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Vegetarian Book Reviews

Veg Out: Vegetarian Guide to San Francisco Bay Area (Restaurant Guidebooks for Vegetarian and Vegan Diners)
by Michele Anna Jordan

Vegetarian and vegan diners in the heart of San Francisco as well as the picturesque communities of Northern California . You’ll also find price, cuisine, location, and contact information, plus must-know details about each venue's culinary offerings.

 

 

 


 

The American Vegetarian Cookbook
by Marilyn Diamond

This book is full of excellent, tasty, healthful recipes based on many, many decades of well-documented and enormously successful research and true practical results - not to mention Marilyn's extensive cullinary experience and skills. Iif you are only looking for great vegetarian recipes, this is the book for you!

 

 


 

365 Ways to Cook Vegetarian
by Kitty Morse

Say goodbye to bland, overcooked vegetables. Now you have a year's worth of vegetarian fare which is inventive and oh-so-flavorful. Kitty Morse rounds the globe for dishes like Moroccan Vegetable Tagine, Eggplant Enchiladas and Mushroom Ravioli Divan. Don't call it health food -- it's great food.


A Simple Celebration
by Ginna Bell Bragg and Dr. David Simon

In A Simple Celebration, Ginna Bell Bragg, chef at the Chopra Center for Well being in La Jolla, California, and Dr. David Simon, director of clinical programs for the Center, explore spiritual and mindful aspects of cooking and offer a practical, easy-to-use vegetarian cookbook that incorporates Ayurvedic health care principals into more than 140 delicious recipes. While many recipe in the book have a subtle Indian influence, Bragg and Simon include a variety of other cuisines as well, resulting in a balanced, health-enhancing diet. With recipes such as Warm Wild Rice Salad, and French Apple Cake, it is clear that the ancient mind-body principals of Ayurveda can be readily applied to dishes from every culture. The authors also emphasize the importance of understanding one's dosha, or body type. Dosha recommendations are given for each recipe in the book, and a chart is provided that describes the taste quality of common vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, dairy products, and other foods.


Beyond The Moon and Out-of-This-World!
by Ginny Callan

Callan is one of the pioneers of the vegetarian movement of the early 1970's. Believing that people will always clamor for flavorful, home-cooked food she helps you turn wholesome, local farm products into healthful, delicious meatless meals. You will find a new collection of 250 recipes that are nutritionally sound and take into account the younger (often finicky!) palate.


Charlie Trotter's Vegetables
by Charlie Trotter

This is a glorious book, full of complicated, fascinating, provocative recipes, some eight Trotter inventions divided by the season, and subdivided by the twelve months of the year. Twice Baked Yukon Potatoes with White Alba Truffles; Baby Turnip & Beet Ragout with Scallion Sauce and Beet Oil, Warm Apple Tart with Date Ice Cream and Red Wine-Caramel Sauces. Nothing typical or conservative, here, but as fascinating as Trotter's famed Chicago restaurants. Tim Turner's black and white photographs of chefs, vegetables and the creative cooking process and color shots of the recipes are worth the price of the book. Intoxicating!


Down to Earth: Great Recipes for Root Vegetables
by Georgeanne Brennan

Down to Earth celebrates root vegetables in all their knobby, gnarly glory. Available year round, root vegetables are infinitely adaptable for all sorts of dishes. Offering more than 80 innovative root recipes from homey to exotic.


The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook
by Diana Shaw

Being a vegetarian isn't just about not eating meat anymore. It has blossomed into a bountiful American cuisine that makes the most of our country's ability to cultivate nearly everything that grows, opening your palate to the wonderful new tastes that can be created with vegetables, grains and legumes. This book not only offers 600-plus recipes and basic instructions for choosing and preparing vegetables, fruits and grains, but also explains the principals involved in cooking dozens of dishes, so you can improvise and make them your own; it is meant to make eating well desirable and doable. There is also an ample appendix, providing practical suggestions on topics such as improving the flavor of convenience foods, and making the most of a small kitchen. The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook contains comprehensive nutritional information that conforms to the latest dietary guidelines. The information is presented in an easy to understand manner, bridging the gap between the numbers on the label and what you put on the table. Anyone who savors food of any kind will find this collection of recipes infectiously enthusiastic.


