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The George Bernard Shaw vegetarian cook book;
'It is beneficial to one's health not to be carnivorous. The strongest animals, such as the bull, are vegetarians. Look at me. I have ten times as much good health and energy as a meat eater.'So said George Bernard Shaw, a vegetarian and also a man much concerned about his the calories in each of his meals had to be carefully weighted and the total accurately calculated.His cook-housekeeper, Mrs Laden, looked after him for the sixteen years before his death in 1943 at the age of ninety-four. These are the recipes that made up the menus she devised for him - all delicious, satisfying, and all conforming to his standards of vegetarianism, low calory count and economy.
119 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 9, 2012
Whilst the menus within this book are interesting and an historical record of the type of food George Bernard Shaw ate in later life are fascinating, the most interesting part of the book is the introduction.
R J Minney writes a succinct and tremendously interesting account of Shaw's road to vegetarianism and the part Alice Laden, who originally looked after Shaw's wife until her death, played in it.
It is interesting to note that Shaw only became a vegetarian at age 25.
And Minney quotes stories told by Mrs Laden and they give a good insight into the man that was GBS. For instance he was meticulous about the number of calories that were in his daily meals. Nothing unsurprising about that one might say but then he proceeded to eat enormous amounts of cake, sweets and biscuits - always having one to hand! And, remarkably, he never put on any weight!
In addition he took two and a half hours over breakfast, the same amount of time over lunch and then hurriedly (!) ate his dinner in one and a quarter hours. How on earth did he find time to write?
Shaw was never allowed in Mrs Laden's kitchen but his continued good health until a ripe old age and hearty appetite showed that she had got it just right!
And, as I say, the menus are interesting in themselves - and I must confess I am what one might call a pseudo-vegetarian!
R J Minney writes a succinct and tremendously interesting account of Shaw's road to vegetarianism and the part Alice Laden, who originally looked after Shaw's wife until her death, played in it.
It is interesting to note that Shaw only became a vegetarian at age 25.
And Minney quotes stories told by Mrs Laden and they give a good insight into the man that was GBS. For instance he was meticulous about the number of calories that were in his daily meals. Nothing unsurprising about that one might say but then he proceeded to eat enormous amounts of cake, sweets and biscuits - always having one to hand! And, remarkably, he never put on any weight!
In addition he took two and a half hours over breakfast, the same amount of time over lunch and then hurriedly (!) ate his dinner in one and a quarter hours. How on earth did he find time to write?
Shaw was never allowed in Mrs Laden's kitchen but his continued good health until a ripe old age and hearty appetite showed that she had got it just right!
And, as I say, the menus are interesting in themselves - and I must confess I am what one might call a pseudo-vegetarian!
February 1, 2016
A must to any vegetarian. I use it every day. Best vegetarian cook book ever.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews