Editorial Review :

In The Best Life Diet, bestselling author Bob Greene gave you the keys to losing weight and keeping it off. In The Best Life Diet Daily Journal, the essential companion volume, Greene gives you the tools you need to stay motivated.

No matter what phase of the program you are in, this beautifully designed book will reinforce your long-term personal plan for health and emotional well-being. Each day has space that helps you assess how well you've met your daily goals as well as a place to record your feelings and eating patterns. A weekly summary gives you an easy-to-evaluate snapshot of your progress, allowing you to begin the next week of your program with a clear picture of what you did well, where you fell short, and how you can improve.

Customer Review :

FINE PRODUCT AS DESCRIBED.

EVERYTHING IS COMING IN GREAT. WELL THE THINGS I HAVE REVIEWED ARE HERE. SHIPPED FAST. CAN'T BELIEVE THE LAST ONE I ORDERED CAME FIRST BEFORE SOME OTHER ORDERS. THIS WAS A QUICK DELIVERY.

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Keep track to succeed.

A companion to "The Best Life Diet," this handy, spiral bound book makes reaching your goals even easier.

The journal starts out with you writing down your vitals stats such as your weight, blood glucose, cholesterol, and so on. There are before and after sections on the same page so you can see if you ultimately reach your goals.

The book moves on to cover the goals of the three phases (readers of the book will already be familiar with these) and then divides into three parts- a section of similar pages for phase one, a section of similar pages for phase two, and a section of similar pages for phase three.

The phase one pages have you enter the date at the top of the page and then rate your activity level. Then follows 6 questions you answer at the end of each day, such as "did you eat at least three meals and at least one snack including a nutritional breakfast?" Other questions are about things such as your water and vitamin intake.

The page then ends with a place for you to enter aerobic exercise data and also includes a strengthening "grid" for you to document your reps, sets, etc. Phase 2 and 3 pages are the same, except that they have hunger scales included at the bottom of each page.

A must-have companion for those who are trying "The Best Life Diet," I found that its best strength is that it keeps you focused on reaching the right goals. Also recommend The Sixty-Second Motivator if you need additional motivation to reach your fitness goals. Good Luck!


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good book!!

I havent read the whole book yet but so far i love it plan on starting the program next monday.

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superb

this journal is precise and gives ALMOST everything you need. More space-I think it needs more space and pages.


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Love this book

I really love this book. It is very easy to use and it makes tracking your food intake very easy. If you didn't have the Best Life book however, you may find it more difficult to understand. It is a wonderful book and I am very glad that I ordered it.

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Editorial Review :

Don't be held hostage by Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - with the right diet and effective exercise, you can minimise its impact on your day-to-day life and future wellbeing. Packed with realistic advice from a qualified nutritionist, this guide takes you through everything from picking which treatments to try - and which to avoid - to thriving with PCOS superfoods and finding resources and support to help you stay positive and maintain your focus

Customer Review :

Managing PCOS for dummies

Its a great book it tells me alot of information that is easy to understand rather than something thats really hard to understand. I have made some things from the recipies and they are really nice.

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useful advices

This book provides useful, practical advices. Although I agree some of the ingridients mentioned in the receipes are difficult to find, but altogether its a useful resource.

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Finally...

I'm so happy to find a book that has more realistic diet information to help manage PCOS.

This book is informative on PCOS, what it is and how it effects the body. Changing your diet and exercise habits are key to getting rid of or at least lessening the annoying symptoms that come along with this disease.

This is a definite must have!

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a great reference

This is a great book. I've only read part of it so, far but already it's an easy to use referance. There are other PCOS books I have gotten that are too scientificto understand easily and seem to be more for the British then US audiences. This book is for both, easy to understand and full of fantastic tips to alleviate symptoms and to bring up with your dr. This diesease is such a pain to deal with it's nice to have a good referance like this. I would highly recommend it.

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Outstanding!

This book really helped with all my questions on PCOS. I would highly recommend it!

