This had a lot of good information and recipes, but I found a lot of the recipes too expensive to make frequently. The instructions were very easy to read and follow

I cannot get over the vibrant photography in this book. I know it is a cookbook, but I felt like I could eat the food right off of the page. The recipes are easy to follow and quite good.

I'm going to to start shopping more in the "weird produce" section of the grocery store, and at specialty grocers. I never tried some of those things because I never knew what to do with them -- but now I do!

I enjoyed this easy to follow and pleasurable to look at cookbook. The Berkely Bowl Cookbook by Laura McLively brings the joy of cooking back into cooking. The recipes are easy to follow, I loved the food photos, and enjoyed the overall flow of the book. I would recommend this cookbook to both beginners and more advanced cooks.

The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook is good for those wanting to stretch their cooking chops with new varieties of vegetables and fruits. Most will be out of their comfort zone, but it is good to try the unfamiliar right? Berkely Bowl has plenty of full-color photos. There are also descriptions of the flavors of food and suggestions for where to purchase the uncommon food like purple potatoes, mizuna, or sorrel along the left side of the recipe. If a recipe calls for something you just can't find the reader can still modify the recipe with the suggestions given in the cookbook. Every recipe may not be easy, but everything is approachable.

The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook
Recipes Inspired by the Extraordinary Produce of California's Most Iconic Market by Laura McLively from Parallax Press is full of beautiful pictures, interesting recipes and unusual ingredients. The recipes are easy and formatted nicely. It is a wonderful addition for any cookbook collector's bookshelf.
Thank you NetGalley Laura McLively and Parallax Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

This is such a cool cookbook! There are so many fun and different ingredients used in these recipes. I am so excited to give them a try. My husband and I love new ingredients and healthy cooking. We can’t wait to see how these recipes come out. The pictures are vibrant and beautiful; they make my mouth water just looking at them. I look forward to using this cookbook again and again for new, interesting and tasty dishes.

A beautiful book with a variety of recipes that are plant-centric. For someone wanting to try new ingredients or explore new options with veg they've already used before, "Berkley Bowl" offers a fresh and exciting adventure. Additionally, the stories and information about the famous California market is engaging and fun to read, even with no cooking involved.

This cook book is filled with lots of ideas for your next meal. A delicious read to devour at any time...

The first time I visited my young granddaughter in Berkeley, we went to the Berkeley Bowl for groceries. I was fascinated as an East Coaster at the time by the amount of fruit and vegetables I didn't recognize. My granddaughter was amused by the conversations I struck up with other shoppers as I attempted to inform myself, and we ended up spending 3 hours in the produce section just talking to people. What a fascinating store! So I had to peruse this cookbook. I found it highly informative and educating. Would make a great gift for a foodie friend.

The first thing that drew my to this book was the colors. A cookbook filled completely with recipes of rare, and lesser known produce. Watermelon Radish, Starfruit, Indian Eggplant, Romanesco, and Purple Cauliflower. This book has no lack of beautiful ingredients. The recipes look delicious, and left me feeling a bit braver when it comes to trying new things in the kitchen.

I have received a much appreciated digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Fabulous cookbook! I was looking for a 100% vegetarian cookbook and I finally found it! The photos are gorgeous , recipes are varied and not something I would have ever thought of, some new ingredients that I've never heard of before.

If you’re one who likes to add a bit of variety to your fruit and vegetable repertoire, then you’ll want to pick up The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by the Extraordinary Produce of California's Most Iconic Market by Laura McLively. This informative and fascinating cookbook contains dozens of recipes to use exotic fruits and vegetables that are emerging on the market today.

The Berkeley Bowl, located in Berkeley, of course, is a popular produce and grocery store specializing in exotic produce with an emphasis on a huge variety of tomatoes. According to McLively, the store has over “1200 varieties of fruits and vegetables,” many of which, fortunately, are also available in grocery stores, specialty food stores (my Asian market has several for included recipes), and farmer’s markets.

This cookbook includes descriptions and information on the exotic fruits and vegetables used in the recipes, and there are beautiful photographs of most of the recipes. Also included is a history of The Berkeley Bowl. The book is well-written, and makes one want to visit Berkeley as soon as possible. In the meantime, vegetarians and non-vegetarians will want to try the mouthwatering recipes that are appealing to all. I used up some winter squash that was laying around my kitchen in the Carnival Spice Cake; this recipe gave me the opportunity to serve stone-ground whole wheat flour and vegetables to my unsuspecting family; there were no leftovers. We also loved the Anaheim Chile and Corn Chowder. In the queue are Redcurrant Almond Clafoutis, as well as Roasted Chestnut Chocolate Torte and Vanilla Rhubarb Jam. There are actually dozens of recipes that I want to try.

Cooks who enjoy preparing meals with new fruits and vegetables will enjoy this book; it’s an interesting read, and the recipes are easy to follow and they turn out picture perfect. It’s a good choice for vegetarians and has several good vegan recipes as well.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook
Recipes Inspired by the Extraordinary Produce of California's Most Iconic Market
by Laura McLively from NetGalley and Parallax Press in order to read and give an honest review.

