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Three Bowl Cookbook: The Secrets of Enlightened Cooking from the Zen Mountain
Bringing the pleasures of a Zen monastery kitchen to Western readers, this beautifully illustrated cookbook presents 120 recipes for healthy and tasty dishes from a premiere Zen retreat, accompanied by information on a Zen diet, Zen stories and haiku, and lists on kitchen equipment, ingredients, buying tips, and cooking instructions.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published April 6, 2010
2 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
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David Scott
7 booksNote: There are more than one authors named "David Scott". This is David 9^ Scott (9 blanks)
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 13, 2023
4 1/2 stars, rounded to 5
The recipes in this cookbook are 5-star worthy, and so are the notes about life in a Buddhist monastery and Buddhist traditions and beliefs. But I had to deduct half a star for one shortcoming: only about 1/3 of the recipes include photos of the finished recipes. Otherwise this is a beautiful and mouthwatering cookbook. I can’t wait to try some of the recipes. I wish I could make them all! It follows the Buddhist tradition of being vegetarian, and many of the recipes are also vegan. Thankfully for me, this tenzo (head cook) doesn’t avoid spicy and highly aromatic ingredients as Buddhist monastery kitchens traditionally do. There is an overall Asian slant, Japanese especially, but with added foodie and multicultural touches and recipes. A few ingredients will be difficult for me to find in my small American town but they add authenticity and deliciousness, and the recipes are worth a bit of extra effort. And there are plenty of recipes that require only easily found ingredients. I’m so glad I got this book, I’m delighted with it!
If the above paragraph seems to have been copied and pasted from my review of Three Bowls by Edward Farrey and Nancy O’Hara, 3 Bowls: Vegetarian Recipes from an American Zen Buddhist Monastery that’s because it is, with a few minor changes. The two cookbooks are very much alike. But it’s worth buying both! They have different recipes and artwork. Also slightly different slants. Both recipe collections tend to feature Asian-style cuisine, with American, international, and foodie influences; but the other leans a bit more towards American/International, and has some slightly more upscale recipes.
This book has photos of some recipes (about 1/3). That’s why I rated it half a star higher. Both books stress seasonal and local (but not exclusively) ingredients. This one is structured into seasonal categories, which I really like; as well as the full bowl-menus. Every recipe is presented with two others, designed to compliment each other and to fit into the Buddhist tradition of 3-bowl meals.
These characteristics make it super easy to plan exceptional meals, although we are also encouraged to mix and match different recipes.
The largest bowl is always a starchy, filling, entree. The medium-size bowl is often a vegetable recipe (occasionally a salad), and the small bowl is a fruit dish, a condiment such as chutney, a dip, spread, nuts or seeds; or less often, a beverage or dessert. Or, more traditionally the medium bowl is soup and the small bowl is vegetables. Since we now know that vegetables should be the largest portion of our diets for good health, those two bowls are often reversed in American monasteries now. Additional vegetables will usually be found in the main dish and the soup. The largest bowl always contains the main dish. It may be rice, another grain, beans, starchy vegetables, tofu, or any combination of these. Or less often, pasta. Traditionally it was always plain rice: rice porridge at breakfast, possibly with a salty picked plum; and plain white rice for lunch, which the stew or soup could be spooned over. Nowdays it’s not uncommon to flavor plain rice with a few diced vegetables, saffron, lemon, nuts, mushrooms, cinnamon, sesame or other seeds, or a combination of any of these and other seasonings. Homemade bread of many kinds and flavors is also served fairly often at some monasteries and is always a favorite although not traditional.
Hot green tea is served ceremoniously twice a day at designated times in most monasteries, but the main beverage is always water at other times throughout the day. As far as I can tell, water is never served for drinking at a formal meal. An exception is when ice water or just 100% crushed/shaved ice may be included at a meal as the third, smallest bowl on hot days. Sometimes cut fruit or fruit juice may be added to the ice as a special treat; but never a sugary syrup. Sodas, juices, herbal teas, iced drinks such as lemonade and fruit punches (always non-alcoholic), and smoothies are usually served only at special occasions and occasional informal meals.
