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| A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook | 
 enlarge | Author: Patricia Telesco
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Category: Book
List Price: $18.95
Buy New: $6.99
You Save: $11.96 (63%)
New (36) Used (23) from $5.20
Avg. Customer Rating:  29 reviews
Sales Rank: 83419
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.8 x 7 x 1
ISBN: 1567187072
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.5
EAN: 9781567187076
ASIN: 1567187072
Publication Date: September 1, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 29 | | NEXT » |
Eclectic Cooking June 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Kitchen Witch's Cookbook / 1-56718-707-2
This is a very eclectic source and, true to Telesco's usual style, aims to be a "lowest common denominator" book that will appeal to as many people as possible. As such, the recipes presented here are not "new" wiccan-themed dishes but rather regional dishes from around the world, with their "magical significance" penciled in. Nor is the "magical significance" limited to wiccan and pagan traditions - Telesco frequently notes dishes as being sacred to Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Buddhist cuisine. I suppose publishing is a business and we can't blame anyone for trying to make a buck, but it is a bit irritating to read about olives being sacred to Noah... as opposed to the more obvious "witchy" choice of Athena. Oh well, but it does bother some people, so I thought I'd mention it.
As a further attempt to be all things to all people, this book is neither vegan nor vegetarian, as there are quite a few recipes involving meat, creams, and cheeses. However, there is a whole section on tofu and another for rice, so that no eating choice is neglected. I think this is a nice compromise for everyone involved and no one gets left out or has to go hungry.
For the recipes themselves, each recipe is lavishly laid out with an explanation of the history of the dish, the country of origin, the associated holidays, sacred symbols, and religion or god/dess(es), as well as suggested variations which could promote different witchy intents. In the face of all this wonderful detail, I do find that I am again faced with the absolute hardest part of being an American wiccan - lack of European ingredients! With one recipe calling for "1 whole pig (about 14 pounds)" and dozens more calling for the addition of flower petals I've never even heard of, this cookbook may be very daunting to people who don't have access to a local butcher or gardener. I'm not certain I'd try the flower recipes anyway, as Telesco offhandedly points out that "some" of the flowers of certain varieties of plants are quite poisonous, while others are not... but with no indication of how to tell what is safe and what is not. I guess you have to purchase another book for that, I'm not sure.
Hmm. I guess as a bottom line, I got some real enjoyment out of this cookbook. We're all pretty picky eaters in my family and we tend to stick to the tried-and-true, so a lot of the more exotic recipes were fun to read about but I probably wouldn't actually make. I did glean at least 10-20 new recipes that I enjoy and, really, that's about the best I hope for with a cookbook. As a spiritual guide, I don't know how practical it is - admonitions to make "every meal magical" and to avoid cooking when tired or irritable because negative magic will slip in fail to consider my own busy lifestyle and the fact that if food doesn't get on the table, the family will go hungry. And while the total immersion into a magic lifestyle is tempting, I expect that the modern witch will end up being disappointed and frustrated at the inevitable failure to serve every meal by candlelight with the TV turned off and the radio silenced. I would suggest buying this book for the recipes, taking some of the philosophy as a nice goal (but not a realistic destination), and enjoying the results and not worrying about the failures.
 It's A Good Book, But.... May 20, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book was my introduction to the whole idea of kitchen witchery, and of using food for magickal purposes. As such, it will always occupy a special place in my heart. Additionally, some of the recipes are quite good, and have found a permanent place in my repertoire. I am particularly fond of the Americana Pasta (I think that's what she called it - I always refer to it as "Patriotic Macaroni and Cheese") and the Blue Moon salad dressing. In fact, unable to find a source of borage with which to garnish the aforementioned mac and cheese, I was inspired to grow my own, and thus discovered a delightful new addition to my garden.
All that said, however, there are several things I found less than perfect about the book. I agree with the person who complained that she'd borrowed too many holidays from too many traditions. I will go further and say that I wish the recipes had been better organized. If I wanted to look up recipes for, say, prosperity, I had to check the index and then flip to recipes scattered throughout the book. Also, as I experimented with various recipes, I noticed that in many of them, the author seems to have been more concerned with making the numerology of the ingredients work out than with the actual result. Unfortunately, cooking just doesn't work that way. A dish needs what it needs, and you can't use more or less just because you'd like the numbers to work out to the appropriate numerological meaning for your purpose.
Since first purchasing this book many years ago, I have become a fairly competent kitchen witch in my own right. I rarely refer to this book anymore, as there are better books if one simply needs to look up the magickal correspondences of various foodstuffs (Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen is a must-have in any magickal kitchen), and if one is simply looking for something tasty to prepare for dinner or whatever, there are simply scads of cookbooks on the market that have much better recipes from a purely food standpoint, not to mention such online sites as Epicurious.com and the Food Network's website.
Still, once in a while it's fun to take it down and browse through it, and maybe even try something new or find a recipe that accomplishes some kind of magick that is relevant to my life at that point.
If you are completely new to the idea of kitchen witchery, and of using food to make magick, this book is a great introduction. If, however, you already have experience in this area, I'd recommend skipping it, or at the very least, checking it out of the library first to see whether you find it useful.
 I'm never getting rid of this book! November 19, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is the book that started me on my journey into Kitchen Witchery.. :) Patricia is absolutely wonderful in turning the ordinary kitchen into a magical shrine (or even place of worship!). Whether you're looking to make a typical Tuesday night's dinner or prepare some ritual goodies for offerings, I guarantee you'll open this cookbook first. It's very easy to use and sorted by food categories.
If you ever feel disconnected from the powers & energies found in different foods, Patricia's heartfelt recipes will surely reconnect you.
 Ummm...did we read the same book? November 8, 2007
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
First of all, I have to say that this is the first Wiccan cookbook I have ever bought. I hated it. I hated everything about it. The recipies were unusual, but nothing, not even one, that sounded good enough to try cooking. The "magic" included here is suspect at best. I will try another cook book for Wiccan's but not one of hers. The whole tone of the book was actually kinda snotty, not at all like most kitchens witchs are.
knowing what to cook April 5, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book has been so helpful in the holiday seasons. I have been able to find recipes for all to enjoy. Some may be put off my the name of the book, but it's what drew me in. Magic is in everything we do every day.
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