I collect cookbooks and find that I use them mostly to get ideas. I have included both macrobiotic and my favorite vegetarian cookbooks on this list, because you can find some great adaptable ideas in the vegetarian books listed.
Love, Eric and Sanae by Eric LeChasseur and Sanae Suzuki and Love Eric by Eric LeChassuer
These are my favorite macrobiotic cookbooks yet. They are, respectively, a book on macrobiotic cuisine and one on macrobiotic desserts. Note I use the word ‘cuisine’ here; Eric’s books are the first time I’ve seen a book of macrobiotic recipes that got me really excited as a chef. The recipes are clear; the photographs are exquisite, and the food, inspired. The only downside is that the books are expensive (about $30 each), and don’t contain a lot of recipes (each one is fewer than 50 recipes). If you are a serious home cook or professional chef, I consider these a must-have.
The Macrobiotic Community Cookbook by Andrea Bliss-Lerman
Andrea’s book includes contributions from respected macrobiotic teachers and practitioners. The recipes are fairly well written and easy to follow. The commentary is wonderful, and there is excellent information included in tables and the appendix. (This includes information on pressure-cooking, a comprehensive glossary, and some menu plans.)
The Self-Healing Cookbook by Kristina Turner
This friendly book looks to be self-published, but don’t let its humble appearance fool you. It is full of great pearls of wisdom and information, and has the heart energy of a loving Grandma’s kitchen. The recipes are uneven, and not as well written as they could be, but I love Kristina’s voice and presence in this book. This is a great book for beginners.
The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics by Jessica Porter
Part cookbook, part philosophical guide, Jessica Porter’s book is a thorough, funny, and sometimes irreverent look at macrobiotics. I love Jessica’s humor and down to earth approach to her subject matter. The recipes are good, but not systematically organized.
How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman
The author of the classic How to Cook Everything has come back with a massive, information packed tome on vegetarian cuisine. Recipes are well written, easy to follow, and inspiring. Some recipes include dairy products, but just as many do not (the book is nearly 1,000 pages and 2,000 recipes). I highly recommend this as a great reference for any home cook.
World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey
Madhur Jaffrey’s book contains over 750 recipes from every culture and cooking tradition imaginable. As with Bittman’s book, World Vegetarian contains dairy in many of the recipes, and some spices may need to be adjusted, but most recipes can be adapted to a macrobiotic model. It is an inspiring book by one of the most important food writers of our time.