Breakfast is a little different. The main big-bowl dish is always either rice or some kind of porridge which is usually a rice porridge (congee) but could be made from many different grains and combinations of grains which could, or could not, include rice. It could be oatmeal, barley porridge, cornmeal mush or polenta cakes, or Cream of Wheat. No milk or cream is usually added. But in these American monasteries it may even be yogurt (dairy products are rarely found in a Buddhist monastery), smoothie, or pancakes. Maybe even hard-boiled eggs alongside or sliced onto the porridge. (Many Buddhists do not eat eggs, considering them to be in the same class as meat, poultry, and seafood, because the Buddha taught not to eat anything that requires the killing of a sentient being by or for you. I get the impression that Buddhists include all animals in the category of sentient beings. Maybe even plants and one-celled organisms, rocks and water. Anything made by nature rather than humankind. I approve. How do we know a rock isn’t sentient? Maybe it is, in a way that we cannot see or understand. Not that anyone’s going to eat one. But they deserve respect.)
The medium breakfast bowl was usually a thin soup such as miso or vegetable broth. The small bowl may contain fruit, a light and simple vegetable dish, or stir-ins for the congee. Traditionally most Asian people preferred congee flavorings to be savory rather than sweet - seaweeds, tofu, sesame seeds or oil, soy sauce, greens, and herbs are popular. (Meat eaters also include fish, pork, or chicken.) American monasteries now occasionally choose the usual sweet breakfast flavorings of berries, bananas, orange segments, maple syrup, cinnamon, nuts, etc.
Soy sauce and salt is always available, and when a dish requires additional condiments and garnishes (think pho) those are served in individual bowls on a tray so that each diner may choose the ones they prefer, either adding them to their small bowl if there are large chunks, or directly to their food if they are ground spices, liquids, chopped herbs, etc.
Buddhist monasteries normally serve only two meals per day, breakfast and lunch. But if it has been a particularly grueling day for the monks, nuns, and students, the cook might serve a small evening snack of nuts, fruit, bread, crackers, and cheese, pretzels with hummus or mustard, etc. Even, rarely, small pieces of chocolate as a special treat. (Normally Buddhists do not consume sugar or artificial sugars. Even natural, unrefined or less-refined sweeteners such as maple syrup, honey, and brown sugar are eaten very rarely and in extremely small amounts. But the food is so delicious and varied I wouldn’t care!) Or a person may eat a private snack or small meal in their room, food that they have brought for themselves. At special events and on special days, the tenzo (head cook) sometimes provides an informal evening meal for the group and visitors. These are always served buffet style without ceremony, and diners do not have to maintain silence as they normally do in monasteries (except during chanting.) At such times the cooks pull out all the stops! As well as Asian choices, there are American and other foods like pizza, lasagna, crepes, vegetarian hamburgers and tacos, and so much more. Even a decadent, rich and sugary cake and other fancy desserts!
Every Buddhist temple and monastery is unique, and there are many types of Buddhism, so the things I‘ve said here won’t apply to all of them. But I think they are fairly typical of American Buddhist monastery life and cuisine.
It’s enough to make me want to live at both of these monasteries! Such delicious, healthy, from-scratch, highly varied food, always made with fresh ingredients! And plentiful too. Each diner determines their serving sizes, and seconds are always offered of everything that is left. It is up to the diner to practice the Buddhist tradition of moderation as they see fit.
Sorry this post is so long, I’m just so excited about these books! And almost everything I’ve said in this review, I’ve learned from these two books, so it’s all relevant to people who are thinking about reading or buying either or both books. I recommend that you do.
The thing that stands out most to me, aside from the food, is the astonishing - to this raised-fundamentalist-Christian - freedom in Buddhism. Such a breath of fresh air! I have never encountered a religion before that doesn’t attempt to fiercely control the lives and behaviors, even the thoughts, of its followers. I know, many people don’t consider Buddhism a religion because it doesn’t have a god. They consider it a plan for life and coping with one’s own suffering and hardships, and learning to care about all other sentient beings and helping them. I tend to agree that it is a plan for life rather than a religion, but to me that is irrelevant. I admire the teachings and find them very helpful and wise. Plus, one of the great freedoms in Buddhism is that one can be a Buddhist and still remain a Christian, Jew, Pagan, or Muslim, anything you want. (Although all of those religions except modern Pagans will strongly object if you also become a Buddhist.) They needn’t, there is no conflict. So you can believe in the God, Goddess, or Great Spirit of your choosing. Or none. It’s up to you. And it doesn’t require any membership, baptism, belief in a creed, turning over all of your money and other assets to them, or initiation. (But any temple or monastery can perform an initiation ceremony for you if you want. Most will ask for a donation for the ceremony but you choose how much you can give, and it can be nothing if you are very poor.) But initiation isn’t required, you are free to skip it. Becoming a Buddhist is simply feeling and acting like one. If you consider yourself a Buddhist or even wonder if you are one, you probably are.
