For those of you unfamiliar with the Kushi Institute's "Way To Health Program", It is a weeklong immersion into macrobiotics where on average 12 people arrive at the Kushi Institute Sunday evening, with many having very serious health problems, and often only a spattering of macrobiotic knowledge. When they leave the following Saturday, they are to have learned enough to begin a successful practice of macrobiotics. A pretty tall order to pull off, right? Jessica was the manager of this program for two years, she knows what essential information must be conveyed to the beginning person to macrobiotics, and she does it in a very interesting and at the same time witty manner. She goes far beyond the essentials, sure there are many books out there that cover the basic concept of yin and yang, but there are far fewer that attempt to tackle the teaching of the Twelve Laws of Change of the Infinite Universe. Jessica shows us the 12 laws at work in her own life, so hopefully we can more easily apply them to our own. With these passages, Jessica is transformed from mere author to the heroine of the book, and in the process without our realizing, she has succeed in teaching us what would regularly be some very difficult material to grasp.
Jessica includes a very large section of recipes in her book, besides including probably every dish a beginner would want to have in their recipe repertoire, like nishime, nabe, and kinpira, there is also huge amount of recipes that long term macros probably have not seen elsewhere. I personally have made the Amaranth and Apricots recipe and was quite pleased to find such a unique recipe. There are many more that I can't wait to try out like mock tuna, or Black-Eyed Pea Croquettes, hambulghur helper, or peanut butter cups from the extensive dessert section. This is definitely not a situation where you buy a new book, and are soon disappointed to find that it really just has 1 or 2 truly useful recipes to use that you already did not have from somewhere else. I do not think I have never seen anywhere else Jessica's recipe for sourdough bread, which interestingly enough is steamed rather than baked, as baking is something one wants to try to minimize when possible.
Maybe the nicest thing about this book is that it is so contemporary. Yes there are some very nice macrobiotic cookbooks out there, but sadly many of them are from the late eighties, and early nineties when I first began my practice of macrobiotics. There are so many new issues that have appeared on the horizon since then, like genetically modified foods, newer sweeteners like stevia and sugar cane, low carb diets, or many of the new highly processed "convenience health foods" now on the market, Jessica addresses them all, plus gives frank information on timeless ones like dairy, meat, chicken, nightshade vegetables, alcohol and much more.
Finally there is a great chapter entitled Beyond Diet, a handy glossary, and a very comprehensive resources section including macrobiotic counselors, places to study, mail order resources to buy food, and a great selection of web sites to check out. All in all, this is a great book for both the beginner, and those of you that are long time macros. Probably the best advice that Jessica offers to someone that is just easing into macrobiotic cooking is. "Maybe there is no garnish for the soup. Perhaps you never made it to the seaweed dish. Who cares? It doesn't matter. The Macro Police are over at Madonna's house." This in a nut shell sums up the overriding philosophy of the book, provide comprehensive information about macrobiotics, but never make it dull or boring.
Heralded by New York magazine as one of the city's most popular diets, macrobiotics has become the latest trend in dieting, thanks to high-profile supporters like Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Speaking to the generation of young women looking to extend their healthy lifestyles beyond yoga and Pilates, macrobiotic chef and instructor Jessica Porter offers fresh, contemporary, and accessible insight into one of the world's oldest, yet most popular, diets. She explains that by eating good quality whole foods, any woman can experience physical, sensory, emotional, and intellectual freedom.
The effects of eating a macrobiotic diet can extend beyond basic health to weight loss, beauty, better sex, and peace of mind. Cooking tips and recipes are combined with Jessica's no-nonsense philosophy and witty anecdotes to create a lifestyle book that will inspire women to hit the kitchen with an understanding of how to strengthen their minds and bodies through food.
Author Biography: Jessica Porter is a macrobiotic chef, cooking instructor, and hypnotist. She completed her macrobiotic training at the Kushi Institute in Beckett, Massachusetts. She hosts a weekly radio show in Portland, Maine, has written and appeared in her own one-woman show, Zen Comedy, and has been featured in Simon Doonan's recent book, Wacky Chicks: Life Lessons from Fearlessly Inappropriate and Fabulously Eccentric Women.
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