Loved this cookbook! It's nice to bring Californian cuisine to Toronto Canada.  This book was full of amazing vegetarian recipes with unique ingredients, easy to follow instructions, beautiful coloured photographs, and creative seasonal menus.

Although some of the ingredients aren't found in your average grocery store I was able to find them at a local Asian grocery store. Even if you can't obtain the ingredients easily, one of the things that impressed me about this book was the fact it gave you a few suitable and easily available substitutions. I was also fond of the fact it categorized the recipes by the type of vegetable you're using I.e. Leaves; Flower, Seeds and Pods; Spores and Succulents; Stems; Roots and Tubers; and Sweet and Savory Fruit instead of the appetizers, entrees etc.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a culinary adventure! It has something to suit every vegetarians' taste. With dishes such as Sweet & Sour Tofu with Gooseberries, Indian Stuffed Eggplant and my new favorite dessert, Lemongrass Coconut Ice Cream you can't go wrong!

In the opening sentence of the introduction to “Berkeley Bowl”, Laura McLively puts her finger squarely on the seductive attraction of this grocery store. When you walk in and are faced with a piece of produce that you have never seen before, never heard of before and have no idea what to do with, the brain starts going, the cookbook searches start flipping, the internet searches start clicking… The fun begins!

BB is about 80 miles down the road from me, so not an every week trip, but when I’m headed to the Bay Area, it is part of my foodie circuit in Berkeley along with the Cheeseboard and the Pasta Shop. I have several weekly farmers markets within easy reach, and the Brentwood and Guinda farms are all within an easy drive, but there is nothing like the exotic selection and mystery of Berkeley Bowl. And McLively puts all of that selection to wonderful use in recipes that reach deep into the unknown. Pea shoots are in season, and I need some! Greens and Rancho Gordo beans, or Morel Pot Pies with Asparagus and peas. This cookbook is packed with interesting recipes that challenge and reward the shopper.

Five stars, no--make it ten. This is one gorgeous book! Stunningly photographed and a visual feast! A cookbook for every serious chef--vegetarian or not. And did we say "healthy?" Yes!

You may not live near "The Berkeley Bowl." And you may have never heard of many of the exotic fruits and vegetables chronicled in this exquisite book. Perhaps you've seen some of the strange-looking (to you at least) produce highlighted in this book in a local ethnic market or a special section of your favorite supermarket. You pass them by because you don't know what they are or what to do with them. This book helps you figure that out (identification photos appear in the back according to category). And it shows you how to prepare and use the fruits and vegetables in amazing, creative ways.

Appetizers, soups, main dishes, side dishes, beverages, and desserts--they're all here. You'll find recipes for: leaves--flowers, seeds, and pods--stems--sweet fruits--roots and tubers--savory fruits--spores and succulents (along with suggested seasonal menus). Who knew? There's nothing in your cookbook library like it! Get this book--quick!

For the vegetable lover in your life! Makes me miss Berkeley and Berkeley Bowl.

I would have loved to have read this book, but didn't realise it was pdf only. I do hope to read a physical copy in due course, by either loaning from the library or purchasing from Amazon. Looks good!

To be honest, I approached that book with the trepidation that Southerners have regarding anything from California. Is California really that great? Do Californians deserve to be so smug about where they're from? Will I, a rustic Southerner, be able to grasp all the great Californian concepts?

Basically, I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about California. However, my hesitation was completely unwarranted. Yes, the book is an homage to California's Berkeley Bowl and its wide range of ingredients, but it is written in a way that is easy to follow and intimidating, despite the unfamiliar ingredients.

I think that the overall concept of this book is actually pretty awesome. The recipes all highlight an ingredient that is not used very much in mainstream American cuisine. Some of them I love and have cooked before (like daikon), some I have eaten but never cooked myself (rhubarb, Taiwanese spinach), some I've heard of but never tasted (Romanesco broccoli), and some I've never heard of (sea bean? That's a thing?). It's a huge range, and it's a pretty cool reference for someone interested in food, especially someone looking to add more variety to a vegetarian diet, or get a little more adventurous in the kitchen.

However, what I appreciate the most about the recipes is that although they are designed to highlight the flavor and qualities of the featured ingredient, they are still solid recipes without them. In fact, the author includes information about what more common ingredients you can substitute in case you can't find the featured ingredient. If you do want to try out something new, information is also provided about when and where you can find the ingredients, and how to choose good ones. I really appreciated the way that the unfamiliar ingredients were broken down in a way that was easy to understand without seeming dumbed-down, as well as the fact that substitutions are provided and encouraged.

On the whole, I'm very excited about this cookbook, and I think it's a great purchase for anyone looking to expand their culinary horizons and learn about some of the amazing ingredients used around the world. Whether you live in California or not, you can definitely get something out of this creative cookbook!

Great read for cooking book clubs, especially one's focused on clean eating/healthy living.