What I loved about this book: The photos! Every cookbook should have decent photos that make the reader want to eat the food so that they are inspired to try it. The recipes themselves sound delicious, but when I actually cooked them, they were a bit lackluster. However, this is not something that should deter you from buying this book. If you know your way around the kitchen, you can add your own spin to these dishes that will result in yummy meals.

I really loved the beginning of this book. I felt like I had a seat at the author's table and was being included in her family life as she explained to me who she was. I felt like I was a part of the family.

I was so excited for the recipes, everyone's favorite part of the book. Unfortunately, the actual recipes used so many ingredients that I would never have on hand. So it just wouldn't be a practical recipe collection for me.

It was nice. Many recipes are not that new but have a diferent twist and also are very well presented

It is an interesting book with a good premise, but there is a lot more instructions and discussions than I expected.
I did not manage to read the whole book since it did not necessarily align with my taste inclinations but for someone looking to switch to a vegan diet, this can be a helpful tool to look at the lifestyle in a different angle

I'm always looking for good vegan recipes and I cook from scratch, so I was excited to read this cookbook. In the end, I was sort of lukewarm about it.

On the one hand, there are gorgeous photos (for more than half the recipes, I'd say) and she gives good information for new cooks about things like cooking methods, knife skills, etc. Most of the recipes are also quite healthy, and focus on vegetables instead of making fake versions of popular SAD (standard American diet) dishes.

OTOH, instead of nutritional information she gives icons showing which "transformational energy" they provide (earth, metal, tree...) with questionable claims about what each recipe can do for your medical or emotional issues. She also uses a lot of ingredients I don't cook with, like specialty seaweeds and brown rice syrup. She disapproves of going gluten free and says that while 1% of people have Celiac Disease, most people who think they're sensitive probably aren't and that wheat is a healthy food. She says late in the book that all of her recipes work perfectly if you just substitute an organic brand of "cup for cup" gluten free flour mix for the flour. Anybody who has experience baking GF knows that you just can't make a claim like that about every recipe in a cookbook. Some flour blends work well as a substitute in some kinds of recipes like cakes, while failing miserably in others like breads. If you're gluten free, you may want to preview it first, though many recipes don't call for wheat anyway.

She also just doesn't use a lot of flavor. One of her recipes was for nothing but four kinds of greens sauteed together. No oil, salt, herbs, nothing. I just can't get excited by that. In addition, she uses imitation foods like non-dairy cream cheese, which I don't buy or use.

The author does have a warm personality and the book is beautiful. She also claims that she recovered from late stage leukemia after switching to this kind of eating (from vegetarian but junky vegetarian) over 30 years ago, so that alone is another good reason to give it a read.

For me, it was ultimately not a book that inspired me to try any of the recipes, though. Most didn't sound that appetizing and would require buying ingredients I don't usually use. Other readers are likely to come away much more inspired.

Back to the Cutting Board: Luscious Plant-Based Recipes to Make You Fall in Love (Again) with the Art of Cooking by Christina Pirello is a nice cookbook for vegetarians who are looking for unique, but delicious recipes. There is a photograph of each recipe, and some of them are mouthwatering – even for those who are not vegetarian.

Pirello is a excellent writer and makes the book interesting. She has specific philosophies about food, and explains them in a simple, easy-to-understand way. The Five Transformation of Energy is explained well and makes sense.

All told, this cookbook is great and has enough unique recipes and ideas that it is worth buying.

Thanks to NetGalley for supplying a copy of this cookbook.

Starting a plant based journey, many of the recipes I found were arduous affairs, containing obscure ingredients and time intensive processes. Not anymore! Christina Pirello has put together a fantastic vegan cookbook full of easy to follow, uncomplicated and delicious plant based recipes! Every recipe is simple and uses ingredients accessible to all. I'm excited to work my way though each one after first trying the wholly satisfying Stir-Fried Cauliflower & Mustard Greens in Lemon–Sesame Sauce.

Thank you to BenBella Books and NetGalley for the opportunity view an advanced copy, in exchange for my honest feedback.