One of the first things an instructor will tell you if you visit a monastery, is that there are no rules in Buddhism. You can do what you want. Nobody will ever try to force you to do, or not do, anything. Some Buddhists eat meat and some monasteries eat eggs. Others drink alcohol. When you visit a Buddhist monastery you may wear a traditional robe, or you might wear your street clothes. It’s up to you. Only monks and nuns must follow a lot of rules. That’s because they take vows to do so. Some monasteries do have rules about leaving shoes and hats at the door, wearing modest clothes (no bare legs from the knee up, no tank tops or crop tops or extreme costumes), no denim (it would interfere with flexibility.) In some monasteries everyone wears matching clothes such as white robes or all black street clothes. Never touch a monk. Show respect and gratitude to others by bowing and making “prayer hands”. Do not be loud.
All of these are sensible requests with good reasons behind them: maintaining cleanliness, showing respect and empathy to others, avoiding causing them distractions or distress (remember that monks and nuns are required to be celibate, for example), being comfortable especially during meditation, maintaining an atmosphere of respect, belonging, sacredness, peace, calmness and serenity. Some are meant to teach you some basic techniques to increase your calmness, peace, and serenity. They are there to help you, to start making your life better. And these are only monastery rules, not ones that you have to follow to be a Buddhist. Once you exit the monastery you can do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t harm any sentient being. No one will force you to follow them, although you may be politely asked to leave (usually only temporarily, such as to change into appropriate clothing) if you knowingly refuse to respect the traditions and etiquette. But that is rare. Normally you will simply be politely and kindly taught correct behavior.
I find the etiquette of the formal meals highly intimidating. So much that it discourages me from going to a monastery. The chanting in Japanese in which everyone is expected to participate, and the endless required gestures and actions. One author said that even every little movement of every finger is choreographed from beginning to end of the meal. When picking up and holding your bowl, every finger must be held an exact way in an exact place. Chopsticks must be put down in an exact way and in an exact place. (Every acceptable position is a message to your server about if and how much you want of whatever food is being served.) Everyone performs every action in exactly the same way at exactly the same time. How does anyone ever memorize all that? Especially me. I have significant memory issues due to brain damage! And, you only get 30 minutes to eat, including seconds (with chopsticks!) between intervals of chanting and cleaning your bowls. I couldn’t eat more than a few bites. I have an esophageal constriction and cannot eat quickly. Trying to literally makes me choke in a way that is life threatening. So I have actual disabilities that will never improve and that may make it impossible to eat at a monastery. And the meal is part of the ritual at the Sunday service which is when most visitors and lay Buddhists attend. It would be very offensive to skip it. Not to mention missing out on the delicious food that I came for! Attending at another day or time wouldn’t help, either, as all regular meals are formal and use the same ceremony. Only the rare special-event informal evening buffets are casual, sociable, and relaxed.
Well, thanks to these books, at least I can make these recipes at home and enjoy them that way!
I believe that most of these rules are not part of Buddhism, but are an artifact of Japanese culture. It reminds me of the tea ceremony, of which I have attended two authentic and complete ones. The actions are different, and there’s no chanting at the tea ceremony. But the level of formality and complexity seems much the same. I bet that if I went to a Chinese, Indian, or Tibetan Buddhist temple instead, meals would be very different and much simpler. I have to admit it makes the meal feel more beautiful and meaningful, though.
LOL, I sound like I’m trying to convert you to Buddhism! I’m not. Buddhists don’t believe in trying to convert people. And I’m not even a Buddhist, although maybe I will become one someday. This post contains virtually the sum total of my knowledge about Buddhism. I’m just telling you what I learned from this book and the things I liked about it.
