Publisher's Synopsis
What do you get when an author who is a committed vegetarian, an innovative cook, a storyteller and a poet sits down to write a book? You get ?Feasts and Fables from the Planted Kingdom, a delightful cookbook which offers practical, healthy, vegetarian recipes, accompanied by whimsical stories told by the vegetables themselves! The prim Mrs. Brown, a reporter "embedded" on the Green front, takes us on fanciful forays into the world of vegetable intrigue, and then offers recipes to bring each story to a delectable end. While the stories make us smile, the recipes represent serious nourishment for body and soul. Given its rare, one-of-a-kind approach to cooking and nutrition, Feasts and Fables from the Planted Kingdom is certain to become one of your treasures. Fables are also available in an awe inspiring lyrical spoken word audio format as Feasts and Fables from the Planted Kingdom CD.Gloria House, Ph.D. Detroit And, so many ask how did this innovative idea sprout into a story cookbook? Where did it root from? Well, the seeds germinated off from the "What's for Dinner Mrs. Brown?" popular radio segment on the Dr. James Brown Freedom From Fat Radio Broadcast (Cumulus WCK). Semaj Brown recounts, "I was running late, there had been a family emergency that prevented me from doing the weekly nutritional and historical research associated with the feature vegetable introduced in Mrs. Brown's "Delicious Nutritious Dishes." Up until this time, my segment had been fairly conventional, deliberately retrograde with Dr. Brown singing, a 1950s style introduction: "What's for Dinner Mrs. Brown?" and me demurely responding, "Good tasting, delicious." Time was running out and I went on-air in a flurry. I conveyed my on-air fluster in a new character who spontaneously generated. I explained to the listeners I sounded frazzled because I had been trapped in the garden, attacked by the Onions! People loved it; the first Fable, "Onion Revolt!" and a Mrs. Brown who could speak plant was born. After substantial prodding from Planted Kingdom enthusiasts, I went on to record nine of the eleven Fables from the Story Cookbook in the spoken word CD format. The recipes remain in the more accessible print story cookbook format." Many feel these Fables stoke a revolutionary way of thinking about plant based nutrition. Reminiscent of Ray Bradbury's personification of animals in the American classic "Animal Farm," it is fascinating how Semaj blurs the Two- Footed and Rooted worlds., how themes of vegetable determination are colorfully buried in the context of whimsy. These fables could be described as "Alice in Wonderland meets the Enchanted Broccoli Forest." But know, something deeper is at root. Semaj sews subconscious seeds toward a Vegetable Consciousness which could possibly create healthy pathways that could facilitate positive behavioral change. Here are some direct quotes regarding the Planted Kingdom Effect: "It kind of opens up your mind in a new way about something as non-descriptive as vegetables." "This is theatre of the mind!" "It's so cute, but these themes are weighty." "This should be animated." "It's powerful because of it's beauty and poetic prose. Hey I'm a believer, how do I get to the Planted Kingdom?" "I could listen to her voice all day." "This should be an animated series on PBS" "As a teacher, I can use this with my students" "Hey, girlfriend I'm going to throw a Planted Kingdom Party, we're going to listen to the tracks and cook that food!" ENJOY!
