The Kind Life

I came across Alicia's Silverstone's book The Kind Diet by chance when I was at the Boston Book Festival this past October. I went to hear Alicia Silverstone speak about her new book enticed by the prospect of seeing a celebrity - who didn't love "Clueless"? - but was surprised to find her to be a very compelling speaker. She explained how The Kind Diet delineates how to lead a vegetarian and subsequently vegan lifestyle by changing dietary habits in a three-step process, ultimately aiming for a macrobiotic diet. The book serves as both an informational resource and a cookbook, including some of Alicia's own recipes.

Naturally I bought a copy of the book for one of my vegetarian friends and read it cover to cover. I have attempted a vegetarian diet in the past but did not consume sufficient protein, iron, and B12 amounts, and was curious to see what food source alternatives Alicia's recommendations have to offer. So I tried making some of her recipes, which include an artichoke, mushroom and leek crostini topped with pesto, baked seitan, and a black bean kalbocha squash stew recipe that I really want to try. I found her vegan lemon poppyseed bread to be less than satisfying compared to the buttermilk versions - it was dry and didn't use enough lemon zest to give it the tang that I prefer - but I found her vegan product recommendations to be very helpful. Alicia suggests Earth Balance buttery spread as a butter substitute, which I tried using in my cooking and discovered it still achieves the desired buttery taste for my pie crusts, yet is easier on the stomach. I also experimented with using agave syrup as an all-natural sweetener rather than refined sugar, which I use in my coffee to avoid blood sugar spikes and crashes; and milk alternatives such as soy (light Silk is my favorite) and almond milk, which I highly recommend. It's rich, creamy, and great for baking. The Kind Diet lists many helpful vegan substitutes for cooking, as well as a variety of meat-free recipes that cater to different levels of vegetarianism, from those that still include eggs and dairy in their diets to the "Super Star" macrobiotic diet.

I have mixed feelings about the macrobiotic diet, which focuses on whole grains supplemented by vegetables and beans, avoiding highly processed and refined foods. While I support the philosophy of healthy eating behind the macrobiotic diet, such as consuming locally grown produce and seasonally appropriate meals - I naturally eat more raw vegetables in the spring and summer as a result of their availability anyways - I still find some aspects of the macrobiotic lifestyle troublesome. Macrobiotic cooking avoids the use of nightshades, which include peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant, and advocates sparing use of spinach, beets, and avocados as well - I think that spinach is a wonderfully nutritious vegetable and crucial natural iron source for a vegetarian diet, and frankly don't see the logic behind eliminating it. Furthermore, peppers are great source of vitamin C, helpful to the immune system, and have such a wide variety of species to accent dishes in completely different ways, from spicy habeneros to dried chili peppers to fresh, sweet yellow bell peppers ... to avoid them seems almost criminal to me. (Furthermore I just happen to love eggplant and beets, so following a truly macrobiotic diet is out of the question for me.) So while I condone the emphasis on healthy eating and a balanced lifestyle, I much prefer the "Mediterranean diet."

Though at times The Kind Diet can become too preachy about the vegan lifestyle, which I respect but choose not to follow, thank you, it successfully serves as a good resource for vegetarian cooking.

3.5/5 stars.

Visit Alicia's website The Kind Life (http://www.thekindlife.com/) for more tips and recipes.