Vegan World Fusion Cuisine by Bo Rinaldi, Mark Reinfeld (2005, Hardcover)

The Blossoming Lotus is multi-award winning vegan restaurant based on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, with another restaurant located in Portland, Oregon. Inspired by the spiritual practice of Ahimsa (or nonviolence), and the immense culinary talent of Executive Chef, Mark Reinfeld, this restaurant creates some of the most incredible, delicious, and unique plant-based food cuisine found anywhere in the world.

Multi-award winning Vegan World Fusion Cuisine, a book authored by Mark Reinfeld, Bo Rinaldi and the talented chefs of the Blossoming Lotus is one that you can surely set out on your coffee table. It is an attractive, durable hardcover book full of beautifully-taken color photographs of sacred sites and original artwork from all around the world; as well as incredible color photos of many of the created recipes in the book. Inspirational quotations are scattered about the photos about healthful, compassionate eating - and living - from multiple sources from all around the world.

Reinfeld and Rinaldi mention that the book is not just a "cookbook," but a "wisdom work." Their wonderfully written "wisdom work" begins with an incredible, non-judgmental introduction to the vegan diet and lifestyle with a foreword by Dr. Jane Goodall; followed by the recipes; followed by an extensive vegan natural food preparation guide, and ended with a comprehensive, up-to-date food glossary and vegan resource guide. Even though the cookbook seems thin, each recipe contains several "variations on a theme," where you can substitute different ingredients in-and-out, make a living foods version, etc. Overall, several hundred different recipes can be made.

The recipe layout of Vegan World Fusion cuisine is very easy to use and to follow, arranged in the following sections: Appetizers and Snack Foods; Soups; Dressings/Sauces; Sandwiches; Breads, Pizza and Pasta Dishes; Tempeh, Tofu and Seitan Dishes; Casseroles, Grain and Bean Dishes; Desserts; and Breakfast Items and Juices. Each section is arranged with recipes that are more filling for the "transitioning" vegan and ends with delicious "lighter" living food recipes, noted by their logo, the blossoming lotus flower. The recipes have clever, catchy names to them, most with denotations to the spiritual practice of Ahimsa.

Some of the recipes, especially those with influences of their restaurant home on the isle of Kauai, have uncommon ingredients that you may find in an Asian or Indian foods store, over the Internet, or in a very well-stocked natural foods store. With all of the suggested substitutes at the end of each recipe, though; there is usually no problem making all of the recipes.

Overall, if there is one vegetarian/vegan cookbook that is a "must-have", this would be it. it's a must-buy - and try!

I would appreciate a vote on this guide, if you found this informative and helpful or not, as your feedback helps me develop further reviews and guides.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my review on Vegan World Fusion Cuisine!