The Natural Witch's Cookbook: 100 Magical, Healing Recipes & Herbal Remedies to Nourish Body, Mind & Spirit

I was very much looking forward to receiving this cookbook and was so sorely disappointed that I'm returning it. Yes, the photos are gorgeous. But the whole concept of this book is flawed. Its premise is that food is healing, and by preparing recipes with certain kinds of ingredients, one can heal one's aches and pains like the author allegedly has. But the ingredients here are expensive and at times difficult to find (baby octopus, cockles, fresh algae). Also, it's not because you eat a certain kind of soup or quiche that you will instantly "detox" (whatever that means!) or acquire illness-fighting immunity. You'd have to eat that soup or quiche every day for at least two months to achieve that effect, something the author does not tell you. I found, too, that the times given to prepare and cook the recipes are misleading. The onion and duck tart, for e.g., which should be done in under an hour, does not take into account the time you need to prepare and cook or confit the duck--somehow, the duck magically appears: did the fairies cook it? Finally, I understand the association between witchcraft and the alchemy of cooking, but that the author keeps calling each recipe a "spell" is annoyingly conceited, as is her photo, posing as an attractive "young witch" in a field of wheat, or whatever. The whole thing strikes me as some sort of millennial best-life vanity project, especially as we are told repeatedly that the young author found love in Paris. What does this have to do with anything? The bottom line, for me, is that I won't necessarily be able to find or afford the very recipes she claims will heal me or my guests, and one cake or one quail isn't going to heal anything anyway. The author associates witchcraft with feminism. She forgets that witchcraft was the resource of POOR women--because they were disenfranchised, they turned to witchcraft, and they made magic out of ingredients they could find around them every day, not out duck, quail, baby octopus, roses, and lychees. This book is ridiculously pretentious.

The Natural Witch’s Cookbook by Lisanna Wallance was a fun and informative cookbook. I didn’t, however, expect to be wowed by her cooking expertise. This book is worth a look!Over the years, I’ve collected many cookbooks that were attributed to “kitchen witchery.” Sometimes these were fun tomes with seasonal recipes highlighting the Wheel of the Year. Other times they were pun-filled cookbooks that were fun but fairly unremarkable. I’ve gotten to where I’m gun-shy about reading a new cookbook that touts “kitchen magic” as I feel like I’ve seen it all. The cookbook “The Natural Witch’s Cookbook” was a pleasant and wonderful surprise.Wallance has set to create a healthy and natural food cookbook that uses a vegetable-based, but not vegetarian, approach to cooking. They divided the parts of the cookbook into sections: Earth, Air, Water, Fire, Sweet, and Potions. Throughout the cookbook are helpful hints and tips from the author that put a unique spin on each recipe.Much of the magic in the cookbook is the idea behind the recipes themselves. Each recipe highlights A, B and D vitamins and combines ingredients for best effect. Many of the recipes promote joint health, skin rejuvenation, and energy. Descriptions of each recipe provide the information on what the goal for each one is. In its way, each of the recipes is a type of spell to create a result.Witches, for ages, have used food magic to create an effect or a result. It’s easy to see how this is done, as the very act of cooking is transformative itself. In art, witches are often portrayed stirring cauldrons, usually to work some magic — This is not too far removed from stirring a pot over a kitchen stove. From the fireplace to the convection oven, magic is still being done to heal and promote health with the same knowledge passed down to move from folklore to nutritional science.Much of the impetus behind the cookbook lies in the fact that the author, Lisanna Wallance, suffers from the disorder Elhers-Danlos syndrome. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of inherited disorders that affect the connective tissues. Symptoms can sometimes include overly flexible joints and skin that’s translucent, elastic, and bruises easily (among other symptoms).Wallance, like many others who suffer from rare disorders, had to take her nutrition seriously to help combat this syndrome, and this gave her an education on nutrition and how food affects the body. This education led to her writing recipes and sharing her work in this amazing book.The author also took the photographs in the book and they were very well done. The photographs offered a glimpse of the art and eye appeal of the recipes more than a simple recipe itself would have done. Often the images of the food are breathtaking, offering increased effect for each spell that the recipe casts on the person eating it.Simple recipes like “Sunrise Fruit” (page 23), is a really nice presentation and use of persimmon, a fruit that often gets short shrift. “Rebirth Autumn Root Tart” (page 35) is a lovely presentation that also tastes really terrific. I recommend this one to anyone that might attend a potluck or as a nice starter for a get-together.“Antioxidant Quiche” (page 39) is something I tried last week for my family and it was a surprise hit! A delightful way to use artichoke hearts and other seasonal summer vegetables. “Soothing Chicken” (pg 55) is a warming comfort food hit of chicken with a sweet potato cream and a mustard cauliflower puree. My favorite of the cookbook “Euphoria Turkey with Raspberry Sauce” (page 56) is a lovely comfort food that I will definitely be making this thanksgiving, and “Immunity Orange Duck” (page 58) may be the most ingenious way I’ve seen duck prepared.They rounded the Sweet section with “Marzipan Baked Apples” (page 125) and “Anti-Inflammatory Lemon Cake” (page 130) as well as other scrumptious offerings.This cookbook is marvel throughout. I really want to encourage you to give this a look. Once you can see some recipes that are within, I believe you, too, will be under its spell!

Learning all the time. Didn't realise certain connections to vitamins and health. Vit A is supported by orange/red foods.

Great recipes

It has so many amazing recipes. Very easy to read and use! I look forward to more publications from the author. Followed the author as well! Thank you Lisanna!