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Customer Review :

the healing system that changed my life

When I was given this book for the first time, about 8 years ago when my health was at an all-time low that had been slowly declining for years. I was under 30 and had a list of chronic ailments longer than any senior citizen I knew; terrible heartburn every day all the time, gas, bloating, painful bowel movements (terribly painful), chronic vaginitis, chronic acute asthma so bad I was on 3 inhalers, pills, steroids AND I was still in the ER about once per month, weight gain, fatigue, major irritability and mood swings, depression, horrible lower back issues that always coincided with asthma flare ups (which of course, MDs told me were unrelated!), allergies to everything...I was a mess but it crept up so slowly over time I didn't even "get" how ridiculous it was. It seemed that everyone around me had similar issues and complaints (except maybe for the asthma) so I accepted it like the sleepwalking masses. I'd started to wake up and tried things like the Zone and Blood type diets. They were ok and I'd see some improvements but not anywhere near enough, no matter how disciplined I was. But when I went to see a chiropractor ( a really good one) who also practiced other wonderful forms of holistic healing, she handed me an older edition of this book and said that ALL of my issues were related to one underlying cause; Candidiasis.

I'd never heard of it but I was thrilled to see her react so matter of factly to my list of ailments and to be so confident about healing them, naturally. She said to take it home, read it, don't freak out if it seems overwhelming (which it did at first), then put it down and forget about it for a few days (letting the information filter into the subconscious) and then pick it up and reread it again. The second time I read it, everything clicked. It didn't seem intimidating and she and I even worked together to sort of mold it to my personal needs. We added the use of some wonderful supplements since I was so toxic; Paragone and Parazyme by Renew Life, and daily mega-doses of Metagenics probiotics (and later on, Dr. Ohhira's).

Luckily, the principles of the "diet" (which became a lifestyle for me) all invovled things I had experiment with before; acid/alkaline, yin/yang, blood type (taken with a grain of salt since it doesn't all work on my body), food combining...all things I had some knowledge of and that tend to overlap, really. A truly alkaline meal is usually properly food combined as it is (unless you're eating only protein, which is unbalanced), for example. So even though it was right around Christmas and my chiro said to wait until after, I was ready to heal! I jumped in, figured out a handful of recipes and easy meals on the plan and never looked back.

The first week was tough; I felt like I had the flu (sneexing, achey, tired, sore throat), but that's just a reaction to the toxic die off so I pushed on, knowing it was actually a good sign. Cleansing isn't always uncomfortable, but for someone as toxic as I was, I got off easy. Within 2 weeks, I felt better than I could remember and that was the tip of the iceberg. After a few months, I was a new woman; happy, energetic, excited, confident. After 6 months my entire life changed, on every level, in the most positive ways. Becoming truly healthy, in a way I never even knew was possible, changed my emotional and spiritual state as well. And I felt empowered because now I had the knowledge of how to allow my beautiful body to heal herself, which she had been trying to do all along.

BED is all about giving your body exactly what it needs and then getting the hell out of its way. ALL of my issues were gone after 6 months of doing it strictly. I hadn't been that healthy or radiant in my entire life. I found that I could go out and treat myself to something here and there without any ill effect, but I honestly didn't crave it much after the excess beasties were gone. A healthy body doesn't crave crap. And I then spent the next few years living on a modofied version; I LIKED the food! Millet with fresh carrots, ginger and dill....YUM! Broiled salmon with fresh spinach sauteed in coconut oil, garlic and fresh herbs...YUM! Quinoa flakes with stevia, cinnamon and nutmeg...YUM! Homemade ginger ale sweetened with stevia...awesome. You just find what you like, play with it, create about 10 dishes that are quick, easy and on the plan and you're set.

