This book is full of fresh, delicious recipes that are easy to prepare and wonderful to eat.

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!

Living in the Midwest, a lot of these recipe ingredients don't apply to me. But I can always make substitutions or use the produce that is available in my area and make a similar dish.

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

This book wasn't what I was expecting.  While I still want to visit the Berkeley Bowl Marketplace someday, I can't see myself making any of these recipes.  The title page implies that there will be photography but the version of the cookbook that I received didn't have any pictures at all.   A book that boasts to have recipes inspired by extraordinary produce should have some visual evidence to support the claim.

The Berkely Bowl Cookbook is definitely specialty fair. Whether or not you find this is a book you can use is sort of a matter of your situation and availability. 
The photographs are stunning, the backstory of the unique market is amazing, but you won't find most of this produce where I live. Did you know you can make and eat Lotus Chips? I didn't either. 
The cooking steps are straightforward but because of the novel ingredients and how new of an encounter that will be for most people, I'd call this an intermediate cookbook or above. 
So, if you are looking for culinary adventures, this is a great fit. If you want ideas for dinner, you (and I) probably need to look at other titles.

I was able to read a digital copy of The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by the Extraordinary Produce of California’s Most Iconic Market this week through Net Galley.  I was excited to read it, not because I have access to an elaborate produce market like the famous Berkeley Bowl, but because some of the foods it spotlights are wild foods that we forage as a family.

That said, it isn’t a book that I’ll probably go out and buy, now that I’ve read it. That’s not through any fault of the author or the book, but because it isn’t a very good fit for my needs as a frugal whole foods cook who relies largely on wild foods and affordable, accessible ingredients to cook healthy, mostly organic meals for a large family on very little money.

I was drawn to The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook because some of the foods highlighted in it are foods you can forage, such as gooseberries, nettles, sorrel, purslane, fiddleheads, ramps and morels. As an avid forager, I’m always looking for new ways to cook up these delicious wild foods. On the other hand, most of the other foods featured are not ones I can find wild and I can’t find them in any grocery store near me in rural Minnesota either (though I do plan to grow some of them in my garden this year and they’re certainly an option for avid gardeners).

I also like the fact that the recipes are vegetarian, as I cook vegetarian and get discouraged by how many cookbooks for wild foods (or any foods) tend to add ingredients like bacon and chicken stock to just about every recipe.  It’s also easy to be gluten free with this cookbook. 

I also really love the full color photos, and that there are a lot of them. I wish there were color photos for every dish, though. Printing a book in color costs the same amount (a lot) whether you use one photo or 100, so I never understand cookbooks that spend the money to have color photos and then don’t have one for every recipe. Speaking of cost, that leads to another reason this book isn’t going on my wish list. It retails at about $35, which is a lot of money for a cookbook I wouldn’t use often. Even the Kindle version is $17.

The recipes themselves are fairly easy but definitely of the gourmet

variety. These aren’t the simple, easy ways to cook these ingredients that may be unusual to many of us in the states but are standard foods for many people around the world. If I cook purple cauliflower, for instance, I’ll generally just roast it with a bit of olive oil, sea salt and an herb or two. That showcases it
The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by the Extraordinary Produce of California's Most Iconic Market
Photo Credit: Erin Scott

beautifully and simply. This cookbook tells you how to make “Purple Cauliflower Quesadillas with Curry Crema.”

If you’d like to sample one of the recipes from the book, the author has the recipe for her Kohlrabi Ramen (pictured on the right) on her blog here.  If you’d like to peek inside and take a look at the recipes and foods featured, you can do so here (affiliate link).

In short, The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook is a fun book to read from the library and is full of very vividly colored food porn, but it’s not likely to be a go-to cookbook for most kitchens.  That said, those who enjoy cooking with whole, fresh foods and are looking for new ways to use those strange fruits and veggies in the CSA box or at the farmers’ market are likely to find some fun new recipes and inspiration.

