Heaven's Banquet - by Miriam Kasin Hospodar (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Written with the support of the Maharishi Ayur-Veda Institute, this comprehensive cookbook shows how to incorporate the timeless principles of Ayurveda into the twenty-first-century kitchen.

A result of Miriam Kasin Hospodar's twenty-year culinary journey, Heaven's Banquet draws from a rich palette of international cuisines and shows how to match your diet to your mind-body type for maximum health and well-being. The more than 700 recipes included here range from Thai Corn Fritters and Asian-Cajun Eggplant Gumbo to West African Avocado Mousse and Mocha-Spice Cake with Coffee Cream Frosting. Readers will discover the most effective methods of preparing food, the benefits of eating seasonally for individual types, and how to create a diet for the entire family. There are special sections on how to lose weight and control sugar sensitivity, a questionnaire to help determine mind-body type, and essential ingredients for a well-stocked Ayurvedic kitchen.

Fully illustrated, and written for everyone from the beginner cook to the experienced chef, Heaven's Banquet shows how to use food to tap into your body's intelligence and create lifelong health.

Review Quotes

"A rare cookbook--one that inspires you to read it, use it, and share it with others--presented in the context of India's ancient health science of Ayurveda. Its effects will remain in the mind and body long after food has been enjoyed at the table. This is an ideal book to help demystify Ayurvedic cooking."--Yamuna Devi, author of Yamuna's Table, Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking, and The Vegetarian Table, India

"Packed with an astonishing variety of recipes, placed in a global context of cultures, histories and literatures, knit together by the author's thoughtful commitment to the Ayurvedic dietary system that defines health as that which brings body and mind together. Any system that recommends "Eating for Bliss" is worth exploring in some detail."--Betty Fussell, author of I Hear America Cooking and Home Bistro

"Hospodar's heartfelt book is robust, bursting with information and zest."--Sue Bender, author of Plain and Simple and Everyday Sacred

"Offers the kind of cooking wisdom and inspirational recipes that even I--a reluctant cook at the best of times--will turn to again and again."--Jennifer Hawthorne, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul I and II," and Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul

"Resplendent with palate-pleasing recipes, Hospodar has cooked up a fascinating feast for nourishing mind and body. This is a must-read for everyone who wants a deeper, more balanced relationship to food, and a personalized approach to perfect health."--Deborah Kesten, award-winning author of Feeding the Body, Nourishing the Soul

"A masterful integration of ancient wisdom and modern culinary science. Beautifully written with humor and compassion, Heaven's Banquet shows us how to make our kitchens a source for health and healing. It is a must for every kitchen."--Harold H. Bloomfield, M.D., bestselling author of Healing Anxiety Naturally

About the Author

Miriam Kasin Hospodar has received extensive training in Ayurvedic cooking and healthcare, and has worked as a chef at Ayurvedic spas in the United States, Switzerland, France, the Philippines, India, and Taiwan. A certified teacher of the Transcendental Meditation program, she lives in Santa Barbara, California.