Celebrating both food and faith, Ellen Kanner shares meditations that feed body, mind, and soul with wit and wisdom

Gourmands, health nuts, environmentalists and spiritual enthusiasts are all invited to join acclaimed food writer Ellen Kanner at Books & Books, Camana Bay on Thursday, March 28, at 7pm for the Cayman Islands launch of her recently released debut, Feeding the Hungry Ghost: Life, Faith, and What to Eat for Dinner – A Satisfying Diet for Unsatisfying Times.

This free event is part of the Books & Books International Visiting Author Series, generously sponsored by Camana Bay.

About the Book

Blending the sweetness of story with savoury culinary adventures, Ellen Kanner’s Feeding the Hungry Ghost combines elements of humour, spirituality, cultural food traditions, current science about health and diet, and seasonal recipes in a wildly delicious read. As the Meatless Monday blogger for Huffington Post and a syndicated columnist (The Edgy Veggie), Kanner shares the importance of food that nourishes both heart and soul while supporting a more sustainable approach to raising the food that graces our tables.

The “hungry ghost” of the title is a Tao concept, evoking restless souls still hungry, still seeking, even beyond the grave. Food alone does not satisfy this hungry spirit within each of us, illustrated by the rise in obesity and sense of disconnection from the very food we gobble. Spirituality alone doesn’t fulfil all our human needs, either, which is why we need to combine these hungers and learn to eat mindfully, in harmony with our natural seasons and in relationship with our family and wider communities, no matter what form they take. Ellen Kanner’s stories, centred around the seasons and the moods they evoke, nudge us to think and feel more deeply about how we live now. Yet, Kanner knows all the spiritual cheerleading in the world can’t get the average person to change their habits, so she offers bait: specifically, delicious vegan recipes from her personal arsenal, many of them re-workings of cultural favourites from around the world. Recipes include vegan alternatives to staples such as zucchini bread, seed cake, chocolate cake, and matzo flatbread as well as exciting combos that will please any foodie, such as Caribbean Christmas Pepper Pot, Turkish Millet and Greens, and Moroccan Carrot Salad.

Feeding the Hungry Ghost addresses questions explored by food and health writers, such as why French women are thin though they eat cheese, croissants, and drink wine; or how sustainable agriculture and eating locally sourced food can increase your well-being and the well-being of the planet. She describes why simple choices can begin to change habits and alter behaviour, how these small steps can lead to a healthier, happier person and a healthier, more peaceful planet. Her advice is seasoned with humour, empathy, and insight. Whether offering hilarious stories of her first experience of brunch at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco or eating fava beans in Egypt, Ellen Kanner serves up food and writing that excite our appetites and sustain body, mind, and spirit.

Feeding the Hungry Ghost is now available at Books & Books.

About the Author

Ellen Kanner is the Meatless Monday blogger at Huffington Post and contributes to publications including Bon Appetit, Vegetarian Times, and Every Day with Rachael Ray. She is active in numerous food-based social projects, such as Slow Food Miami, and lives in Miami, FL.

For up to date information on all Books & Books events in Grand Cayman, visit www.booksandbooks.com, like Books & Books (Cayman) on Facebook and follow @BooksandBooksKY on Twitter.

Founded in 1982 by Mitchell Kaplan, Books & Books is exceptionally well-respected in the literary community as one of America’s most successful independent bookstores with three locations in South Florida – plus stores in Grand Cayman, Westhampton Beach, Miami International Airport and the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale.

Books & Books Grand Cayman is located in the Town Centre of Camana Bay, at 45 Market Street, where it is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 9:00pm. The store number is 345.640.2665.