Esalen Cookbook

By Charlie Cascio

The world-renowned Esalen Institute, located on the sacred cliffs above the ocean in Big Sur, California, is a place of peace and beauty, a place where people can contemplate, think, and discover. At... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1586858521
• ISBN13: 9781586858520
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 2.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 0.8" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Lovely cookbook; healthy food simply prepared

Like the Esalen Institute itself, Charlie Cascio's cookbook is beautiful and enriching. Not only are so many of Esalen's wonderfully healthy and delicious recipes provided, but Charlie shares some of Esalen's rich folklore along the way. Reading this interesting and colorful book is almost like spending a long weekend at Esalen. Relaxing and exciting at the same time. The recipes are very carefully written, and the pictures are magnificent.

Needs an editor....bad

Although, I do like this cookbook and I'm glad that I purchased it, it has errors in the recipes. For example, in the quinoa vegetable souffle, it calls for 1 1/2 TBS. of sea salt!!! I ruined the dish the first time I made it. This sucks because I spent like 90 minutes making it and money for the ingredients. So the next time I made it, I used 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt and it was perfect. And there is a dressing recipe (spiral salad dressing) that claims to be the most requested dressing recipe at Esalen. It calls for an entire raw red onion minced, along with various vinegars, etc. to yield 2 cups of dressing. I have a hard time believing anyone would enjoy this much raw onion!! I used 1/8 of the onion and it is still too onion-y. It actually makes me nauseous just thinking about it. Also, many of the recipes are incomplete, leaving the cook to fiqure it out on their own (Milan Style Lasangna: it says to drain cooked ingredients in a colander, then to add canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, etc. and mix). All it needed to include was to transfer drained ingredients to a bowl before mixing in other ingredients. I know most of this is common sense, but to an amatuer cook just reading instructions, one can waste precious ingredients and time. I believe that some things got lost in translating the quantities that Esalen cooks it's food to the quantities for the cookbook. I say, just watch out for quantity and use your own judgement. If is sounds like too much, start little and then add more later. So far, these are the only examples of errors I have experienced. Every other recipe I have made has been fine.

A fine recommendation for any health-oriented cookbook collection.

If the name 'Esalen' sounds familiar, it's because it's world famous: an institute located in California renowned for its beauty and place where people can meditate. What's less known outside its walls is that it also harbors a kitchen where fresh food is produced from the Esalen garden - and Esalen Cookbook: Healthy and Organic Recipes from Big Sur gathers the recipes for this food, pairing cooking tips and instructions with dishes ranging from Sourdough Raisin Bread and Greek Spinach Salad to Southern Baked Chicken and Cashew Rice & Veggie Loaf. Add color photos to the mix and you have a fine recommendation for any health-oriented cookbook collection. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

Warm the Heart

This is a wonderful compendium of treats from the Esalen kitchen, a place where food is nutrition for the soul. Somethings are fancy, somethings are plain, but all are delicious and meant to feed the human spirit. Ingredients are the best available and preparation is clearly explained and beautifully illustrated. At Esalen many of the cooks started as kitchen help and progressed based on the merit of their actual dishes. Others, like Matt, began as interns from the Culinary Institute. No certificate can guaranty like the actual eating experience. Charlie Cascio is now the grand old man, but many of the recipes are those of other chefs, some like Anthony and Denise are very young and will someday be in charge of their own great kitchens. Esalen Institue overlooks the Pacific Ocean from the cliffs of Big Sur, California; those of us who have been there know that it is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The gardens at Esalen supply many of the vegetables at the table in the lodge. There are hot springs at the edge of the sea, and, in all the world, there is little to compare with a few hours in the tubs followed by a delicious meal. This book is a whiff, a taste of that exquisite experience. It is also, just a damn practical little cookbook for any home, easy to prepare wholesome fare.

Healthy Comfort Food with Gourmet Appeal

"At anytime of the night or day you may find small groups of people in deep conversation, someone writing a letter or reading a book, or two people who have just met and are starting up a lifelong friendship." ~ pg. 17 Esalen is located on a place that was once sacred to the Esselen Indians. This Institute is known as an organization devoted to personal growth and they offer over five hundred workshops and seminars ranging in interests including: massage, yoga, ecology, spirituality, art, music and psychology. Charlie Cascio worked as the head chef and kitchen manager for the Esalen Institute and still lives on an organic farm that produces delicious cheese and olive oil. His life experiences have taken him to many countries where he has worked as a chef and has taught seminars to health professionals. Here people come for the food as much as they beautiful location and healing spirit of the land. The book begins with a guided tour and notes on cooking. Right from the start, you know you will be learning a great deal about healthy cooking and the first issue is of course sugar and how you can substitute "sucanat" for sugar. Since trying the sugar, I know it is true, but I didn't know why it was as healthy as it is. This book explains the difference between various types of sugar and then goes on to a discussion of cooking oils where we learn about "expeller pressed." Then there is page after page of tempting recipes like Orange-Essence Raisin Bread, Irish Soda Bread and Semolina Sourdough. If you are looking for delicious hearty breads, the Honey Whole Wheat Bread is made with all whole wheat flour, sea salt and honey. For Breakfast you can choose from Pancakes to Muesli and Granola. Bee Pollen and flax seed oil make the Muesli even healthier. These are recipes you can easily make at home. Lunches include Chinese Omelets made with shiitake mushrooms and snow peas with a Tamari Gravy and then there are delicious Provencal Veggie Turnovers with flavors of sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano and sage. The Dinners are warm and comforting and at times elegant, like the Chicken in a Basket or Asparagus & Shitake Mushroom Strudel. The Green Tea & Miso-glazed Tempeh looks very tempting and has the flavor of chicken with a hint of jasmine. The Salads range from familiar to exotic with Curried Tofu Salad and Oriental Buckwheat Noodle Salad. There are nine salad dressings to choose from including a Apple-Dijon and Lite Asian Dressing. The soups focus on vegetarian selections and include: Hearty Minestrone, Fresh Corn Chowder and Roasted Butternut & Curry Soup. A recipe for Ayurvedic Dal is much appreciated and this recipe includes delicious ingredients like coconut milk. So what is for dessert? Yes, lots of delicious chocolate temptations. Imagine Coconut Macaroons dipped in chocolate or a Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with lemon glaze. They even have a vegan Chocolate cake and a Chocolate Tantric Pie. The Esalen