From the Earth: Chinese Vegetarian Cooking
by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

There is a certain grace to Yin-Fei Lo's style, honed from a lifetime of cooking which began at her grandmother's side. These are not the typical "adapted" vegetarian recipes. Rather they are authentic interpretations of a whole school of vegetarian cuisine in China, influenced greatly by the Buddhists. The recipes reflect traditions she grew up with and obviously knows intimately. For anyone interested in vegetarian cooking this book is a good place to start.


Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special
by The Moosewood Collective

In its September 1999 issue, Bon Appetit magazine named Moosewood Restaurant one of the most revolutionary restaurants of the 20th century. Moosewood has taken vegetarian restaurants to the next level by broadening the profile of vegetarian cuisine and making the food accessible to the home cook. Many loyal customers have ordered the daily special--a satisfying, soothing combination of soup, salad and a thick slice of
bread--as their "usual" for 20 years. The ever-changing daily special is drawn from the vast repertoire of soups and salads the restaurant's inspired kitchen crew is forever inventing to keep themselves and their
customers engaged. Each day's selection is special, and anything but boring. Having been drawn from a variety of international, ethnic and regional cuisines, all 275 recipes in this 400-page soft cover book are reliable, easy to follow, and accompanied by a nutritional analysis (more than half are low-fat). As a bonus, in the back of the book are special lists, such as Children's Favorites, Festive Brunches & Buffets, Healthy Low-Fat Favorites, Low-Carbohydrate, Quick & Easy, and Vegan recipes found within the Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special.


James McNair's Vegetarian Pizza
by James McNair

James McNair says pizza is one of his all-time favorite foods. And you know this guy loves all kinds of food. So? Learn how to make the most delicious (and beautiful) pizzas in your neighborhood. These nifty discs are versatile, easy to prepare and make for a satisfying meal. This vegetarian collection shows you how to spice up your pizza with vegetables, beans, fruits and herbs. Magnificent photos.


Laxmi's Vegetarian Kitchen
by Laxmi Hiremath

The nice thing about vegetarian cookbooks is that you don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy them. A penchant for healthy dining and an adventurous way with food will lead most chefs to the best of the herbivorous bunch. Hiremath, a native of India and life-long vegetarian, has compiled a huge number of traditional vegetarian dishes. Balancing these with recipes for breads (chapati, paratha, nan, poori, etc.), cheeses (channa and paneer) and sweets, chutneys, spice blends and beverages, Hiremath creates a vegetarian way of cooking that is healthy, filling and abundant in flavors and textures. The chef in me yearns to try Royal Cabbage Packets in Saffron Sauce or Paneer Cheese Simmered with Aromatic Peas. Recipes are written clearly and directly. The ingredients run down the left side of the instructions and each recipe begins with yield and preparation time information. The instructions are easy to follow. Each recipe includes both the traditional Indian name and its English translation. (Now you can go to an Indian restaurant and order like a native.) Spice and spice blends play an important role in Indian cooking and culture. Each family has their own concoction and this is handed-down through the generations. In Vegetarian Kitchen, Hiremath shares her mother's recipe for 25-Ingredient Spice Blend. To start your own tradition, follow Hiremath's advice, "Start with a few spices and experiment."


The New Vegetarian Epicure
by Anna Thomas

As charming as her two original Bibles of ethnic vegetarian cuisine but reflecting the 90's sensitivity to fat. Menus for traditional and international celebrations as well as everyday family meals include a wide variety of recipes such as Fresh Tomato Risotto, Homemade Corn Tortillas, Walnut Tart , Wheat Pilaf with Grapes. Homey text, graceful illustrations and several brief, essays on stuffing turkey, wild mushrooms etc.


