There is no better way to describe this series of recipe collections then as an exploration into a new way of living and eating. Learning to cook is potentially one of the greatest opportunities to invest in your health. As you learn new techniques, explore different flavors and textures, an entire new vista of healthful and purposeful living opens up. A plant-based lifestyle is sustainable and even economically beneficial. Add an herb garden, several garden beds and a greenhouse to your backyard and now you are increasingly independent of what goes on in commercial food markets. This book is dualistic in nature. It is functional, providing recipes and secondly, it is inherently educational and appropriate for training plant-based food chefs or for those who desire to incorporate more whole food plant-based recipes into their food preparation repertoire. The term 'plant-based' does not exclude consumption of animal products but it describes an overlay of incorporating more plants in addition to your current dietary pattern. There are nutritionally excellent vegetarian diets and there are also nutritionally poor vegetarian diets. Any dietary pattern can be corrupted by excessive sugar, processed food, junk food, chemical additives, inadequate intake of essential and beneficial nutrients, excessive intake and exposure to toxins, etc.

Applying the term, 'whole food, plant-based' to any person's dietary pattern should indicate a majority of calories originate from plants including whole fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, seeds, fresh herbs, spices, etc. My definition of a plant-based diet is one which limits total calories from animal products from 0% up to 20% of total calories. Animal products could include dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, poultry and red meat. For someone consuming 2,000 calories a day, this represents up to 400 calories from animals and / or animal products. Four-hundred calories could include: 1/2 cup of non-fat milk at breakfast or lunch (45 calories), one or two ounces of cheese in a bean-rice-cheese burrito for lunch (1 oz cheese 70 - 100 calories), and 3 or 4 ounces of fish for dinner (100 - 170 calories).

The beauty of a plant-based cooking is learning to appreciate plants for their infinite combination of phytochemical - substances that give plants their unique color and flavor combinations. Phytochemicals are non-essential natural nutrients and compounds found in plants which gives them inherent healing properties and also makes them look and taste delicious. If your first goal is to make food taste delicious and then secondarily make it healthy, you will love this cookbook!