Yes, it takes some planning, shopping and prep but skipping Starbuck's and fast food actually frees up a lot of time and money. And after the initial cleansing phase, you'll have more energy than you'll know what to do with and making some veggies or salads won't seem like a hardship. I used to coach people through this process when I went to work for that wonderful chiropractor. It's a challenge and a learning experience, but the return is the gift of REAL LIFE! Radiance, vitality, energy, clarity, joy, beauty. Oh yeah, and I lost 40 pounds I'd wished I could lose all my life, and it wasn't even my focus anymore! It was a nice side effect.

So please, if you want some honest to G-d positive change in your life, true natural healing and to be empowered to control your own health and well being without drugs, find this book, anyway you can. (BTW, the cultured veggies are actually yummy and can be bought fresh at Whole Foods, the meals are really wonderful and satisfying and the rewards are priceless.)

Nothing short of life changing...but the question is, are you ready? Are you ready to put yourself and your well being first?

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The Body Ecology Diet

This book is an absolute necessity for anyone that wants to reclaim their health. Donna Gates has researched throughout the world to find answers to so many health issues that people are facing today. This book combines so much information to assist in healing... our inner ecology is the first place to focus! -- Thank you, Donna, for dedicating your life to helping others and getting this information out to the world!
Wende Bartolomeo www.ForeverHealthyDiet.com

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FABULOUS!!!

This book has helped me to get in the best shape ever! Not only did it help me get rid of most of my Candida symptoms (and ive onel been on the diet for one month) but it taught me to really get in touch with my body as well as discover a new way of eating.

I had been on many Candida diets but none of them were as well researched and documented as this one. I especially liked the part about food combining as well as only eating until you are 80% full (over ealting is so bad for you). It would be great to know when youare 80% full though. I find that when I have my first burp it means that im full, but that's already 100% full. Im having a hard time trying to figure out when to stop eating...but then again I know that I have a real problem with overeating.

It would have been nice to have more recipes though. Especially international ones. For example, I live in Korea at the moment and here they use lettuce instead of tortilla or pitas to wrap food. it's delicious and totally in line with the diet. There are so many International recipes as well as ways of eating that could have been included in this book, perhaps in the next edition. I wish I could team up with the author to give her some more recipes.

Also, the author seems to really encourage getting lots of colonics but I have been told that they are not good for your body. I guess everyone has different opinions and I'm not completely dismissing the idea of getting one but not as often as suggested in the book (wouldn't that also get really expensive?)

Overall I would really recommend that anyone no matter whether sick or not should read this book and follow this diet for at least 3 months in order to improve their health immensely!

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For the person committed to bringing their body into a healthy inner ecology

Donna Gates has created an outstanding diet (Or as I call it nutritional plan) for those people that want to focus on building their inner ecology; and then creating a healthy external body from this.
This nutritional plan is not another quick fix, but it is a way of making you look at what you put in your mouth, while educating you for making better alternatives.

There is one flaw I found with this book - Not with the diet.
I found that the lay out and information was not in sequences. This made it harder to read, than if Donna had have put the information in a sequenced order.

The results of balancing your inner ecology can help with
- Headaches - Low sex drive
- Depression - Food allergies
- Cancer - Joint & muscle pain
- Aids - Digestive problems
- Skin Rashes - Menstual irregularities

Donna teaches you begginning with the foundation of good health and the priciples of the body ecology diet. She educates you on how to rebuild your immune system and create a bright, healthy future.
It has several pages at the end of the book with recipes and menu suggestions.

I would say that this is not for people wanting a quick fix, or the easy way out. This is a way of life, and a life long way of eating. I know once I read this book I realised I wouldnt ever want to eat differently.

Blessings to you and your health!


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THE BEST BOOK OF ITS KIND ON THE MARKET

Testimonial: I suffered from bloating and flatulence for many years until I discovered Donna's recipe in her book called Coconut Kefir. It isn't an inexpensive diet for someone making less than $13,000 a year, but if done, it can make the world of difference in the way you feel and look. I also made the fermented vegetables which I am sure was part of the solution. Anyway, to make a long story short, I lost the weight around my gut in 3 months or less and I felt better and spoke clearer. I even gained more confidence, somehow.

