Hollyhock Cooks

I am inspired by cookbooks on a daily basis.  Especially in the warmer months, where I am not too keen on cooking, it takes a good cookbook to get me fired up and ready to create in the kitchen.  Hollyhock Cooks is one such cookbook.

Imagine a educational retreat center nestled in the tall forest of an island paradise where the sea laps at the beach below. Now add the most delicious food imaginable, created by a host of talented artist-cooks using vegetables and flowers gathered from the center's lush gardens, and presented with delicate care. Then think of the most well-known names from the body, mind, and soul circuit who frequently teach here, and the guests who hail from the furthest reaches of the continent....This is Hollyhock. Located on Cortes Island in British Columbia's Georgia Strait, Hollyhock is about nourishing those who work to make the world a better place. It has been attracting visitors like bees to honey for the past twenty-five years - partly because of its delicious food.Now, for the first time, Hollyhock Cooks showcases the best of its globally influenced cuisine, with over 200 recipes including everything from soups and salads to entrées, sauces and spreads, desserts, and drinks. Special chapters focus on how to combine garden with kitchen, and on secrets for cooking for a crowd. And interspersed throughout are comments from the famous Hollyhock presenters - Ram Dass, Eckhart Tolle, Robert Bly, Joan Borysenko and more - on their very favorite dishes.

The recipes are inspired by what we have around us.  The food is wholesome and healthy and sure to be a hit in any home.    Hollyhock Cooks  is the book you pack for family vacations where you want the flavors and the love to shine.  I made the Mediterranean Pasta (using spaghetti squash instead of pasta) and my family wanted seconds and thirds.

A breakfast, lunch and inner favorite is the Hollyhock bread which is full of whole grains and tastes amazing whether being used for a sandwich or with homemade jelly on toast. The recipes are for large servings (families), but you can reduce as needed.  I love reading about what inspired the recipes.  I plan on getting more copies of this book to gift to friends and family.  Cooking with love and the freshest ingredients is the way to a a families' heart.