The Kosmic Kitchen Cookbook is definitely a niche kind of book! It blends cooking and elemental healing through food. The recipes all looked delicious and I really enjoyed how they focused on recipes for different seasons. The Kosmic Kitchen might not be everybody’s cup of tea, especially considering the focus on healing and how plants work with our bodies. However, I thought the book was interesting and unique.

This book impressed me with its depth, recipes and wonderful photography. It’s one to dip into many times as there’s a lot to absorb. Loved it!

I loved the Kosmic Kitchen cookbook. This cookbook is organized seasonally which is so well thought out. There are amazing pictures and insightful ideas and the recipes are functionally created. There are so many wonderful ideas and as a mom looking for natural remedies and functional medicines, I was so encouraged by all the information and educational tools. I highly recommend this book. It is filled with so many brilliant recipes and ideas.

The Kosmic Kitchen by Sarah Benjamin and Summer Singletary was an extremely in depth book about herbalism.

I was so excited to receive this book and read it. However, I found it was so full of information that is was too much on the first read. I found some of the parts confusing and hard to understand.

This is a book I feel I would have to read several times to fully grasp. I enjoyed the backstories and the edible weeds and such.

I really wanted to love this book, but I found it a little over complicated for a beginner.

I received an electronic advanced reader copy from Roost Books through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

Healing and Wellness with Herbs and Elements

The first thing you notice about this book is the vibrant colors and beautiful-looking food. This is not just a cookbook, even though it is called such. While it does have a large section of recipes at the end divided by season, the earlier part of the book looks at the healing nature of herbs, spices, and other foods more generally as well as has an extensive discussion of the five elements and how they relate to food, healing, and wellness. If you want to use nature's apothecary, you will need to have access to a well-stocked health food store that sells a variety of fresh and dried ingredients (or a good farmers’ market or perhaps you would prefer to grow your own when possible). Because there is so much to this book aside from the recipes, it makes for a fascinating read; I love to read cookbooks and books about health/wellness… so this cookbook is right up my alley. The authors state that they have a grounding both in Western herbalism and Ayurveda. These two influences certainly come through in the book. Before they get to the section of seasonal recipes, they also share some general recipes like how to make herb-infused honeys, decoctions, and so much more—so don’t skip right to the recipe section… or you’ll miss some good basic ones. If you see healthful eating as something more than denying yourself a macronutrient (as current diets tend to do), you may very well appreciate this book that tells us the healing gems of nature’s bounty that we should add to our diets to make them more healthful.

I've been following The Kosmic Kitchen team online for years and have always enjoyed their content. With the arrival of their new cookbook, I am blown away by the stunning beauty of the book in it's entirety. Not only does this book provide gorgeous visuals in their photography and book organization, but the stories as well. Both authors provide their intimate backgrounds on how they connected with plants and what draws them into the practices of Ayurveda and cooking. Both are honest and it's easy to connect with them as they take you on a journey into the kitchen.
The recipes! YUM! These ladies have conjured up easy, accessible, FUN and delicious dishes that can make any tummy happy. Many of the recipes are gluten free and vegetarian which is so nice when trying to stay creative in the kitchen and of course you can add meat if you wish! I was impressed how easy it really was to make many of the dishes with ingredients I had on hand or could run out to get. I appreciate their approach to cooking with intention and love, and I found what could be intimidating to make an enjoyable journey instead. I love cooking and usually shy away from elaborate looking dishes and this was not the case! I felt encouraged to put on my chef's hat and give it a go. Those tahini cups!?! What a delicious treat. I cannot recommend this quality cookbook enough.

This is an interesting book for anyone interested in improving their health through Ayurveda. There is a quiz to determine your dosha/elements and plenty of information to increase understanding and awareness. The recipes looked gorgeous and the photography is stunning.

Thank you, Roost Books and NetGalley, for a digital ARC!

A wonderful book that marries western herbalism with ayurvedic practices. I really enjoyed the advice on kitchen stocking, personal regimens, and especially seasonal recipes! Anyone doing major healing in their kitchen will definitely want to add this book to their herb book arsenal.