Manufactured antibiotics kill off the good bacteria in ones intestines. Good bacteria is needed to help break down the foods that we eat. Without them, digestion is disturbed and this can bring on many diseases to the body. I freed myself by adding good bacteria in the coconut Kefir and fermented veges.

Try it...buy the book...it will amaze you.

By the way, one of my favorite soups mentioned and described in her book is called "Potato Corn Chowder"....Gotta love it.

Cameron
Atlanta, GA

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Customer Review :

You Can't Pass This Up !!!

I have finally found a weight loss book that is simple to understand and easy to follow. What I found to be extremely helpful was the Meal Planner Conversion Chart. It's all figured out for you. You choose the plan that suits you best. Since I have been on this diet, all the cravings for junk food have gone. I was someone who lived for sugar and now I do not want any of it. I use to crave coffee in the morning as well but realized I didn't want that wired up feeling & acid stomach. I switched over to a caffeine-free coffee substitute made from soyabeans I found on the net at www. S o y c o f f e e.c om. It so easy for someone to tell you to eat less, but if you are craving bad foods, eventually you will fail. In the first five days I was on this diet all the craving ceased and I was already 8 lbs down. If you were like me and cannot wait for your next slice of cake and at the same time really want to change your lifestyle, Try this. I lost 9 pounds in three weeks. Went from a size 18 jeans to a size 16. This is the only way to go!!!

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This book worked for me twice!

I bought this book in December 1998, at the recommendation of the womens gym where I had been exercising. I followed the "Fat Flush" sample meal planner and lost 16 pounds. Now it's April 2004, I am 5 months post pardum, and have lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks, using the same meal plan. I've lost the carbohydrate cravings and truely feel great! The sample meal planners are satisfying examples. Chapter 8 "Putting it all together" provides all the tools you need to creat your own 40-30-30 meals in the portions right for your weight and activity level. Chapter 4 "The Glycemic Index" is an excellent resource for good-better-best carbohydrate choices.

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A good introduction to a workable system

This was the first book I read on the subject of weightloss by combining macro-nutrients in the right percentage. I chose this over "The Zone" as it seemed more user-friendly, and I was right. The system can be complicated at first, until you get used to it, and the Zone's "blocks" are an additional complication.

The authors do a great job at explaining why it is so important to balance the right amounts of carbohydrate, protein and fat, and how to choose wisely. It could very well be the first health/fitness book a person reeds and the reader would not feel overwhelmed, as the information is given in a way that it can be easily understood without any previous experience or background in the field of nutrition. The data is complete but you don't feel you need to be a biochemist to understand it, like in some other health books.
The book also offers one week of menus, in different variations: the regular ones, the vegetarian and the "fat flush", for those who want a more rapid weight loss. The meal plans are furtherly taylored to your individual needs by establishing which type of 4 (A-D) you fall in, depending on your weight and activity level, and therefore being able to establish the right quantity of each food contained in the daily menus.

There is also advice on what to choose when dining out and nutritional info on common commercial products, as well as a food value guide (how much protein is in 4oz of chicken breast?) to help the reader make the right choices and design his menus following the 40-30-30 regimen.

Overall, a very good guide, which doesn't get 5 stars just because at an attentive eye (from someone who has a background in nutrition/health/fitness), the plan would be even better if it was lighter on the sodium and dairy, but still, it's a great improvement over the current nutrition of most people.
I would suggest it to anyone who wants to lose weight but also to anyone who wishes to improve his/her fitness performance and energy levels.

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Love this book, helped drop some weight

My husband visited a nutritionist and he highly recommended this book and that's how we found it. This book was great and the recipes were wonderful. Nothing too fancy or crazy in taste. Has sections for Vegetarians, for the Fat Flush which is a specific diet you do for a few weeks to kick your body into gear losing the fat as quick as possible, and then a section on maintenance with new recipes and meal plans. The Fat Flush helped me lose 8 lbs. the first week and my husband lost 12 lbs. (men loose faster than women). The meals are about balancing your carbs, protein, and fats. I plan to re-read it again to refresh the nutritional information and advice.

