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| Food for the Soul: Traditional Jewish Wisdom for Healthy Eating | 
 enlarge | Author: Chana Rubin
Publisher: Gefen Publishing House
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy New: $15.25
You Save: $1.70 (10%)
New (7) from $15.25
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 210815
Media: Paperback
Pages: 344
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 5.9 x 0.7
ISBN: 9652294063
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.5676
EAN: 9789652294067
ASIN: 9652294063
Publication Date: May 20, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Jerusalem Report Review September 2, 2008
This information-packed, soft-cover book provides nutrition basics and over 100 of Rubin's personal favorite recipes, while addressing nutrition and health from a Jewish perspective. No photographs or illustrations here, but much food for thought.
Selected chapters open with quotations from the likes of Kook, the late Lubavitcher Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, the Bible or Rashi, with the occasional Chinese proverb thrown in. The 17 chapters have names like "Diet and Health," "Eating for Optimum Health," "Fat Facts" and "Childhood Obesity," with sub-headings, such as "Health in the Jewish tradition," "Food as a vehicle to holiness," "A healthy relationship with food," "Lifestyle changes that can help you lose weight," "Using the discipline of kashrut" and more.
Rubin extols the advantages of a colorful diet, providing a food palette that details the benefits of each hue. Many chapters end with a succinct "bottom line" summary that I chose to read first, for a quick preview of what the chapter holds and her halakhic observations are fascinating, even to the non-observant reader.
A recipe and menu section at the back of the book provide practical, easy-to-implement suggestions and some recipes offer sophisticated new twists to old favorites, like Doron's Banana Walnut Cupcakes contributed by chef Doron Degen who trained in Canada and now resides in Beersheba. His secret is to gently saute the mashed bananas with cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa and some brown sugar before adding them to the batter.
The only problem I had with the book was in locating recipes. I tried the recipe for granola - I'll never use packaged again - but had difficulty finding it a second time, because I didn't remember that, in the index, it's listed under "C" - for Chana's Granola.
The aptly named "Food for the Soul," if properly digested, is a great hors d'oeuvre, before choosing recipes for your family from Rubin's or other cookbooks.
By Gilah Kahn-Hoffman, The Jerusalem Report, September 15, 2008
Covers all the bases August 7, 2008
Although not Jewish, I found this cookbook to be interesting and educational in covering many aspects of health and nutrition. The plus, for me, is the great recipes and the section on planning ahead. I live in a vacation area and have many drop-in guests. Not only can I be prepared but am able to offer foods healthier and more tasty than my guests have been eating in their travels to be here and still have time to visit.
 Great Addition to the Kosher Cookbook Repertoire July 23, 2008
Chana Rubin presents sound nutritional information in an easily-read format. She does not overwhelm the reader with too much information at one time. This makes it very simple to go back to reference that information later. As a nutritionist and a "Kosher-eater", I feel the Kosher world needs cookbooks that contain delicious and healthy recipes, which this book has in abundance. The recipes are very good, easily prepared, and contain healthful ingredients. Although geared toward the Kosher-eating community, the nutritonal information and recipes could be used by everyone. Nice addition to my Kosher cookbook library!
Deborah Mendeloff, MS
Just What We Need June 4, 2008
Finally! A sensible book of nutritional information for people who keep Kosher or just eat Kosher food products.
The author gives practical advice on eating healthier food in a way that makes it sound simple and easy-to-do. Not everyone's mother was a nutritionist and Chana Rubin writes for those of us brought up on frozen vegetables and too many fatty foods.
The recipies are tasty and easy to follow.
A real find for the Kosher eater.
 Rehashing Readily Available Information, but Great Recipes May 23, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book simply rehashes most of the information about maintaining a healthy lifestyle that is heard on the news of on cooking shows that focus on healthy lifestyles. Having grown up in a home where my mother was a dietician, most of the first portion of the book was old news to me. The book, however, is very readable and informative for someone who lacks basic knowledge about healthy lifestyles. It will be easily understood my most readers. Toward the end of the narrative portion of the book, the author addresses specific concerns of her Jewish audience. The last part of the book consists of recipes which focus on the use of whole grains and fresh ingredients. Most of the recipes look tasty and should add a great deal of flavor to the diet without the high calorie counts of some other choices. It would have been nice to have photographs of most or at least some of the recipes. An extensive bibliography is included. [3.5 stars; LibraryThing Early Reviewers program copy]
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