Are you a Vegetarian or Vegetable Lover seeking Beautiful, Inventive and Playful recipes?   The Berkley Bowl Cookbook is for you!   The cookbook's author, Laura McLively  , maintains this lovely food blog:  https://myberkeleybowl.com/ .   and  The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook continues in this tradition of fresh, creative vegetarian cuisine.  I am a fan of Deborah Madison and McLively's recipes are similar in style -  both chefs honour and highlight the qualities of the particular vegetables and fruits.   This book's instructions are clear and there are many inspiring photographs.  And example of recipes you will see are on McLively's blog ; you will see recipes for "Aloe Vera Mango Ceviche" and "Charred Cactus and Black-eyed Pea Chili".  Cactus leaves are "nopales" and can apparently be substituted for green peppers should  you be like me and live in an area that is void of such exotic produce.   If you have access to "levain bread" , "alba pioppini" mushrooms,  and obscure Asian greens,  you will be able to easily replicate all these delicious recipes.   Myself, I tried several salads and a jam (rhubarb vanilla). All recipes were a delight but I needed to substitute in almost all cases as my rural Ontario, Canada grocery stores just do not offer such items as "Russian style Farmer's cheese" and  "sea beans'.    McLively clearly explains the key ingredients and offers substitutions where possible.  However, you might want to check out the author's blog or when released, borrow this book from the library or a friend before committing to purchase if you are not able to purchase unusual produce or are adverse to making recipe substitutions in almost every recipe .

As the title suggests, this cookbook focuses on California's most iconic market and it features ingredients we do not use daily (not even weekly). Even so, the good things about this book is that the author offers alternatives so if your market does not have the fancy vegetable that the recipe requires you can easily replace it with something similar.

I completely skipped the fruit section (okay, not really, I just skimmed over it) because I like my exotic fruit fresh and raw - but maybe I will get bored of them at one point and I will try some of the recipes in this book.

Another things I really enjoyed is that the recipes are not that complicated, only some of the ingredients are. Weirdly enough, this is also something I did not enjoy - simple goat cheese and pear salads are included in this book just because an exotic ingredient is added. Really, just replace all the fancy greens with spinach and you got yourself a delicious salad. But this book does give you ideas what you could use the fancy lettuce for.

This is a chronicle of author Laura McLively's adventures with her local grocery store, Berkeley Bowl Marketplace which is known for its over a thousand varieties of  fruits and vegetables. 

The Berkeley Bowl reminds me of Lotté, my local favorite where I don't recognize most of the produce. So I shop there Google image search in land, looking for the English name and possible recipes. This cookbook is going to take my grocery shopping and food experimentation to a new level!

If you are a vegetarian or love trying new foods, this cookbook is a must. While the retail price is bit more than most ($35), I think it's worth the price. Trust me, you don't want to wait for a sale to get this one. Get it now, and you'll be eating ceviche tonight—a vegetarian, non-fish ceviche made with aloe vera and mango (p. 90)!

If that ceviche is not adventuresome enough for you, try the unique flavor combination of the Green Garlic Soup with Lemon Cardamom Yogurt (p.111) or the delicate Fiddlehead Tempura with Sriracha Crème Fraîche (p. 95)

This is a “coffee table” cookbook. It’s absolutely gorgeous to look at so leave it on display and all your friends will ooh and ahhh at the photos, BUT it’s totally impractical for home cooking. Honestly I have never heard of half the ingredients, so there are only a few recipes I would actually cook.

I Highly recommend this book. The cover is as colorful as the dishes. This book shows how we can have more variety in our diet especially if you are into plant based diet. The recipes I will definitely  try are:
1. Vanilla Rubharb Jam
2. Green Garlic soup with Lemom Cardamom Yoghurt
3. Savory Daikon Pancakes with Ginger Maple syrup
This cookbook will be a great addition to your kitchen shelf.

I would like to thank the publisher, Parallax Press, and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This cookbook is inspired by the Berkeley Bowl an extensive produce market in California, this lead to the author starting a blog about the food and trying the interesting ingredients by incorporating them new recipes. Solid 3.6 stars from me. 

There is a lot of positive things to say about this cookbook. I love the cover design, the gorgeous photos throughout. Recipes are varied and not something I would have ever thought of, ingredients are used that I have never even seen or heard of before. The author does a great job by including when the produce is in season, substitutes and safety/storage of all the meals. 

The negatives are this book is of course focused on the market in California and talks occasionally about the US but international readers aren't really addressed. I went to three different Asian groceries, a supermarket and the local produce market and couldn't find the any of the first 5 ingredients that I had written down to try. This was pretty disappointing as I live in the country and it's summer so the ingredients should be in season they just aren't as readily available in Australia. This would be a cookbook to explore new things but not easy or affordable every day meals. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book but would only end up making less than 20% of the recipes if I had the ingredients and time. Would recommend to those readers looking to explore the wonderful world of fruit and veggies that aren't the usual staples or avid cooks looking to branch out.

While this book does deserve some shelf space in some people’s kitchens, this is not the demographic of our store.

