This book is a beautifully photographed and documented portrait of Ilona Oppenheim's life. She lives in Aspen with her family, where they live in harmony with their natural surroundings. They forage and search for responsible local sources for their food. Just like the nature of their lifestyle, the recipes and information in many ways go back to the basics. The recipes are for things like oatmeal baked apples, pine needle tea, hearty soups, quiches, and breads. She even explains processes like making cheese, yogurt, etc. things that are not traditionally made at home in modern day American society. After reading this, I get the sense that Ilona and her family live life at a slow and comfortable pace, enjoying the natural environment surrounding them, and leaving a light foot print. It is filled with stories from her life, that really back up her lifestyle choices. It's a really lovely picture. I appreciate that a fair chunk of the recipes are also accessible to your average home cook, someone who does not live somewhere so scenic or remote, who may not be able to forage for mushrooms, etc. I bookmarked quite a few recipes that I would like to try myself! All that being said, some of the recipes were a little far out for me, especially things like making my own cheese or yogurt, it just isn't something I could do right now. But I do like that she presents it to you in a way that is useful, and perhaps a possibility for the future, should the reader decide to taper their life into a more from scratch type of lifestyle. I do have a handful of friends that I could see doing these types of things at home. Overall, I would recommend this book for people who are interested in a simpler, greener lifestyle, and for anyone who loves gorgeous rustic food and photography. I don't think this book is for everyone, but for those who are interested in this type of lifestyle, it would definitely be a treasure on their bookshelf.

*I was given an advance reader edition of this book in exchange for an honest review via netgalley. All opinions are my purely my own.*