OP: Lord Krishna's Cuisine

Bala Books, New York, 1987. Hardcover. Very Good. 

Yamuna Devi (1942–2011), born Joan Campanella in Butte, Montana, was one of the leading figures in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness—or, colloquially, the Hare Krishnas.

Campanella met ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada as he was catering the wedding of her sister, a recent convert. Tasked with assisting Prabhupada, she became enraptured by the fresh, nutritious, flavorful fare he produced. It might be fair to say the cuisine inspired a spiritual awakening.

Campanella converted, changed her name to Yamuna Devi, and even helped establish the Hare Krishna temple in San Francisco. She spent several of the following years studying India’s regional and temple cuisines at the source, honing her culinary skills. After two decades of practice in the Hare Krishna tradition, Devi produced a massive cookbook with over 500 recipes; its breadth is staggering. 

The headnotes provide helpful technical advice and serving suggestions, contextualize dish regionality, and offer personal anecdotes. This is an honest and thorough work, encouraging an ease of understanding of the cuisine, not to mention its deliciousness. 

Hare Krishnas eat vegetarian, whole foods, and are obligated to prepare it with devotion, first and foremost, to Krishna. Alliums, considered toxic to the deity, are avoided. 

Very Good, overall, with sporadic soiling to the book block and jacket. Later printing.