A Seasonal Guide to Eating and Living Well - The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook

i bought this book because I wanted to learn how to eat healthier and improve some problems i have with my digestion. So far, I have tried the Winter Digestive tea (now a habit of every night after dinner), Winter Rejuvenating tonic, Huevos Rancheros (among our top recipes to cook!), Warming tomato dal, everyday creamed grain cereal, and ghee fried apples. The ghee is the only recipe that i also needed to look for a video to make sure i did it correctly. i also enjoyed making my own Sweet Spices and Everyday spices...it gives a great flavor to the foods and i also know will not hurt my digestion. This author has done a great job and im very thankful for what Im learning :) Thank you!!! :)

update 09/2017: I'm still very satisfied with this purchase. There a few recipes we didn't like but i have found more recipes and information that i like and benefit from in this book. It also spiked my interest to learn more about this lifestyle. My body seems to especially benefit from the rejuvenating drink and the sweet spice mix, it really soothes me down.

I couldn't be happier with this Ayurvedic cookbook and guide. Every recipe I've tried so far has been delicious and nourishing. The Sweet Potato Bisque was amazing, and the Cleansing Green Soup was completely satisfying.

It is exactly what I was looking for!
Love this book!
Structured, clear, knowledgeable book with beautiful pictures.
If you are looking for a specific guide for better lifestyle - it is what you need :)

This book is phenomenal! I have been studying ayurveda for nearly 10 years and have been waiting for THIS cookbook! Kate brings a very user friendly approach to a deep, vast system. Each recipe has a little story that invites you in to the experience. The recipes are simple and delicious. The ingredients are manageable and you don't need to be an expert chef to cook from this book. The photography is stunning! This book should be on every one's shelf whether you practice ayurveda, yoga or simply want to eat easy to prepare delicious meals!

I think this book is OK, maybe even pretty good if not for labelling itself Ayurveda. There are shortcuts antithetical to Ayurveda. Canned foods, frozen suggestions, milk and some fruits together, etc. to name a few. There are some great outlines for eating seasonally and some foundational ideas on eating for specific doshas. Photos are nice and layout is clear.

I love this book. I've really liked the recipes I've tried so far and the background on Ayurveda is really helpful to ground you in the recipes and lifestyle. The instructions are easy to follow and I love the shopping lists - they layout makes it really easy to find things! And the photography is so great! Try the chai recipe first! :)

Full disclosure, I'm an ayurveda skeptic, and so I can't comment on the accuracy of the specific ayurveda information described in this book. However, I'm definitely pleased that I took a risk on this book during a kindle sale as it's a great simple, seasonal cookbook. All of the recipes I've tried so far have been absolutely delicious. I've already made the broccoli goat's milk soup and the sweet potato muffins many times. The recipes are simple, easy to make, and have short ingredient lists, but they work and the flavor doesn't disappoint. For those with dietary restrictions - almost all of the recipes are gluten free, but a few include easy-to-substitute gluten ingredients like barley. All of the recipes are vegetarian, but many contain dairy or eggs, with suggestions for how to substitute with a vegan option.

I read cookbooks the way people read good fiction or memoirs. I have shelves and shelves full of them and sometimes just for the photography. This book by the way has gorgeous photography while still looking like a stylist did not mess too much with it, in other words like real food. This is a cookbook, not a diet book, or a health book. It will provide health and well being because Kate is a master teacher and she delivers information clearly, while enlightening and entertaining you. A good teacher can do this while teaching any skill be it yoga, cooking, or reading. I've had a love affair with food that until recently excluded the flavors of Indian cuisine. Fortunately a recent trip to India followed by the publication of this book has changed all that. I will finish by saying that if you do not have a lot of time to fuss or cook but still want delicious and healthy, your prayers have been answered.

- Very basic, not worth for the money.
- Many colored blank pages to fill the volume.
- Many large pictures (take the entire page) to fill the volume.
- The recipes are too americanized, I prefer the authentic recipes.
I was thinking to take the Ayurveda training, but after reading the book: no! Unless the training is given by native Indian.