The recipes in this cookbook are 5-star worthy, and so are the notes about life in a Buddhist monastery and Buddhist traditions and beliefs. But I had to deduct half a star for one shortcoming: only about 1/3 of the recipes include photos of the finished recipes. Otherwise this is a beautiful and mouthwatering cookbook. I can’t wait to try some of the recipes. I wish I could make them all! It follows the Buddhist tradition of being vegetarian, and many of the recipes are also vegan. Thankfully for me, this tenzo (head cook) doesn’t avoid spicy and highly aromatic ingredients as Buddhist monastery kitchens traditionally do. There is an overall Asian slant, Japanese especially, but with added foodie and multicultural touches and recipes. A few ingredients will be difficult for me to find in my small American town but they add authenticity and deliciousness, and the recipes are worth a bit of extra effort. And there are plenty of recipes that require only easily found ingredients. I’m so glad I got this book, I’m delighted with it!
If the above paragraph seems to have been copied and pasted from my review of Three Bowls by Edward Farrey and Nancy O’Hara, 3 Bowls: Vegetarian Recipes from an American Zen Buddhist Monastery that’s because it is, with a few minor changes. The two cookbooks are very much alike. But it’s worth buying both! They have different recipes and artwork. Also slightly different slants. Both recipe collections tend to feature Asian-style cuisine, with American, international, and foodie influences; but the other leans a bit more towards American/International, and has some slightly more upscale recipes.
This book has photos of some recipes (about 1/3). That’s why I rated it half a star higher. Both books stress seasonal and local (but not exclusively) ingredients. This one is structured into seasonal categories, which I really like; as well as the full bowl-menus. Every recipe is presented with two others, designed to compliment each other and to fit into the Buddhist tradition of 3-bowl meals.
These characteristics make it super easy to plan exceptional meals, although we are also encouraged to mix and match different recipes.
The largest bowl is always a starchy, filling, entree. The medium-size bowl is often a vegetable recipe (occasionally a salad), and the small bowl is a fruit dish, a condiment such as chutney, a dip, spread, nuts or seeds; or less often, a beverage or dessert. Or, more traditionally the medium bowl is soup and the small bowl is vegetables. Since we now know that vegetables should be the largest portion of our diets for good health, those two bowls are often reversed in American monasteries now. Additional vegetables will usually be found in the main dish and the soup. The largest bowl always contains the main dish. It may be rice, another grain, beans, starchy vegetables, tofu, or any combination of these. Or less often, pasta. Traditionally it was always plain rice: rice porridge at breakfast, possibly with a salty picked plum; and plain white rice for lunch, which the stew or soup could be spooned over. Nowdays it’s not uncommon to flavor plain rice with a few diced vegetables, saffron, lemon, nuts, mushrooms, cinnamon, sesame or other seeds, or a combination of any of these and other seasonings. Homemade bread of many kinds and flavors is also served fairly often at some monasteries and is always a favorite although not traditional.
Hot green tea is served ceremoniously twice a day at designated times in most monasteries, but the main beverage is always water at other times throughout the day. As far as I can tell, water is never served for drinking at a formal meal. An exception is when ice water or just 100% crushed/shaved ice may be included at a meal as the third, smallest bowl on hot days. Sometimes cut fruit or fruit juice may be added to the ice as a special treat; but never a sugary syrup. Sodas, juices, herbal teas, iced drinks such as lemonade and fruit punches (always non-alcoholic), and smoothies are usually served only at special occasions and occasional informal meals.
Breakfast is a little different. The main big-bowl dish is always either rice or some kind of porridge which is usually a rice porridge (congee) but could be made from many different grains and combinations of grains which could, or could not, include rice. It could be oatmeal, barley porridge, cornmeal mush or polenta cakes, or Cream of Wheat. No milk or cream is usually added. But in these American monasteries it may even be yogurt (dairy products are rarely found in a Buddhist monastery), smoothie, or pancakes. Maybe even hard-boiled eggs alongside or sliced onto the porridge. (Many Buddhists do not eat eggs, considering them to be in the same class as meat, poultry, and seafood, because the Buddha taught not to eat anything that requires the killing of a sentient being by or for you. I get the impression that Buddhists include all animals in the category of sentient beings. Maybe even plants and one-celled organisms, rocks and water. Anything made by nature rather than humankind. I approve. How do we know a rock isn’t sentient? Maybe it is, in a way that we cannot see or understand. Not that anyone’s going to eat one. But they deserve respect.)
The medium breakfast bowl was usually a thin soup such as miso or vegetable broth. The small bowl may contain fruit, a light and simple vegetable dish, or stir-ins for the congee. Traditionally most Asian people preferred congee flavorings to be savory rather than sweet - seaweeds, tofu, sesame seeds or oil, soy sauce, greens, and herbs are popular. (Meat eaters also include fish, pork, or chicken.) American monasteries now occasionally choose the usual sweet breakfast flavorings of berries, bananas, orange segments, maple syrup, cinnamon, nuts, etc.
