Wennakoski-Bielicki

An inspired vegetarian cookbook with 108 recipes inflected with the practices of Ayurveda and mindfulness practices derived from a bhakti yogic lifestyle.

Food is so much more than nourishment for the body, and health is not just a results-oriented goal. Lakshmi Wennakoski-Bielicki, the creator of PureVege.com, creates food that is healthy, tasty, ethically sound, and spiritually resonant: it is an offering of devotion. To Lakshmi, a vegetarian diet is simply the practical starting point on the path toward a more mindful life. PureVegetarian melds yoga philosophy with mindful food preparation and delicious meals, any day, all year long.

You do not need to practice yoga or Ayurveda to find these recipes accessible, delicious, and divine. Many of the 108 recipes are influenced by Indian tradition but modified for the Western palate. Lakshmi encourages experimenting with favorite vegetables and seasonings to create fresh versions of familiar classics: spelt crackers with hummus, strawberry halva, fig tart with frozen pecan pudding. The recipes are easily adapted to a vegan or gluten-free diet as well.

Recipes include:
-Homemade cheeses, yogurt, buttermilk, and other organic dairy products
-Fresh-baked Indian-style flatbreads and snacks
-Wholesome legume and rice dishes, packed full of seasonal vegetables for hearty meals year-round
-Fragrant spice blends to accent all kinds of sweet and savory dishes
-Salads, sprouts, chutneys, and sauces to flavor any meal
-Sweet desserts, confections, and refreshing drinks to satisfy any palate

LAKSHMI WENNAKOSKI-BIELICKI is a photographer and the creator of the food blog Pure Vege. She started cooking when she was running a bhakti yoga center in northern Greece with her husband fifteen years ago. She learned to navigate the vegetarian kitchen while following a monastic order in an ashram. For her, food nourishes body and soul alike, and her commitment to ahimsa (nonviolence) is at the core of her lifestyle and her cooking. She offers vegetarian cooking classes, consulting, and catering in Helsinki, Finland.