"The Tao of Cooking", originally published in 1982, was an outgrowth of two vegetarian restaurants, "The Tao" in Bloomington, Indiana, in 1971 and "Rudi's Big Indian Restaurant" near Woodstock, New York. Both restaurants were opened by yoga students for the purposes of supporting themselves and reflecting "the quality of life underlying their spiritual practice". The result is an array of soups, entrees, vegetables and side dishes, salads, egg dishes, sandwiches/snacks, breads and desserts that incorporate the tastes of Asia, Mexico, Europe and the U.S. Most of the recipes are relatively easy to prepare, compared with some vegetarian cookbooks, and have appeal for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, such as myself.

Pasley says, "I have the stubborn idea that one can have the best of both worlds: good, healthy food that tastes good, too." She encourages cooks to understand the spirit of a dish, or style of cooking, in order to be free to improvise and make their own choices and substitutions with "great success." I suspect that most good cooks already do this, yet that idea, expressed in writing, contributes to the tone of this cookbook.

Although I haven't used all the recipes in this cookbook, a few of my favorites are "Rudi's Poppy Seed Cake" baked in a bundt pan (also good served with the somewhat unusual recipe for "Chocolate Sauce"); "Polish Vegetable Barley Soup"; and, "Baked Stuffed Eggplant."

I recommend this for all who cook. ( )