Red, White & Greens:
The Italian Way with Vegetables

by Faith Willinger

Willinger, who lives in Florence, has created a book to be savored, spiced with good basic information, stirred up with wonderful anecdotes and a clever listing of 19 categories of vegetables among which are Broccoli, Cauliflower and Broccoli Rabe; Asparagus and Its Cousins, the Potato and, of course, the Tomato. One category, Capers and Celery, made one wonder about capers as a "vegetable" but they do follow under the red, white and green banner of the title and, of course, the flag of Italy. One also wonders about the designer, for the book is green art and green print on beige paper, a fatiguing combination, but it's the book is so charmingly written, we'd buy it for every vegetable-loving friend. Most recipes are from home cooks, one of which says, these are "Too simple; no one is interested in eating this kind of food in a restaurant, but we eat it at home all the time." You will, too.


The Squash: History, Folklore and Ancient Recipes
by Arneo Nizzoli and Alberto Capatti

Part of the History, Folklore and Ancient Recipes series, The Squash begins with an introduction to the history of the squash written by food historian Alberto Capatti, followed by a careful analysis showing how this vegetable possesses all the qualities demanded by modern nutritional standards. Over forty of Italy's best chefs and pasty cooks have been invited to contribute a personal recipe using this sweet yellow vegetable. Included in its 140 pages are recipes using squash in omelets, to fill pasta, in soups, in a spiced cake and in flan. If you enjoy squash, you'll love this book!


Vegetable Dinners
by Better Homes and Gardens

Part of the Fresh and Simple series, this 96-page cookbook features recipes which begin with fresh ingredients--all easy to find and to prepare. Bold seasonings plus a dash of international flair add excitement that will make family members sit up and take notice. There are 64 entrees featuring fresh vegetables, all of which have been tested. Included are tips on speeding preparation time and make-ahead suggestions, full-color photographs and nutrition information with every recipe.


The Vegetarian Bistro
by Marlena Spieler

Bistro cooking captures the gastronomic esprit of France, conjuring up memories of the perfect lunch or cozy dinner in charming little restaurant in Paris, Provence, or Normandy. True Bistro cooking can be, however, a bit tricky for a vegetarian until now. This cookbook is for all those who love the homey Bistro food of France, but want to eat less or no meat. An enticing array of authentic French dishes without meat, The Vegetarian Bistro, includes recipes from street cafes and corner restaurants as well as Spieler s own adaptations of beloved Bistro fare. From a warm salad of Frisee, to a hearty, Parisian-style onion soup, the flavorful recipes in this exhaustive volume will delight vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Spieler also captures the special appeal of the French Bistro: that little neighborhood restaurant where they know who you are, greet you warmly, and serve you satisfying food that changes with the seasons. This is more than just food, it is a way of life.


The Vegetarian Table -- North Africa
by Kitty Morse

Kitty Morse was born in Morocco, and in this volume she brings the bounty of her homeland to her readers. The cuisines of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia are interpreted in over 80 distinctive recipes. You can almost smell the saffron, ginger and cinnamon as you read these easy-to-follow vegetarian recipes, peruse the notes on ingredients and learn the nuances of North African hospitality.