Soy sauce and salt is always available, and when a dish requires additional condiments and garnishes (think pho) those are served in individual bowls on a tray so that each diner may choose the ones they prefer, either adding them to their small bowl if there are large chunks, or directly to their food if they are ground spices, liquids, chopped herbs, etc.
Buddhist monasteries normally serve only two meals per day, breakfast and lunch. But if it has been a particularly grueling day for the monks, nuns, and students, the cook might serve a small evening snack of nuts, fruit, bread, crackers, and cheese, pretzels with hummus or mustard, etc. Even, rarely, small pieces of chocolate as a special treat. (Normally Buddhists do not consume sugar or artificial sugars. Even natural, unrefined or less-refined sweeteners such as maple syrup, honey, and brown sugar are eaten very rarely and in extremely small amounts. But the food is so delicious and varied I wouldn’t care!) Or a person may eat a private snack or small meal in their room, food that they have brought for themselves. At special events and on special days, the tenzo (head cook) sometimes provides an informal evening meal for the group and visitors. These are always served buffet style without ceremony, and diners do not have to maintain silence as they normally do in monasteries (except during chanting.) At such times the cooks pull out all the stops! As well as Asian choices, there are American and other foods like pizza, lasagna, crepes, vegetarian hamburgers and tacos, and so much more. Even a decadent, rich and sugary cake and other fancy desserts!
Every Buddhist temple and monastery is unique, and there are many types of Buddhism, so the things I‘ve said here won’t apply to all of them. But I think they are fairly typical of American Buddhist monastery life and cuisine.
It’s enough to make me want to live at both of these monasteries! Such delicious, healthy, from-scratch, highly varied food, always made with fresh ingredients! And plentiful too. Each diner determines their serving sizes, and seconds are always offered of everything that is left. It is up to the diner to practice the Buddhist tradition of moderation as they see fit.
Sorry this post is so long, I’m just so excited about these books! And almost everything I’ve said in this review, I’ve learned from these two books, so it’s all relevant to people who are thinking about reading or buying either or both books. I recommend that you do.
The thing that stands out most to me, aside from the food, is the astonishing - to this raised-fundamentalist-Christian - freedom in Buddhism. Such a breath of fresh air! I have never encountered a religion before that doesn’t attempt to fiercely control the lives and behaviors, even the thoughts, of its followers. I know, many people don’t consider Buddhism a religion because it doesn’t have a god. They consider it a plan for life and coping with one’s own suffering and hardships, and learning to care about all other sentient beings and helping them. I tend to agree that it is a plan for life rather than a religion, but to me that is irrelevant. I admire the teachings and find them very helpful and wise. Plus, one of the great freedoms in Buddhism is that one can be a Buddhist and still remain a Christian, Jew, Pagan, or Muslim, anything you want. (Although all of those religions except modern Pagans will strongly object if you also become a Buddhist.) They needn’t, there is no conflict. So you can believe in the God, Goddess, or Great Spirit of your choosing. Or none. It’s up to you. And it doesn’t require any membership, baptism, belief in a creed, turning over all of your money and other assets to them, or initiation. (But any temple or monastery can perform an initiation ceremony for you if you want. Most will ask for a donation for the ceremony but you choose how much you can give, and it can be nothing if you are very poor.) But initiation isn’t required, you are free to skip it. Becoming a Buddhist is simply feeling and acting like one. If you consider yourself a Buddhist or even wonder if you are one, you probably are.
One of the first things an instructor will tell you if you visit a monastery, is that there are no rules in Buddhism. You can do what you want. Nobody will ever try to force you to do, or not do, anything. Some Buddhists eat meat and some monasteries eat eggs. Others drink alcohol. When you visit a Buddhist monastery you may wear a traditional robe, or you might wear your street clothes. It’s up to you. Only monks and nuns must follow a lot of rules. That’s because they take vows to do so. Some monasteries do have rules about leaving shoes and hats at the door, wearing modest clothes (no bare legs from the knee up, no tank tops or crop tops or extreme costumes), no denim (it would interfere with flexibility.) In some monasteries everyone wears matching clothes such as white robes or all black street clothes. Never touch a monk. Show respect and gratitude to others by bowing and making “prayer hands”. Do not be loud.