Kosmic Kitchen Cookbook is a well curated recipe collection and tutorial guide to food and wellness by Sarah Benjamin and Summer Singletary. Due out 4th Aug 2020 from Roost Books, it's 288 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

The book is quite well written, layman accessible, and it has an easy to follow logical format. The sections are split thematically: First, an introduction to the classical elements (earth, air, fire, water, ether) and how they relate to life processes, there's a bit about Ayurveda also. The second section contains info on tools and ingredients as well as processes in the kitchen and daily life. The third section contains the recipes and tutorials arranged around the seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter). The recipes are mostly made with easy to source ingredients (some specialist/herbalist ingredients may be slightly more difficult to source).

Ingredients are listed in a bullet sidebar with only American standard measures given. Info and tips about the ingredients or the recipes themselves are given in sidebars below the preparation information. Yields are given in the header info.

The authors have also included a hefty resource section with glossary, bibliography, and reading lists which include information for further learning/education, as well as a cross-referenced index. The photography throughout is clear, colorful, and illustrative. The text is printed in an easy to read font and graphically the whole is cohesive and appealing.

I feel most readers will find useful recipes and information here, but it will be of special interest to readers who are interested in alternative healing, Ayurveda, or classical elemental healing (earth, air, fire, water, etc). Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

A must-have book for the aspiring herbalist. The comprehensive book bursting with color and everything you need to know about plants, teas, oils and their healing properties. With inspiring, personal stories from Sarah and Summer, breathtaking photos and detailed explanation of everything you need to know to heal with plants inside and out.

This is a beautifully written and photographed book. So many of the recipes look amazing and delicious. I've tried a few and can't wait to try more!

This cookbook features gorgeous photographs and a vast explanation of herbalism and Ayurveda. A bit too much is focused on Ayurveda for my personal taste, but many will find that particularly useful, I'm sure. The recipes included are clear and well explained.

I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review through netgalley.

This is a gorgeous book that gives a comprehensive dive into Elemental Herbalism. Anyone who is interested in herbalism and how to apply it to cooking seasonally for health benefits will want to get their hands on a copy of this stunning book.

This book is gorgeous! it's full of recipes and informations about wellness, herbs and plant medicine. The recipes are very interesting because they're using all kinds of plants, herbs and roots. Everything that comes from the earth. It's so unique and awesome. Plants are natural medicine and this book will explain to you. Very nice! I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

This a beautiful cookbook. Interesting and different. I love making so many of the recipes. Filled with colourful and delicious food. I recommend this book.

A well-written cookbook. One of those that is interesting to read as well as educational. I am not an herbalist, nor do I practice a sort of alternative type of medicine. Although much of this book leans toward topics on wellness both physically and mentally, I think there is something here for everyone. It's possible people might view it as more focused than I did. This is a book I would use but also place on my shelf as a cookbook/reference book.

I think I’m a fairly good cook. Definitely an experimenter. With so many recipes online today, there are some definite criteria that are of utmost importance to me in the purchase of a cookbook. Kosmic Kitchen meets those criteria.

It contains a lot of varied information. Not just recipes, but information concerning herbs, spices, and many other plant-based items. As I said I don’t utilize my herbs for healing or well-being. I view them more as a flavoring, but I learned a great deal from this book. I never shy away from trying foods that sound good or are good for you.

Another aspect (maybe #1) is that the recipes are well-written and clear. Writing recipes is not just a list of ingredients and how to cook something. A recipe is a well-thought-out diagram, aiding you in creating something in the most efficient and tasteful manner possible. Sloppy or half-baked recipe instructions are a bug-a-boo with me. I will put down the most beautiful cookbook if the recipes are not put together well. Even though I am a seasoned cook and could possibly figure out what to do, it’s a pass for me. None of that exists in Benjamin and Singletary’s book.

And also finally (also maybe #1) Among the recipes are unique descriptions of what various ingredients can be used for. All kinds of additional ideas; sort of a blank canvas to paint on.

And then finally (again maybe #1) beautiful photos. I am very visual. Often a photo inspires me to cook, to create, or just to make sure I am feeding people aesthetically and healthy.

This is a much longer review than I normally write. One with a lot of “#1” items. I tend to not read long reviews myself because I don’t want to know much of the story. But there’s a lot to describe in this Kosmic Kitchen Cookbook. A lot to be savored.

This book is a deep-dive into the world of herbalism, healing and growing your own gardens. There are many lessons that range from the authors' stories to actual recipes. For the beginner, this may be a good place to start, but I would be more confident to say that this book is for those consumers ready to commit to a lifestyle of healing and wellness through herbs.

Very interesting and comprehensive guide to herbalism, put together in a gorgeous compilation of recipes and tips. Certainly feel I've gained an understanding of what herbalism is after reading this.

I went into this book without expectations—if there is one thing that I have learned with my love of both cookbooks and books on spiritual work, it is that they usually defy assumptions. It is also good to keep an open mind for both genres because who knows when you will come across something you would never have thought to try? Indeed, that is what happened to me with this book.

First, to address some of the things with which I did not connect, to get that unpleasant business out of the way. Going into this book, I had assumed that it would be focusing on Western traditions of herbalism (primarily because the authors appear to be white, and I think that I, admittedly, didn't put a whole lot of thought into my assumptions). It does not solely focus on Western traditions of medicinal herbalism but incorporates Ayurveda into practice as well.

I...struggle with this. I have discussed this in some of my other reviews of books on meditation and yoga practice—it is hard for me to adopt cultural practices adapted by and for white people without the cultural context from where they came. Now, that isn't to say that I think beliefs and shared practices can't be shared across ethnic and racial lines (that does create a problem of ethnocentrist thought that plagues discussions in neopagan and spiritual circles). What I am saying is that I am uncomfortable with adopting a practice without a broader understanding and context.

And that does lead me to my one other example of unease—the rationale given behind the use of some of these medicines is the fact that they are ancient traditions. Part of my practice is incorporating some of these ancient traditions with the medicine granted by modernity, and "because this is old" doesn't pass muster for me in a rationale for the use of an herb, especially because many of them interact poorly with some medications. As a person with chronic illness, this is definitely something I think about when looking at ANY medicines, including seemingly harmless herbal infusions.

Onto the positive! With that said, I do think the authors make an effort to point out safety concerns where they see them. I would have preferred there be more of a focus on this (for example, when talking about how children and elderly folks might require smaller dosage, there is no precise information about dosage in general much less for elderly and young people), but I appreciate that they did make this effort. So many people do not even acknowledge that there can be safety concerns with herbal medicine.

Additionally, the recipes themselves look lovely. Even if you are not utilizing Ayurvedic traditions, the seasonal breakdown of the recipes feel natural and coordinate well with what I think I am naturally drawn to in the change of the seasons. The ingredients are all things that are easily found in most shops in the United States, though I think some might only be able to acquire some of the pantry staples at a health food store or similar. But that ease of access makes this a usable book for most people, which is crucial for medicine. Medicine should be accessible by all!

The pictures that accompany the recipes are quite lovely, and they make the recipes even more appealing. The foods and beverages are so vibrantly colored, and the photography accentuates that so well. It practically leaps off of the page at you. The first half of the book is general information—an introduction to Ayurveda, a guide on how to set up your kitchen, how to prep fresh ingredients, etc. The included information is pretty basic but helpful to those new to working in a kitchen, particularly a kitchen with a focus on herbalism. But the photos throughout this section are also captivating and vibrant.

Lastly, I appreciate that they incorporate ritual and intention setting as a part of this book. I was not expecting that, but I found myself delighted by it. I think creating rituals that work for you are a hugely beneficial addition to life. These are good examples of how to start those practices for yourself. They suggest working with the moon, and so I suppose my one caveat is that be flexible with yourself—not all of us work with the moon. ;)

Overall, I think that this book did an excellent job of stating its intended purpose and then executing it. I will definitely be using some of these recipes for myself, and even though I did not connect with all of the content, I think that it was handled respectfully and is a good starting off point, with the one caveat to be sure to speak with your doctor about any addition of herbal medicine, particularly if you take medication.

4 stars

Definitely a lovely looking book. Seems to be based on Ayervedic principles. Lots of teas, tisanes and congees. I have a book by Anjum Anand and what I like about her book is that she splits her book into Dosha's rather than seasons. I think an additional comment on the recipes as to any adaptions needed for say kapha types might have been useful. It's one to go on a Xmas or Birthday wishlist.

I received a complimentary unedited ARC copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.