I have no complaints about the ingredients list, that's why I shop at WFM -- beautiful fresh, organic produce, all varieties of grain and pasta products, and a wide assortment of gourmet and International foods not found in other stores. For many of my favorite cookbooks [like Nina Simonds' Asian Noodles] Whole Foods Market provides one-stop shopping.

The problem I have with the book is that of the half-dozen or so recipes I tried, I had to make repairs midway through the making, or the flavors or ingredients didn't come together as I expected, or the end product just plain didn't taste good. I was left with beautiful food made into lousy meals.

If you're looking for great-tasting recipes tailor-made for WFM shoppers, I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little while longer. This one should be sent back to the test kitchen.

106 of 109 found the following review helpful:

Riddled with typos  Jun 24, 2003
By villekulla
This is a beautiful cookbook, with a few very good recipes--Fragrant Ginger Lime Chicken Fingers and Southwest King Ranch Casserole among them. Unfortunately, these are far outnumbered by the recipes that simply do not work, especially those involving the delicate manufacture of dough. At first I thought I had it wrong, but over the course of repeated failures, I realized that the problem was in the testing and/or proofreading. And it's not just dry measures; the text of one recipe calls for onions, when it means potatoes. Several re-readings later, I finally cracked the code. I sincerely hope that the authors try again to get it right. The tragedy is how close they came...

59 of 62 found the following review helpful:

I really wanted to like this cookbook....  Apr 20, 2005
By Kayla Pruett
...but I have to agree with the other reviewers who said that the recipes fall short. Many of them sound absolutely delicious, but I have found many errors and in recipes where there are no obvious errors, I often have to make adjustments to the seasonings or ingredients (for example, I made the Lemon Tahini Sauce tonight to go with the baked Falafel Balls...the falafel balls recipes is missing a step, and the lemon tahini sauce calls for way, way too much tahini and the end product is not what the recipe describes. I could fix both mistakes, but I shouldn't have to). I wish they would do some heavy revising to this cookbook, because it has so much promise.

36 of 39 found the following review helpful:

Yikes! Errors Galore!  Oct 12, 2006
By butterfly beach
This is an amazing cookbook but for the 100 or so needed corrections that Whole Foods has listed on its website. I could read this book for hours, it really has some delicious and creative healthful recipes. Unfortunately, I've learned not to go beyond READING it, as I've wasted grocery cash and time finding out that the proof (reading) was not in the "putting" for Whole Foods editorial staff! Wait till the much-needed revised edition comes out!

37 of 43 found the following review helpful:

Not (Just) About Sprouts  Dec 07, 2002

As a vegetarian for 12 years and a former Whole Foods Market Team Member for five years, I think this book is a great representation of what Whole Foods Market food is about. Other reviewers have pointed out that some of the recipes are high in fat or sodium. As a former TM and cheese specialist, I can assure you that though some Whole Foods customers do follow an ascetic diet, (and the stores offer many items in accordance with that practice) that has never been the focus of the company when it comes to food. To think that WFM serves just that "health food" customer is to really miss the mark. Full flavor, small producers, specialty items, and natural ingredients are what WFM food is about, not low-fat, low-sodium cuisine.

The cookbook has a great range of appealing and store-tested recipes with strong vegetable components and an international flavor palette. The recipes are quite accessible for the book's intended audience and aren't overly complicated or long--they focus on getting the best out of fresh ingredients with a minimum of fuss. This is where home cooking should be going. There may be ingredients that are not in average home pantries, but as a WFM cookbook, that's as it should be.

There are lots of vegetarian and vegan recipes, though vegans may want to check out the book in person (as is usually the case) to make sure they're getting enough recipes for things they will enjoy. Even the meat recipes give tips on how the marinade or seasoning can be used for non-meat items.

For those with a little trepidation in approaching unfamiliar ingredients, there is a great glossary in the back of the book as well as some nice menu suggestions. The other appendices are a small wine guide and a cheese guide. The cheese guide is a really well-done, informative four pages--it answers many of the FAQ at a cheese counter.

Good, honest food with natural ingredients, broad appeal, and recipes you'll be proud to serve to guests and give away to friends. A winner.

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