All of these are sensible requests with good reasons behind them: maintaining cleanliness, showing respect and empathy to others, avoiding causing them distractions or distress (remember that monks and nuns are required to be celibate, for example), being comfortable especially during meditation, maintaining an atmosphere of respect, belonging, sacredness, peace, calmness and serenity. Some are meant to teach you some basic techniques to increase your calmness, peace, and serenity. They are there to help you, to start making your life better. And these are only monastery rules, not ones that you have to follow to be a Buddhist. Once you exit the monastery you can do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t harm any sentient being. No one will force you to follow them, although you may be politely asked to leave (usually only temporarily, such as to change into appropriate clothing) if you knowingly refuse to respect the traditions and etiquette. But that is rare. Normally you will simply be politely and kindly taught correct behavior.
I find the etiquette of the formal meals highly intimidating. So much that it discourages me from going to a monastery. The chanting in Japanese in which everyone is expected to participate, and the endless required gestures and actions. One author said that even every little movement of every finger is choreographed from beginning to end of the meal. When picking up and holding your bowl, every finger must be held an exact way in an exact place. Chopsticks must be put down in an exact way and in an exact place. (Every acceptable position is a message to your server about if and how much you want of whatever food is being served.) Everyone performs every action in exactly the same way at exactly the same time. How does anyone ever memorize all that? Especially me. I have significant memory issues due to brain damage! And, you only get 30 minutes to eat, including seconds (with chopsticks!) between intervals of chanting and cleaning your bowls. I couldn’t eat more than a few bites. I have an esophageal constriction and cannot eat quickly. Trying to literally makes me choke in a way that is life threatening. So I have actual disabilities that will never improve and that may make it impossible to eat at a monastery. And the meal is part of the ritual at the Sunday service which is when most visitors and lay Buddhists attend. It would be very offensive to skip it. Not to mention missing out on the delicious food that I came for! Attending at another day or time wouldn’t help, either, as all regular meals are formal and use the same ceremony. Only the rare special-event informal evening buffets are casual, sociable, and relaxed.
Well, thanks to these books, at least I can make these recipes at home and enjoy them that way!
I believe that most of these rules are not part of Buddhism, but are an artifact of Japanese culture. It reminds me of the tea ceremony, of which I have attended two authentic and complete ones. The actions are different, and there’s no chanting at the tea ceremony. But the level of formality and complexity seems much the same. I bet that if I went to a Chinese, Indian, or Tibetan Buddhist temple instead, meals would be very different and much simpler. I have to admit it makes the meal feel more beautiful and meaningful, though.
LOL, I sound like I’m trying to convert you to Buddhism! I’m not. Buddhists don’t believe in trying to convert people. And I’m not even a Buddhist, although maybe I will become one someday. This post contains virtually the sum total of my knowledge about Buddhism. I’m just telling you what I learned from this book and the things I liked about it.
December 13, 2008
i have checked out this book over and over from the library. recipes are so simple and good! lots of ideas for squash/zucc/beets etc when veg aren't so plentiful in the wintertime. it's on my christmas list, hint hint!
November 26, 2011
My favorite cookbook ever! Everything in it is simple, easy, healthy, seasonal and delicious. I think it is possible that my mom has actually made every single recipe in it.
January 21, 2022
If you are looking for a recipe book about *Japanese* Zen cuisine (Shojin ryori), which does not include pungent flavours like garlic and onion and rarely features dairy products, this is not the book for you. The dishes in this book are very much built around European and American cuisine with almost all recipes featuring allium and cheese. If you are after authentic Japanese shojin ryouri recipes, I would recommend Mari Fuji's The Enlightened Kitchen instead.
December 23, 2020
Easy, different, healthy and original.
April 10, 2007
Its Zen so its veggie, which is good for me. The recipies are simple yet elegent (again, very Zen), and grouped together in meals, so they go nicely with one another. I come back to this one again and again.
May 24, 2009
I didn't even look at most of the recipes. It's a lovely, well-laid-out book with a bunch of little stories and explanations about life in the monastery. The focus is on how the monks use the mundane tasks of life (cooking, eating) to improve their Zen practice.
July 15, 2012
This is a great book of simple (don't need a gazillion ingredients) vegetarian recipes.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews