Book Review: Ani’s Raw Food Asia

Ani Phyo is a renowned raw foods chef and eco-lifestylist. She has published six un-cookbooks in a decade, and all are full of gorgeous, raw vegan recipes that will inspire even the most meat-and-potatoes folks to eat their raw veggies. In fact, the first raw recipes ever created in my kitchen were those by Ani; recipes that are so delicious that they are still a staple in my kitchen rotation. Recently I was sent a review copy of Ani's Raw Food Asia: Easy East-West Recipes (DaCapo/Lifelong), which was published in 2011. It's one of her best books yet, featuring a global selection of recipes, kitchen tips and wellness wisdom from across Asia. Even though it's a few years old now, the recipes are even more important today, as we continually confirm that a plant-based diet (especially one that includes lots of raw foods) is the healthiest way to live. Ani's beautiful raw recipes are an easy way to learn to truly enjoy eating all our veggies!

Ani's Raw Food Asia is a gorgeous collection of totally raw recipes that feature the flavor and stylings of the Far East. The recipes cover classic foods from India, Thailand, Korea, Indonesia, Japan and more. Amazingly enough, many recipes from these cultural cuisines are already raw, but for those that feature cooked ingredients, Ani has replaced them with wholesome alternatives like kelp noodles, cauliflower 'rice' for sushi rolls and raw ice cream for the classic dessert of the Philippines, Halo Halo.

Some of the standout recipes include a Jackfruit Curry (Indonesia), Samosas with Tomato Dal (India) using raw wraps made in a dehydrator, Corn Fritters (Indonesia) and a wide range of Korean namuls, or small sides for all your meals. In addition to the recipes Ani shares tips and tricks for a healthier lifestyle, including why to include probiotics (through homemade fermented foods like Kim Chi), the importance of proper hydration, benefits of toxic-free living and little sidebars of information about cultivating a healthy life, both in and out of the kitchen.

You can find all of Ani Phyo's books on her online store, and learn more about her chef and consutation services and her vibrant life here on her website, AniPhyo.com. I also recently reviewed Ani's newest book, Ani's 15 day Fat Blast, on my other blog. To learn more about Ani's definition of raw foods and how to detox daily and why these are the healthiest things to put into our bodies, check out her six minute video here. Thanks to DaCapo/Lifelong publishers for sharing a review copy of this book!