I got a copy of this cookbook from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I'm sad to say that I didn't even finish reading Back to the Cuttingboard. I found it boring to read and full of recipes that did not seem interesting to me. There weren't any recipes that jumped out at me, begging to be made. There just wasn't anything exciting that I saw. This book claims that "Christina empowers you to create personal wellness by nourishing your body, mind, and spirit. " But I never felt this, and I certainly didn't feel like the food in this book was anything that spectacular. 

So a hard pass from me and a 2 star rating on Goodreads.

I really enjoyed this cookbook. The recipes were ones I would actually make and not hard to follow. I have several lined up to make now.

I received an e-copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I was intrigued by the description of this book -- I'm always a sucker for cookbooks, especially vegetarian / vegan ones, as they are potentially so full of inspiring new ideas. However, while the recipes in Christina Pirello's book are interesting and definitely doable, on the whole they are not terribly exciting. This might be a book better suited for someone less familiar with a variety of different cookbooks.

Nonetheless, the book is nicely organized, the recipes might well make their way into one's kitchen, there are some fun cooking ideas (sweet pizza with baked fruit?  sounds great), and the pictures are pretty and rustic. It's not exactly my cup of tea, but it's a good enough cup of tea.

This is a treasure for anyone trying to move to or adhere to a plant based diet. It starts out with a list of items to stock in your kitchen which is followed by photos illustrating proper knife techniques which is followed by recommendations of the tools you will need and explanations of different cooking tecniques. Then it gets to the recipes many of which contain ingredients that were new to me... burdock, arame, hiziki and kuzu root for example. I will definitely be trying the Chickpea Farro Soup soon and the Pappa Al Pomodoro next summer during peak tomato season. I would say this book is for those with a bit more adventurous palates although it is entertaining for the reference material alone.

Beautiful book with some nice ideas.
I didn't personally get any new information or inspirations from this but i have been cooking from scratch for most of my life thanks to lots of food allergies that allows very little premade things. But for everyone that needs to learn or get inspiration on how to make more at home, defiantly a good book for that!

I've been a fan of Christina since her days on PBS. While I don't necessarily prescribe to the beliefs in the "energy" portions of the book, there are lots and lots of great recipes for healthy, plant-based (vegan) meals. As for the recipes, I didn't see many ingredients used that couldn't be easily found in a good co-op, natural health food store or even your local chain grocery in most cases. I found plenty of recipes I'll be trying myself!

Thank you to Christina Pirello, BenBella Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All comments are my own, unbiased opinion.

An amazing cookbook!!!! Beautiful and every recipe works and comes out beautifully.
Lots of amazing information throughout the whole entire book as well as throughout the recipe is extremely helpful hints.
I will be giving this cookbook to all of my friends and family for Christmas this year because it it is an absolute must have in your collection.

More than 100 enriched plant-based recipes that pair the fresh ingredients alongside cooking techniques meant to optimise flavors, This book introduces you to the creative potential of vegetarian recipes.

The.book has seven chapters with the first two dedicated to kitchen rules, pantry essentials, equipment, preparation and cooking techniques and lots of lengthy explanations,.about meals and cycles.of.nature.

The.other five chapters are split into Veggies, soups, whole grains, plant based proteins and puddings. Each chapter starts with another lengthy explanation, and some also have another explanation at its end. These explanations are in the same font as the recipe steps, so I found it harder to read. The recipes are well written and come with plenty of steps to follow.

There are some colour photography to accompany the recipes. The recipes are in imperial measurements but there is a small conversion table at the rear for the cup sizes, but not ounces.

Hearty and rustic, Back to the Cutting Board wakes up traditional ingredients with new flavor profiles and cooking techniques. I really loved the photography.

I love to review plant-based cookbooks because, well, I am always looking for new recipe ideas!  Christina Pirello contends that "Getting back to the basics of cooking as you walk your path to wellness begins at the cutting board".  In fact getting back to basics is what we need to do to get well. 

Christina talks about the ingredients of healthy food and veg prep.  She gives readers on a path to wellness ideas for lunch and eating dinner in and what to do if you do go out to eat.  She talks about the five elements: earth, wood, fire, soil and metal.  I have found that the more attention I pay to getting back to the earth, the happier and healthier I feel, so I appreciated this section of the book.

