDAY CAKE"!) and while I am not a raw foodist I have found them a wonderful and invigorating (believe it!) addition to my diet. There is a light bent in the direction of Eastern cooking, but if this is a daunting concept for you believe me it requires little of you and is fun, and in fact this book covers Mexican, Italian and American foods in addition to Indian and Middle Eastern foods. The diversity is wonderful and there is a distinct and welcome flavor that runs throughout. To be fair this book has lots of funny little quirks, such as its first recipe being for aspic (glad we left behind THAT part of the 60's), hilariously unnecessary things like recipes for quesadillas thrown into the mix that basically tell you to throw some cheese inbetween 2 tortillas and grill, and recipes entitled "Yogi Bhajan's Wha Casserole" and "Ek Ong Kaur's Special Spread" which give it a cute sense of community. Not to belittle this book though, because it is really a wonderful thing, full of life and delicious healthy foods to suit just about any yogi. There is even the original recipe for the famous Yogi Tea! As someone who has been practicing Kundalini for years I feel that this book is a wonderful companion piece to a lifestyle which strives for health, consciousness and balance. It is apparently out of print and it deserves better, though you'll find that there is really no trouble getting a hold of it thanks to amazon and the rest of the internet. Take care and sat nam!