Live Raw: Raw Food Recipes for Good Health and Timeless Beauty

I was on my first step of changing my lifestyle into raw food, when I came across Mimi Kirk's "cook"book. It has been my guide into this whole new world, starting with help on how to transform my kitchen into a raw food friendly kitchen, and what I need in my cupboards. Half of the items I've never heard of before, but this book makes it easy to change. I never felt intimidated or overwhelmed - everything is explained, and gave me a whole new appreciation of greens, fruits, nuts, and grains. The recipes are fantastic and yummy. I started out with making one new recipe every day. We feel totally energized, the food is not only delicious, but also very satisfying. I did not have cravings once. From juices and smoothies, to making your healthy breads without any flour, non-dairy cheeses, salads, and sweets, it is all covered. This book is a great gift as well for anybody you know that wants to eat healthy, and nutritious that tastes wonderful. The photos look so inviting that you want to start making the recipe right away. Yes, I do hug this book sometimes too...:)

I think I've found the holy grail of raw cookbooks! I'm just barely making my first foray into the world of raw cooking. I've purchased several raw cookbooks, but this is the only one I need. In fact, I just received it today, so I haven't made any of the recipes yet. I'll do another review, or modify this one, once I try some recipes. This is actually my first review on Amazon). I just couldn't wait to give this book a glowing review! There is a wide selection of recipes, and they all look delicious and manageable to prepare. I'm SO excited to get cracking on this book! It also provides an enormous wealth of extremely useful advice on healthy living in general! I think it could be described as a "textbook" for raw living-- but one that is incredibly accessible, informative, and enjoyable to read! Such a great book, I'm considering writing a letter to the author to thank her for it. Like I said, this is the only raw cookbook I need... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

I bought 3 beginner raw recipe books and this was by far the best! The layout is first rate IMO. Some recipe books have great content but then the layout leaves you uninspired for some reason. This book shines everywhere. Non of the recipes are intimidating to me, yet all I have tried are outstanding. It is well balanced and I like the fact she explains how to do detox right. The book has a good assortment of blending and extracting juice recipes and does not use tons of nuts compared to other books I have read. She is also not preachy. I believe if you are looking for your first raw book, it would be hard to find a better one. Her no nonsense approach to raw foods and healthful living in general is most certainly the secret of her youthful appearance. Thank you Mimi Kirk! This book even has a few of the amazing pates and crispy breads I had for my bday at a local vegan restaurant :d Nice!

I truly LOVE this book! I love the quality of the paper, the gorgeous photos, the level of detail - I never knew some herbs should be stored like flowers in the refrigerator. There is so much more that Mimi shares in this book that I just wish I had time every day to sit and leisurely read through it. I consider this book very valuable in helping one transition into a healthier way of living because it covers every aspect of a healthy lifestyle. The only negative is the complexity of Mimi's recipes. I am afraid this might frighten a beginner off. I bought one copy for myself and one for my daughter, who is vegan like me and also loves to eat raw best. She is very stressed out with a new job right now, however, and so very busy. So, I actually withheld it as a gift this Xmas to wait for a time when she is less likely to be overwhelmed. I put colorful tabs on the various chapters and left it out for her to look over before Xmas to get her reaction to it. She picked it up, carefully leafed through, and then said nothing about wanting a copy. She needs REAL simple now, I think, and this book is wonderfully NOT! :) Mimi is a perfectionist. (Takes one to know one.) I really appreciate this, and I am sure her recipes have so many ingredients because they all add up to something truly extraordinary. I really look forward to when I have enough time to try them as written. Still, I like simple best and will use her recipes more like a blueprint to create something of my own with much less fuss - unless I am planning a special dinner party. Unfortunately, my 20-something daughter does not yet have enough experience in the kitchen to do this! Overall, though, I will highly recommend this book to friends.

I usually buy books on Kindle, but I wanted a hard copy of this book so I could fully absorb Mimi's philosophy. I actually read the book cover to cover on the beach at Pawley's Island. She's enjoyed a life of great health through her lifestyle, which she describes in detail. While some will say she was just lucky; it may not have been due to her lifestyle, I don't believe that. I do believe all the components of her personal healthy living plan enabled her to have a life of great health. Although it is mostly a cookbook, she does share her many tips for "feeling good." I found most of the recipes enticing and unique. I have tried 2 of them already, liking both well. Yes, they do require a whole new way of cooking and thinking, new ingredients and tools to buy, new cooking techniques to learn; however, that's the point! Over the last 2 years I have been transitioning from the SAD to a healthy Vegan lifestyle for both health and anti-aging benefits. This book has taken me to the next level. If you are unsure about going Vegan, this book might not be "easy" enough for you. Or maybe it will be, skipping all the BS and teaching you how to dive in. I found the book to be very useful and recommend it. Mimi's experience is pretty awesome and I am glad she's sharing it!

I have several raw food cookbooks and so far I have to say this is, hands down, my favorite. The recipes are easy to follow and easy to put together. I've never put much merit into pictures in cookbooks but it really does ignite the fire to try these amazing looking dishes. Some people have mentioned that the book requires more planning than they would like but in my opinion, raw or not...all healthy eating requires forethought and preparation. This is not a book for people that are used to going through a drive through. Regardless, even if you usually do not eat raw I guarantee you will not be disappointed with the tasty recipes in this book. With that said, I love that I can send my kids to school with delicious and healthy snacks like, kale chips and homemade fruit leather. I've never come across so many recipes that my whole family absolutely loves and CRAVES!

I am thoroughly enjoying this book! Having tried raw food living for a while I love the new recipes and beautiful, inspiring layout of the book. Mimi, you are living proof and obviously walking your talk unlike some other health food gurus ...I am only halfway through but recommend this book. I also like your links and the fact that your book has lots of pictures AND a very thorough introduction to a healthy/holistic lifestyle, including meditation, yoga etc. I have practiced yoga for over 30 years, and being a yoga teacher now I can confirm that once on a healthy path there is no stopping, one just goes deeper and deeper, feeling better and better. I will recommend this book to my students along with my own just released book "It's not about putting your foot behind your ear, an inspiring story of transformation through yoga" [...]. Thank you Mimi!

The book is a good value, with lots of recipes and photos for a good price. The best tip is the Spiralizer, which I bought and have started to spiral vegetables. There are other good ideas, but of course you need to buy a dehydrator to get the most out of the recipes. The index is poorly written. There are many items missing from it. Overall I recommend the book. Addition: I am going back to this review to say that the book gets better and better the more I use it. It is certainly not gathering dust on the shelf. Her salad dressing ideas are amazing, and I made the macadamia nut cheese, it was great. This book is so innovative. I have been cooking for over 25 years and I have never seen healthy and delicious recipies like this.