"Growing up in Winsted, Conn., Ralph Nader would often help his mother cook--kneading the bread dough, chopping fragrant spices to prepare dishes for the family table from his parents' native Lebanon."
--NPR, Weekend Edition Sunday"More than just a collection of recipes, though, this is a window on a culture and a family. Nader's description of his mother convincing 8-year-old Ralph to eat radishes speaks volumes about this persuasive matriarch and the tireless activist she raised."
--Washington Post Book Club"Nader's cookbook is many things: it is an homage to his mother and her love of simple cooking that her family enjoyed around the kitchen table; a delightful and colorful examination (filled with recipes) of the Lebanese culinary tradition that immigrants to the United States carried with them to a new land; and an endorsement of good eating, cooking with simple, fresh ingredients that Nader hopes will continue to open many individuals' minds about obesity and the role processed foods play in this national, indeed, global health crises."
--Litchfield County Times"One cannot put down this beautifully illustrated book, with a stunning full-page colored photo opposite each recipe. Large print makes it easy to read while you work, and the engaging introduction by Nader relates life as a young boy in Winsted."
--The Republican-AmericanRalph Nader is best-known for his social critiques and his efforts to increase government and corporate accountability, but what some might not know about him is his lifelong commitment to healthy eating. Born in Connecticut to Lebanese parents, Nader's appreciation of food began at an early age, when his parents, Rose and Nathra, owned an eatery, bakery, and delicatessen called the Highland Arms Restaurant. The family eschewed processed foods and ate only a moderate amount of lean red meat.Nowadays, the Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest on the planet, but in the 1930s and '40s of Nader's youth it was considered by many Americans as simply strange. Luckily for Nader and his siblings, this didn't prevent their mother, Rose, from serving the family homemade, healthy meals--dishes from her homeland of Lebanon. Rose didn't simply encourage her children to eat well, she took time to discuss and explain her approach to food; she used the family meals to connect all of her children to the traditions of their ancestors.The Ralph Nader and Family Cookbook shares the cuisine of Nader's upbringing, p