I am looking at a bookshelf of about 20 cookbooks I have bought over that last 10 years. I have some really good ones, but this is the first review I have ever been prompted to write. This book is great. I have dabbled a tiny bit in Ayurveda and I wanted to start putting some of the ideas into practice but wasn't exactly sure how to start. This book walked me through everything from shopping lists to seasonal menu plans. I like the idea that recipes are templates because I am all about the free form. It does not pretend to be a master book on Ayurveda but instead is a VERY practical book for bringing Ayurveda into your life. The title is perfect. Very impressed.

I love this book and I love the changes in my life that cooking and eating this way have brought. I am fortunate to live in Boston so have consulted with Kate privately, her dietary recommendations have been extremely helpful in clearing up a chronic digestive issue that I have had. It feels really good to me to know I am eating delicious simple foods that are in themselves medicinal for my condition. I have made recipes from it for my family (adult son is a very picky eater) and my friends and all have loved them... Its a beautiful book and I have already given out 5 of them as gifts...the people I spend time with need to learn what I am doing, and I am happy to share it with them! I can't recommend it highly enough.

I had been looking for a cleanse to reset some bad eating habits, but was turned off by so many cleanses with very restrictive diets with strange ingredients. A friend suggested I follow the seasonal cleanse from this book. I was instantly intrigued by the simple, straightforward recipes and beautiful photographs. I was drawn to the fact that during the cleanse I would be eating simple FOOD! It was easy to follow and Ms. O'Donnell explained the process thoroughly. Even though I do not practice Auryvedic principles in my daily life, the cleanse and subsequent recipes worked for me to get a better handle on fresh, healthy, clean eating.
Now, I consult the book whenever I'm searching for a healthy seasonal recipe for myself and my family. Dare I say, life changing?! YES.

This guide is so much more than a cookbook! Recipes are simple, delicious, and quick. Anyone interested in living healthy, digestion, clean eating, and lifestyle modifications should absolutely buy this book. It's also gorgeous, well organized, and is simple to learn and understand. You are guided in making positive changes every step of the way. Seems like beginners and advanced would benefit.

So far, I just feel like an idiot because nowhere in this book have I found a definition of dal. Seems like a basic concept that might not be familiar to many Western readers and therefore should be discussed even if only briefly. Is it just plain split mung beans? Cooked split mung beans? Lentils? Mushy legumes? I can't tell. Nothing in the index or glossary provides clarification.

I love this book! I am new to Ayurveda and found this book to be so helpful in explaining the basics and providing simple recipes with beautiful pictures and instructions. A great first book, in my opinion. Tastefully and thoughtfully done. So glad I purchased it. I have enjoyed all the recipes so far and love the seasonal differentiations.

I LOVE this book! The recipes are so easy to follow and make and super delicious. I was looking for an Ayurveda cookbook that wasn't complicated, that used relatively easy ingredients and that made yummy recipes.....and this book is all of that. I also love how it breaks down the recipes into different seasons....makes it super easy to understand and cook with fresh ingredients. I highly recommend it.

I was really excited to get this book but was disappointed by the recipes to be honest. I mean, some are nice but in general they are very simple.. Not simple for my liking. And theres a lot of information and not that much recipes.. It's a nice book if you want to learn about Ayurveda and you are starting with that kind of cuisine though.

What an amazing book?!!! I recently was turned on to Ayurveda and this book is fantastic. I have not been able to make every recipe, but those that I have tried have been very easy and delicious. This is a great starter book.

For someone who gets turned off by the complexity of ingredients and steps in many recipes, but who wants to eat healthy, tasty meals, this book has been an answer to my prayer. Not only are the photos gorgeous and inviting, the recipes are easy to follow and include simple, wholesome ingredients. The best part? The book is organized by seasons so you know what to eat and when since your digestive system changes throughout the year.

I just got my copy and have already fallen in love with it. This book is organized to perfection. Easy to read page by page or the pick up grab and go recipe book. I have already begun to reorganize my kitchen cabinets to suit my student nurse, working, on a budget life to meet the high but approachable standards for the Ayurveda method. Kate has taught me how to plan out my meals in a way that makes me excited instead of anxious. Each recipe has only the essential ingredients that are repeated throughout the book, which I really value. Thank you for this wonderful gift of a book!