What to Eat for How You Feel: The New Ayurvedic Kitchen - 100 Seasonal Recipes

I deliberated over buying this cookbook for several weeks before doing so. “Do I reaaallly need another Ayurvedic cookbook?” Im so thrilled I went for it! Not only is it filled with delectable + beautifully crafted recipes, it is overflowing with Divya’s compassionate + loving heart and the deep wisdom of SV Ayurveda. What we Westerners know about Ayurveda is mainly limited to a watered-down version that can only take healing so far. This cookbook is the outpouring of a centuries-old lineage that somehow managed to survive the Mogul era where most of the wisdom of this kind was destroyed. Divya brings the dietary aspect of this wisdom to light in an accessible and reverent way through her diverse dishes. The meals are incredibly light and easy on the digestion while being deeply nourishing and utterly satisfying. The book is delightfully and thoughtfully organized and easy to navigate. The quality is very high and feels good in the hand. It is clear from beginning to end how much intention went into creating this cookbook and her passion shines through page after page, inviting and inspiring you to engage with food anew. She creates a space in which you come to understand the wisdom in your own body, what it’s communicating with you about what it needs to feel well tended, and how to meet those needs with clarity + joy. Thank you, Divya, for such an immense gift!!

I have had this book for a year now and feel I can do a just review now after a year of using it and learning from it on and off. Firstly, it's a beautiful and elegant book that makes me happy when I look over and see in my kitchen collection. As for the recipes, when I started going through them I felt they were too simplistic, boring or even assumed they'd be tasteless, but I dedicated to trying a number of them before making a final call. I am happy to report have not been disappointed once. I am amazed how the simple ingredients are turned into an elegant and appetizing meals that taste good and just as importantly - make you feel good. My favorite are the barley/einkorn biscuits, they are out of this world and such great addition to the many soup recipes. And yet so simple for me as a self-professed non-baker. I am still working through the recipes and look forward to trying most of them. One thing I had mixed feelings about is that the author white-washed it a little but but removing the reference to the doshas (vata/pitta/kapha) and replaced it with airy/fiery/earthy digestion. While I understand that this was likely in effort to make it closer and less intimidating to the western reader, but then again, the western reader would also be new to the entire air/fire/earth reference anyway so thought this was unhelpful, but this is minor, I think. Thank you for the book, I am sure I will continue to enjoy and learn from it.

The Sweet Potato Smoothie. It only takes one recipe to hook your interest, and that was the one for me. I made this smooth and creamy orange smoothie and I was absolutely blown away by the subtle flavors, beautiful colors, and how it made me feel - nourished and happy - and I've been obsessed with this cookbook ever since.The ingredients can be off-putting (lauki squash? kalonji seeds?? agar agar???) and to be honest this book sat on my shelf for almost a year for that reason. When I invested in ingredients though, my culinary explorations took off. Divya actually teaches cooking classes in NYC so her meticulousness as a teacher comes through in her directions - every single recipe I've made from this cookbook has turned out spectacular on the first go (much to the delight of my husband!!)Most recipes are actually quite simple, the biggest hurdle is getting the ingredients. Once you have them, everything flows. One recipe lead to another and another, my curiosity blossoming with each new conquest and "winner" and my lifestyle changing along with the recipes. Which really, this cookbook is all about an alternate lifestyle. After a couple months of basically solely cooking from this cookbook during quarantine and making certain recipes multiple times, it's hard to imagine going back to canned foods and packaged almond milk.I always joked with my husband that my goal in life was to be a legendary cook. I thought it would take decades of trial and error. I realize that here's a great shortcut - just cook from a legendary cookbook from a legendary cook! Voila!So, what will the recipe be that will hook you??

I was so excited to find this book after being interested in Ayurveda for the last few years, but not having much luck finding a resource that really resonated with me. Divya has a beautiful and compassionate way with words through her fun descriptions of her recipes. And her incredibly knowledgeable and user-friendly breakdown of the principles of Ayurveda.And the recipes! I've tried several so far, and they have gotten me excited to try more. I find myself looking forward to the next season to try a whole new set of recipes. They are simple to prepare, tasty, and even my picky husband was reading through it last night with me agreeing that he looked forward to trying more and more recipes (this from a meat and potatoes kind of guy- love it!)We've especially enjoyed the Date Milkshakes at night, and the Cooked Apples first thing in the morning. This simple apple recipe has allowed me to kick my first-thing-in-the-morning diet pepsi habit... and given me so much more energy to start and get through my day. I've also really enjoyed learning more about what spices to buy and how to combine them for my specific needs.All in all, a wonderful book that I highly recommend to anyone wanting to make small or large changes with their diet and overall well-being.