Zen: The Art of Modern Eastern Cooking

Deng Ming-Dao is one of the top Taoist writers of our time. With this gorgeously photographed cookbook, Ming-Dao doesn't just give us recipes for food - he gives recipes for living a life of balance and harmony. He serves up tips on how to prepare a menu that takes your guests' tastes and dietary needs into consideration, stories about samurais and tea ceremonies, and an entire page devoted just to water. "When you drink water, think of its source." Brilliant. And who but Ming-Dao would open a chapter on Classic Flavors with this? "There are a certain number of dishes that are important for any Zen cook to know. If you can cook these classic dishes, you will never be hungry. These dishes are inexpensive and use ingredients found the world over. You will also be of great service to others... you will be able to feed people." So simple and true. As one would expect of a Taoist cookbook, there are recipes appropriate for Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, in order to bring balance into one's body, as well as the importance of harmonizing salt, sweet, acidic, savory and bitter flavors. This cookbook is a work of art and would make a great gift.

I love this book! Excellent recipes. Simple. Delicious! The spiritual aspects of cooking are far from the thinking of an average American. It's different for me as a professed third order Franciscan. But I have never seen it put in writing this way. Practical and spiritual. Wonderful!

Awesome. My lady and I use a number of these recipes. Also a good resource for cooking and food in general as well as an explanation of tea and the tea ceremony.

best book ever. Rice cooking like never before.

philosophy and food. A great combination. I like the layout, and the wisdom imparted along with the recipies is a delight

poor not very zen