Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Rating:
Summary: Conquer every vegetable
Review: I use this cookbook more than any other, and I'm not even a vegetarian. What I love even more than the recipes, which themselves are uncomplicated to prepare and delicious to eat, is the educational aspect of this book. She teaches you much more than how to prepare her own recipes here -- by devoting a section to each vegetable you're likely to encounter in the heart of this book, she helps you overcome your unfamiliarity with the seasonal, fresh local produce you find at the farmer's market but might be too intimidated to approach. She describes what each vegetable looks like, what it tastes like, which flavors go well with it (you can look in the margin and find out which cheeses, herbs, and oils pair well with a vegetable), its most basic preparations and then a few more complicated ones. From there, you'll have the confidence to improvise with the palette she gives you and come up with something delicious. I've conquered several seasons worth of strange produce and am eating healthier, more delicious food thanks to this book. And now that it's on Amazon for less than $40, I'm thinking of giving it to everyone on my Christmas list this year. If I won the lottery, heck, I'd give one to everyone in the street.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: I'm a collector of cookbooks (I have close to 200). While I am not a vegetarian, my husband is. In my 'vegetarian' section I have about 25 books, including some of the most popular on the market. When reading other reviews, I thought "How could this be so different from what I already have?". But I gave it a try and I love it. Huge sections of this book deal with vegetables - pure vegetables. They show delicios ways to simply cook vegetables. There are certainly other sections on pasta, grains, legumes, etc. But what sets this book apart is that it is broader in all areas. There is a tendency in vegetarian cookbooks to emphasis sauces, desserts, pasta and cheeses. And I have 20 different recipes for hummus. But this cookbook shines is all areas. While I am attached to several of other for 'old times sake' I would recommend this book if one were only to get 1 vegetarian cookbook.

Rating:
Summary: THE Opus by THE Vegetarian Cook
Review: If I were to only own one vegetarian/vegetable cookbook, this would be the one.

It covers each vegetable, chapter by chapter, and offers specific recipes as well as a list of general suggestions for each. The recipes are detailed and precise. For example, the Citrus and Avocado Salad reminds you to reserve a tablespoon of the juice and "drink the rest." Now, that's an important suggestion for a beginner, and a happy reminder to the rest of us!

Deborah Madison has an unfailing palate. Time and time again, she creates flavor combinations that I never could have come up with on my own and work perfectly.

Every recipe in the book works, exactly as written. For years, this has been our "what to make for dinner?" or "what to get at the farmer's market?" book. In fact, although it is large, I have carried it to the farmer's market many times.

This book works well for novice and experienced cook alike. I recently gave this book to a friend who loves healthful, fresh food, but doesn't consider herself much of a cook. She just told me how wonderful the watermelon salad was that she made this Labor Day. I am so glad to see that she has, like me, incorporated this book into her life.