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Zone made easy for regular people!

My doctor started me on this book in June 2004. I am 5'6" and was hitting the scales at my highest ever - 200 lbs. I was having trouble fitting in my size 14/16s and couldn't stand the thought of buying new, bigger clothes. I have always been a woman that "knew" what was good and bad in my refrigerator (I've read just about every article about dieting written), and had trouble fitting in exercise - especially after having two kids. The Zone was outrageously complicated, and so many other diets had huge restrictions on fruit and most veggies, and just didn't seem to make sense from a nutritional standpoint - I couldn't stick with them for long. My cravings, weird rules and the heavy restrictions on almost everything I loved was always a bomb ticking away inside. Then I found 40-30-30.

It is now six months later, I've lost 40 pounds and counting. I have a new way to eat for life! I lost 14 pounds the first month, then seven, then six and the rest has been consistently coming off ever since and - get this - I haven't managed to fit exercise in yet (still trying). I was very religious the first three months, then fell in to more of a settled routine where I am comfortable with the general parameters without refering to the book or my notes very often. And the beauty is, since you are changing the way you build your meals, I can "cheat" - I really consider it more like living your life, not cheating. I had chocolate cake at my son's & daughter's birthday parties one month in to the diet, had a glass of wine WITH my dinner during the second month but it was no big deal! My new way of eating wasn't disrupted, weight loss continued, and I very rarely have any cravings - I find that most of them are psychological anyway (a habitual reaction to stressful situations, etc.). Odd thing is that most of the things that I used to REALLY love (all carbs), don't return the same old satisfaction anymore - just not the same response from my body - that's definitely not something I expected.

I even managed to stay "even" during the difficult holiday weeks (Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year's). I thought for sure that my excesses would tip the scale since I seemed to indulge in so much! But here I am, right on track! Looking back, I seem to make enough slightly different choices at all of these events to still maintain some balance (like eating shrimp cocktail along with some chip & dip instead of a plate of straight carbs).

Some of the key things for me were:
1) The ability to substitute my ZonePerfect bars (Fudge Graham are best) for up to two meals a day - really a lifesaver when you're on the go at work and with the family and it's critical that you not skip your meals.
2) There are really quick & easy meals that fit in to a life that was used to all of the convenience foods.
3) Please, those of you reading those "the cost of good food is so high!" reviews... have you added up the cost of all of your sodas, chips, ice cream, etc., lately? Even with the cost of fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats, I'm still spending less.
4) New, clear approaches to fast food and restaurant eating is outlined - I even check the websites of different companies to makes sure my picks keep my carbs, protein & fat in balance - it would surprise you what some of the "healthy" items add up to!
5) I have almost completely eliminated hydrogenated oil and aspartame from my diet - not easy considering they're in darn near everything these days! (I'm not sure if that came from my doctor or the book.)
6) First meal within one hour of getting up, last one four hours before bed.

Good luck! It's a great book, clearly and simply written, and it's been a lifesaver for me!

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Editorial Review :

It's hard enough to satisfy choosy diners at a hot New York restaurant—imagine having to do it without using meat, fish, dairy, or eggs! The Candle Cafe has been doing just that for years, offering vegan food that has earned the praise of food critics, celebrities, and countless New Yorkers.

The food at the Candle Cafe expands the horizons of vegan cuisine, proving that the healthiest food can also be the most flavorful and satisfying. From delectable appetizers like Quesadillas stuffed with Portobellos and Red Peppers and Tofu Satay with Coconut-Peanut Sauce to classic dips like Hummus and Babaganoush, veggan cooking never tasted this good. Even the soups are special—Spring Vegetable Minestrone Soup is filled with fresh flavor, and Butternut Squash Soup gets a kick from toasted pumpkin seeds. Hearty, satisfying sandwiches and main courses like Barbecued Tempeh-Chipotle Burgers with Grilled Pineapple, Porcini Mushroom Stroganoff, and Indian Eggplant Curry are infused with delicious flavors from around the world. For dessert, treats like Chocolate Mousse Pie and Lemon-Tofu Cheesecake with Blood Orange Glaze are creamy and indulgent.