I was honestly curious to read this book after reading the title and I am excited & impressed by the unusual creativity . I have already tried few recipes over the weekend and I am impressed. This book should definitely be owned by adventurous cooks. They will not regret it infact enjoy the culinary experience and the end result of their creations. Thank you to Laura McLively, Parellax Press and , NetGallery for providing me an advance copy of this book.

As a long-time vegetarian, I know what it's like to be faced with the challenge of coming up with new recipes for the same old veggies at the supermarket. This gorgeous cookbook is inspirational and delicious to read! Truly, food porn at its healthiest!

I have to admit, I've never even heard of some of the produce featured in this book, much less eaten it. This book is born from a blog the author started, MY BERKELEY BOWL, which is an homage to her favorite grocery market in Berkeley, California. 

While "Stinging Nettle Filo Bites" might sound a bit scary to me, at least I know what to do if I come across stinging nettles someday! Cook it! I will definitely be on the lookout for parsley root, sun chokes, and African horned melon (hints of melon AND banana-yum). 

The author states that you don't have to live in California for access to the unusual ingredients for which she has created recipes. Specialty stores, ethnic markets and farmers' markets all around the country stock these items. You just have to open your eyes and be willing to try. This book is an excellent start to a new food adventure!

Thanks very much to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this lovely cookbook!

"And so it is with this winter warmer, where frilly, seaweed-like mushrooms trap a chive-flecked broth between their folds."

With writing like this, it's easy to feel inspired to get into the kitchen and start whipping up some of these eye-appealing, albeit unusual, recipes. McLively knows what she is doing!
I absolutely LOVED this cookbook: the concept is amazing; the photos are rich, vibrant, and impossibly beautiful; and the care and detail she puts into each recipe is unmistakable!

I really appreciate the fact that the cookbook is 100% vegetarian, no question about it.
But the best part of The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook is that with each and every recipe, McLively has included four important sections: availability, selection, storage, and substitutions. This is super awesome because few cookbooks that I've read have discussed these aspects with such detail and consistency. The fact that cooks anywhere in the country can make and enjoy these dishes - not just those who are lucky enough to live near the two Berkeley Bowl locations - is incredible because McLively has taken the time to list easy-to-find and less-unusual substitutions for each unusual ingredient featured in the book.

McLively's love for plant-based cooking is undeniable, and her attention to detail is remarkable.
This is a fantastic cookbook for anyone who wants to eat healthier, cook more adventurously, and discover new and exotic favorites without straying too far from home!



*Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

I am always curious to try unusual fruits and vegetables, because this diversity shows how rich and extraordinary our world is. However, when it comes to introducing them into the daily menu, my brave curiosity stops only at tasting them, one bit at a time. As for now, my best source of 'exotic' fruits and vegetables is my Asian markt but I would be very curious to try other products from South-America for instance, which are almost impossible to be found in Germany in their fresh state. 

Compared to California, the source of products distributed at the iconic Berkeley Bowl market, Germany has a very unfriendly weather therefore, creating local variants is almost impossible. Registered dietician Laura McLively created an unique book based on her own exploration of 'one of the nation's most renowed retailer of exotic fruits and vegetables'. Since the late 1970s, the Berkeley Bowl is following a very simple yet efficient motto: 'If we can find it, we'll buy it', offering to its customers unique and fresh products, mostly produced under the Californian sun. 

The recipes created by Laura McLively sound very exotic, but as long as you have the right ingredients, especially spices, the preparation is going on smoothly and not too much time is required. The names of the recipes are entincing, each being an invitation to a delicious feast. Some of my favorite are: roasted chestnut chocolate tarte, abalone mushroom schnitzel, grilled cheese with mezuna, dates and goat cheese, banana blossom with glass boodles and crispy garlic, vanilla rhubarb jam, malanga masala latkes, persimmon gingersoup smoothie, chrysantenum greens and turnip fried rice, green papaya gazpacho. The selection is really exquisite and my tastebud imagination is soo limited to imagine all those flavors without trying them. A combination of meals for a full menu is also available. 

Even if you cannot try all those flavors and special products, at least this book looks that if they were left on this earth, alongside with other interesting spices, you can try to match them and create unique bowls. The power of imagination is always on the side of those who dare.

The book will be released in the first part of April, so unfortunatelly there is no chance to try any of those unique fruits for this Tu B'Shvat holiday, but at least you can save some of the recipes for a late date.

This was an interesting healthy cookbook approach that I think is kind of niche but not in a bad way, a good addition to a cookbook collection with great photos and easy instructions, but some esoteric ingredients.