Natural Foods and the Health of a Planet
Allen Michael opened the Here and Now restaurant on Scott and Haight St. in San Francisco in 1967. The restaurant was the foundation of our service to the public, and everyone who came to join the commune contributed their labor, about 5 hours a day.
It was the first vegetarian restaurant in the city, and the hippies who were streaming into town from all over the world quickly discovered our place. Most came to eat the delicious food, but some wanted to join, and did. One of the first was Kathy Hannaford (Kathy Ash then), who jumped right into cooking for the people, and almost immediately began expanding the restaurant’s menu with new recipes.
Fast forward 6 years to Berkeley, where we operated the largest natural food restaurant in California, if not the U.S., our 5th restaurant enterprise. By now there were enough recipes to fill a book. And that is exactly what we did. Kathy spearheaded the project by writing up and putting all 190 vegetarian recipes to the test in the restaurant and in the communal kitchen, then putting it altogether in a book, with Lorena Laforest doing the artwork and layout. It was appropriately entitled “Cosmic Cookery.”
There were 2 printings of the book, totaling around 30,000 copies.
Here is a 2-part interview with Kathy, on KJOY radio in Stockton, where we lived for 17 years after leaving Berkeley. . .
Darinka says:
Hey, I have an original copy from 1975 published in 74. Fabulous, the best vegetarian food ever had. I have gone back to cooking veggie again.
Deborah Parma says:
It was a wonderful experience showing up at the door of the old Victorian in larkspur. I had left an abusive home at 18 with nothing. I cooked in the mustard seed restaurant and lived with the family for almost 2 years. They gave me the tools I needed to go out into the world and live a happy life, something my own birth family failed to do. I am ever grateful.
Starmast Media says:
Love you Deborah, Rock on!
Paul says:
What was he vegiburger receipe from the one world family restaurant? It was the best.
Starmast Media says:
Hi, sorry for the delay. I’ll send your request to Kathy Hannaford.
Starmast Media says:
deirdre says:
does anyone still have the carob cake recipe,can you post it here?It was made in 2 parts,w/ carob, & with some kind of nut butter. I’d love to make it again.
Starmast Media says:
I’ll send your request to Kathy Hannaford.
deirdre says:
Does anyone have a recipe for the carob nut butter cake?I lost my cookbook 30 yrs ago & want to make it again.
Starmast Media says:
Hi, sorry for the delay. I’ll send your request to Kathy Hannaford.
Starmast Media says:
Deirdre, the only recipe we have is for carob brownies w/walnuts
Michelle Angel says:
Hi-
I’m trying to replace a very worn beat up copy of Cosmic cookery for my sister… least inexpensive one I found was $39- any ideas where I could find a copy for about 1/2 of that?
Thanks!
Starmast Media says:
Hi, sorry for the delay. Cosmic Cookery books are sold out, no longer in print. Blessings to you and your sister.
theia says:
do you still have the applecake recipe?