With helpful tips on cooking beans and grains, a full glossary of ingredients, and plenty of color photographs, The Candle Cafe Cookbook is a treasure trove of vegan recipes that have been drawing crowds and raves for years.

Customer Review :

Great Restaurant, Good Book

So far all of the recipes I have tried have been great. The eggplant dish from the Indian Plate is delicious. I have seen some negative reviews on the chocolate macadamian nut cookies but I think people forgot the 2 tablespoons of egg replacer needs to be added to 4 tablespoons of warm water prior to adding it. I made the cookies the weekend and they were great. Hope this helps, you should give th ecookies a second chance. I am giving this book 4 stars because I agree the directions could be a little more clear.

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Recipe error

Something is very wrong with the Chocolate Macademia Nut Cookie recipe on p. 191. There is not enough liquid in the recipe and the cookie dough looks like sand. I added soy milk (~1/2-3/4 cup) till it resembled cookie dough, but the cookies came out a bit cakey. From reading others' reviews, I guess there are other errors as well. I'm sure the restaurant is great but the cookbook is disappointing because you don't know which recipes will turn out right.

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Best cookbook!

A couple of years ago my grandmother took me to lunch at Candle 79 and we loved it so much she bought me the cookbook. It is hands down the best cookbook I have ever had! I have made over half the recipes in it and they all come out incredible! I am a vegetarian and my husband is not-- the recipes are very adaptable to making things non-vegan or even non-vegetarian if you like. (I prefer to keep them vegan though). Unlike other vegan cookbooks, most of the recipes are quite easy to make and you don't have to go on a treasure hunt to find most of the ingredients. I strongly recommend it and hope they come out with another one! Definitely try the ginger-miso stir fry, the lentil chowder, and the summer minestrone soup.

The only concern some might have with it is some of the measurements are off, for example the mushroom barely soup calls for 1 and a half tablespoons of salt, when it clearly should be teaspoons. This is not a detraction for me, when something does not make sense, I alter it, and I also tend to like things rather spicy so I double the spices a lot. This cookbook is probably best for people comfortable with vegetarian cooking and those who don't mine making modifications.

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very hit or miss

Some recipes are great, but some are so awful, it seems they were never tested. I really think they failed to edit the book properly. The chocolate macadamia nut cookies, for example, simply don't work. There's not enough liquid, as though an ingredient were missing. At the restaurant, I asked a chef, who said, "just use a food processor to mix it." Obviously, that didn't solve the problem. And recipes repeatedly say to whisk margarine, which is nearly impossible, even if it's at room temperature. Just use an electric mixer! Also, calling for 1/4 tablespoon is absurd--they should know measuring spoons don't come like that--just say 3/4 teaspoon! Stupid errors like this shouldn't be present in a cookbook from such nice restaurant. Still, some recipes, like the cobb salad, are delicious, which is why I give it 3 stars.

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Dependably, delightfully delectable!

Cooking from this cookbook has been a delight. My girlfriend and I have cooked perhaps ten recipes from the pages of this Vegan gem. I can say comfortably that none of the recipes we've cooked are anything less than extremely tasty.

Ingredients can tend towards being expensive; the stroganoff we cooked last night, for instance, would have called for $24 worth of dried porcini mushrooms if we'd followed the recipe exactly. Recipes are not necessarily written for the beginning cook, but are not horribly complicated and have all yielded good results without much deviation from the original recipe.

This is a cookbook that I have recommended to non-Vegans as a way to demonstrate that Vegan food is no less delicious than any other.

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