A few years ago, while studying dharma in Nepal, Sandra Garson noticed the sickly state of the children and her mission became clear: to spread the message that "ordinary food is extraordinarily powerful." This mission took the form of "Veggiyana, a vegetable path that leads to liberation from unnecessary physical suffering, freeing people to engage positively with the world, since those who feel good can do good."
In her introduction, Garson contemplates the gift of survival that has been bequeathed through the years: "If we had not inherited the way to preserve milk as yogurt or leach toxins out of soybeans, boil bread (which is the original description of making noodles)... if all this knowledge had been hoarded, monopolized, or buried like other treasure, instead of being freely shared, none of us would be here now, enjoying life."
Garson presents 108 recipes, each chosen to represent "reach-fors: beloved items we choose again and again because they can always be trusted to be just right" and because they represent GUSTO: Generosity (ingredients that cause no harm), Universality (affordable, attainable ingredients), Simplicity (common pans and little time required), Tasty and Offering (worthy of being served to loved ones).
Although Veggiyana is inspired by Buddhist principles and is enriched by short essays on a range of related topics throughout, it also stands as a user-friendly, original cookbook. --Kristen Galles from Book Club Classics