'Tis the Season: A Vegetarian Christmas Cookbook
by Nanette Blanchard

What's Christmas dinner without ham or turkey? Lavish! -- according to Nanette Blanchard, author of 'Tis the Season: A Vegetarian Christmas Cookbook. Blanchard's break with tradition is a gracious one, featuring an imaginative selection of 15 celebratory menus that even meat-lovers will fancy. For "Romantic Yuletide Candlelight Dinner" there's Creamy Potato-Leek Soup, Heart-Shaped Croutons, Marinated Yellow Bell Peppers and Zucchini Salad, Stuffed Acorn Squash, Poached Vanilla Pears with Strawberry Sauce and the non-alcoholic cocktail Sparkling Grape Goblets. At her "Last-Minute Sing-Along Party," Blanchard tempts us with Cream of Tomato Soup, Parmesan Muffins, Confetti Couscous, Cranberry Waldorf Salad, Spicy Potato Slices, Chocolate-Mint Snowballs and Cranberry Seltzer. Blanchard's 150 tempting recipes include low-fat and healthful choices. But she doesn't skimp on decadent, once-a-year favorites such as the French cream puff croquembouche . Beyond the food, there are tips on decorating, hostess gifts and packaging food for mailing. Packed with the thought and thoughtfulness of Christmas 'Tis the Season makes for a delightful one-stop source for holiday entertaining -- meat or no meat.


Vegetarian Dinner in Minutes
by Linda Gassenheimer

Are you a busy person who wants delicious vegetarian meals that are healthy, easy to shop for, and quick to prepare? Taking vegetarian cooking out of the baked potato and steamed vegetable rut, Gassenheimer offers a wonderful array of easy-to-prepare recipes. Her recipes provide flavor without fuss. She inspires us to cook healthful meatless dinners without spending hours in the kitchen or resorting to ingredients that are high in fat. This book contains 143 pages and wonderful color photographs.


The Vegetarian Hearth:
Recipes and Reflections for the Cold Season

by Darra Goldstein

"Cold weather provokes something beyond my appetite, stimulating thoughts not only of sustenance, but of nature as well," Goldstein writes in The Vegetarian Hearth. In an epoch which blurs seasonal distinction, this cookbook brings readers back to winter, to the pleasure of bustling around a warm kitchen, tucking into a steaming feast at the table, and curling up for a fabulous read in a comfortable chair. In 150 clear, concise recipes, and a half-dozen erudite and entertaining essays, Goldstein revels in cold season cookery that vegetarian cooking in winter can be wonderfully varied and satisfying.


The Vegetarian Table: America
by Deborah Madison

This is the latest edition to an interesting series of The Vegetarian Table that also includes North Africa, Italy, Mexico and France (so far) and now, America. This is an enormously satisfying collection of true American recipes from Mennonite Peas to Alabama Christmas Limas to Pecan Glazed Grit Balls and Concord Grape Pie. And, yes, there's even a recipe for Macaroni and Cheese. A fun, fascinating melange of the quirky and the familiar written by Greens Restaurant owner Madison, also the author of The Greens Cookbook and The Savory Way.


The Vegetarian Table: Thailand
by Jacki Passmore

Based on the succulent noodles and rice, tangy sauces, crisp vegetables and pungent herbs and spices, Thai food is an ideal choice for today's health-conscious cooks. The carefully crafted recipes in this tome make the Thai flavor marvelously easy to achieve at home. This is an unbeatable collection of Thai dishes that Passmore has assembled here, which sidestep meat without missing any favorites. With more than 80 authentic recipes, she also provides invaluable tools for the newcomers to Thai cooking the vegetarian way. Chapters preceding recipes include notes on preparation and cooking, necessities for the Thai pantry, and a selection of basic recipes that include curry pastes, sauces, stocks and garnishes. Passmore's introductory notes are a treat, as she shares history, lore and personal experiences. Steven Rothfield's elegant color photographs reflect the luscious bounty and vivid palette of these wonderful recipes.


A Well-Seasoned Appetite
by Molly O'Neill

O'Neill, whose recipes appear in the Sunday Times Magazine weekly, writes elegant essays -- "Essential Eggplant" and "Sweet on Yams" -- and offers recipes for every season including demi-seasons like Almost Spring. She explains innovative techniques such as oven-drying tomatoes, smoking vegetables or making stock of roasted ones, that are still approachable by the home cook. Some recipes are adapted from well-known New York restaurants; for example, brussel sprouts from Arcadia and Rabbit with Pappaardelle from Follonico.




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