Herbs and the Earth or Quick Easy Ayurvedic Cookbook

Herbs and the Earth: An Evocative Excursion into the Lure and Legend of Our Common Herbs

Author: Henry Beston

"Henry Beston is best known for The Outermost House, his record of a year spent on Cape Cod's outer beach. But here in Herbs and the Earth he moves inland and northward, to his beloved homestead in Nobleboro, Maine, to another adventure and a subject matter close to the earth and dear to his heart." "More than a gardening book, this is a singular example of a man thinking about what he grows, and into these conjectures weaving the fabric of the past. Here are the various herbs and their horticultural characteristics; but here, as well, are their antecedents, their ancient lore, and their curious habits." "The mandrake and wormwood of the Bible, the hyssop and saffron from the Song of Songs, the rue, marjoram, and savory of Shakespeare, are all present. So, too, are the herbs of ancient Greece and Rome, the plants of the medieval medicinal garden and the crusades." In touch with the earth's cycles, Beston takes us on a tour through the seasons with these friends, a tour not soon forgotten, with a voice as sweet as song. Decorated with John Howard Benson's woodcuts and drawings, and introduced by Roger Swain, this edition does justice to one of this country's great writers and naturalists.

Publishers Weekly

Beston (1888-1968), a New England naturalist and children's book author whose ``chosen home'' from 1944 on was a farm in Maine, here writes with an almost Proustian dedication about herbs as human ``familiars'' of ancient lineage. ``The green life of earth is a deeper life than we know,'' he avows, and walks a leisurely path through species including sage, marjoram, basil and other mainstays. Always exercising a ``gardener's musing mind,'' the author gently but firmly reproaches ``the age in which we live'' for having ``lost the earth,'' and exchanged this for a ``vulgar curse of gigantism,'' with gardens ``fallen into so impersonal a rut.'' Writing as an appreciator of ``subtleties of light'' and the revelations of ``a simple leaf,'' Beston pens a hymn in prose, out of print for a dozen years, of unusual depth and eloquence. BOMC alternate. (June)

Booknews

These reflections on herbs, gardens, and nature by naturalist/writer Beston (best known for The Outermost house, a record of a year spent on Cape Cod's beach) were first published in 1935 and are here lovingly reprinted letterpress with woodcuts by John Howard Benson and an introduction by Horticulture magazine editor Roger Swain. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Book about:

Quick & Easy Ayurvedic Cookbook

Author: Eileen Keavy Smith

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of health and healing based on the principle that each human being is unique, and has a distinct individual constitution, genetic inheritance and predisposition to certain ailments.

The Quick & Easy Ayurvedic Cookbook allows you to easily implement Ayurvedic principles in your cooking and improve your health without devoting long hours of study to the subject or breaking your budget. Learn how to cure insomnia and indigestion, and even mood swings, just by making food choices based on your Ayurvedic constitution. The recipes include familiar favorites-such as baked apples, chicken burgers, and potato salad-making it a practical addition to your kitchen and home.

Table of Contents:

Preface     viii
Introduction to Ayurveda     2
The Three Pillars of Life     4
The Individual Constitution     6
Balance and Imbalance     12
Ayurveda and Food     15
Recipes and Guidelines for Balancing the Doshas     24
Introduction to the Recipes     25
Basic Ingredients     27
Missing Ingredients     32
Balancing Vata     34
Guidelines for Food Preparation     40
Vata Recipes     44
Other Ideas for Vata-Balancing Foods     70
Balancing Pitta     72
Guidelines for Food Preparation     78
Pitta Recipes     82
Other Ideas for Pitta-Balancing Foods     108
Balancing Kapha     110
Guidelines for Food Preparation     116
Kapha Recipes     120
Other Ideas for Kapha-Balancing Foods     144
Dining Out     146
Resources     147
Books about Ayurveda     147
Ayurvedic Cookbooks     148
Ayurvedic Organizations     149
Recipe Index     150