She had a recipe for Burdock - a very nourishing, medicinal plant - that I am dying to try.

There are a lot of winter vegetable recipes, which I was really excited about as we go into winter and I know in the past I have gotten tired of the same old things.

We made the Carrots Osso Buco, which we thought was amazing and perfect for fall/winter.  I have never actually had Osso Buco because any time it was offered it was made with veal, which I did not eat even when I did eat meat.  So I was excited to try this version.  My husband has eaten his share of Osso Buco and said the taste was right on and it was very good.

I also made the Chickpea Farro soup because I love both chick peas and farro and am always looking for new hearty soup recipes and this one will definitely be on the list of soups that I make regularly!

This is a beautiful cookbook with lovely illustrations that will inspire you to make the dishes.  

I received a digital ARC of this cookbook from BenBella books and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

At first, I was skeptical of this cookbook and how the author would admonish the readers how it's wrong to eat dairy and meat. You get the idea. I was pleasantly surprised how warm and gentle the author came across. she explained why and how she's gotten into this lifestyle of eating vegetables. She wanted to share her passion with her recipes she's enjoyed cooking.

She's even listed the utensils which need to be utilized for cooking. She's also included the glossary for cooking words so beginners won't flounder in her cookbook. She's made it easy to understand and follow instructions easily.

Her photos are simply gorgeous! Warm and mouth watering.

Even though I'm not a vegetarian, I simply adore veggies and have always looked for ways to incorporate different recipes withe different veggies . I saw some recipes I would love to try out soon.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to be a vegan or vegetarian or who already are, or just simply want to try out the recipes .
I received this beautiful ARC of a cookbook from BenBella Books through Net Galley in an exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

I am definitely going to test some of the recipes. If I really enjoy them and keep coming back for more recipes then, I will purchase a print of this copy to add to my collection of cookbooks. I collect cookbooks and am very selective on my cookbooks .

BenBella Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Back to the Cutting Board: Luscious Plant-Based Recipes to Make You Fall in Love (Again) with the Art of Cooking. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

The author's introduction to the cookbook set the tone and explains her reasons for this labor of love. Pirello wanted to achieve a cookbook designed to nourish the body and the soul. She goes on to explain that this is no fad diet, just good recipes for the health and wellness of those who wish to follow a plant-based diet. With a few words of wisdom, the author sets a course for healthy eating and, more importantly, a way for readers to get in touch with a love for cooking.

A full third of Back to the Cutting Board is dedicated to educating readers about different plant-based essential ingredients and important techniques, so those looking for a cookbook with a plethora of recipes may be disappointed. Beginners will appreciate the step-by-step lessons in knife techniques, such as julienne, dice, and shred. There are tips and hints scattered throughout the pages to help readers. I do wish that there were more photographs of the finished dishes, as the bright, colorful pictures are very inspiring. There are many tantalizing side dishes, such as Spicy Asian Coleslaw, with its vinegar and oil dressing that lightens up the dish from its traditional mayonnaise offering. Healthy soups, such as Creamy White Bean Soup with Escarole, will be warm and satisfying on a winter's day. Grain recipes, like Spicy Rice with Baby Lentils and Candied Onions, can be served as a healthy main dish or portioned up as a side. With many hot and cold dishes to choose from, readers will be able to explore a wider array of possibilities to maintaining a vegetarian diet.

Back to the Cutting Board does border on trendy, as the dishes contained within are either vegetarian or vegan. Many of the recipes include ingredients that are too pricey for the average reader, such as mirin, or too obscure, like hiziki. Also of note, the cookbook does not seem to be arranged in the usual fashion. Dishes of a similar type, such as Sides, Mains, and Desserts, do not seem separated but are, instead, all jumbled together. This lack of cohesion makes Back to the Cutting Board difficult to read and would make it hard to work with. I would like to try some of the recipes in this cookbook, especially offerings in the dessert section such as Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes and Cannoli Napoleons, but there is really not enough here that would convince me to recommend the cookbook to other readers.

Some of the recipes here sound delicious and I’d love to try them. However, some require unusual ingredients that would be hard to get. It would be helpful to include more commonly available substitutes for those.