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Summary: This is the best cookbook I own
Review: This is the best cookbook I own. I've been cooking since I was 5, and if I had to choose one cookbook to keep on my shelf, it would be Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. Her recipes are delicious, her sauces and dressings divine, and most recipes are doable on a weeknight. The recipes in this cookbook are much lighter than The Greens Cookbook, which tends to heavy cheese dishes, and more arduous preparation. Ms. Madison often uses cheeses in this book, but usually small amounts - enough to flavor without overwhelming the stomach with fat. And as someone who keeps the Orthodox fasts, this cookbook is invaluable in my vegan arsenal. Many recipes are vegan, or can easily be made vegan with only minor substitutions and without sacrificing flavor. These dishes also complement simply-prepared meats nicely - such as grilled lamb or steak or chicken. All in all, a really marvelous book.
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Summary: Great reference cookbook
Review: I have a bunch of vegetarian & vegan cookbooks that are a bit on the "adventurous" side and are fun to use. I enjoy learning how to make things that I've never had before, and to try new tastes. However, the one thing that ALL of my veg/vegan cookbooks lack is how to make the basics. How long am I supposed to cook dry beans? What do I do with fennel? What are some variations on green bean side dishes that are simple but flavorful? This cookbook is great. I love how each vegetable is separated out (celery, carrots, chard, beets, etc - each has its own section with a handful of recipes). This is an invaluable cookbook simply because it teaches the fundamentals of cooking without all the meat & cream you'd find in, say, Joy of Cooking.
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Summary: Fine collection of recipes.
Review: A nice collection of vegitarian recipes that doesn't stoop to silly recipe names or the common novely approach to vegetarian cooking. A good addition to any library of cookbooks regardless of if one eats meat or not.
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Summary: My Most-Used Cookbook
Review: I have been a vegetarian for over 25 years, and received this cookbook as a gift. I never thought I'd use it since I am vegan and this book contains lacto-ovo (milk-eggs) vegetarian recipes. However, this has become my most-used cookbook. It's easy to understand and use, and the recipes are always successful. I love the separate chapters that explain the various vegetables and herbs, how they taste, what they look like, how to cut them up, and the multitude of options for cooking them from the very simple to the more complex. The recipes are elegant and easily converted to vegan. This was a wonderful gift.
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Summary: Veggie Cooking You Will Love
Review: Every receipe I have made has been delicious. Many are a bit labor-intensive, but I have found them to be worth the effort. This book is an incredible resource for vegetarians and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys creative vegetarian food. It covers everything from the basics of various styles of vegetable preparation to elaborate souffles and desserts. My one complaint--I wish there were more pictures!
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Summary: Tries do to too much
Review: Though Madison's knowledge and abilities are obviously unparalleled, sometimes the best chefs aren't the best cookbook authors. Don't get me wrong: this encyclopedic volume is an impressive piece of work. But too often the recipes are just workhorse recipes. And Madison's recipe-writing style can be a bit vague, esp. for beginners. All in all, I wish she focused on doing a few things very well instead of doing too many things adequately.
Rating:
Summary: So-So
Review: Like some of the other reviewers have said, this is a great book if you have lots of time and ingredients on your hands. If you are looking to whip something up quickly, I'd take a look at some of the Moosewood books. Once I've actually bothered to make some of the stuff in here, it does turn out pretty well. Also, many of the recipes call for a 2 qt gratin dish. What the heck is that, anyway? I don't have one, whatever it is, so I haven't made any of those recipes. I also noticed that the author tends to rely on parsley in many dishes, so often things end up tasting the same that shouldn't.
Rating:
Summary: Too complicated
Review: I got this from the library to check out before I ordered it. It would be a great buy for a person with a lot of time and money, but I found most of the recipes too complicated and the ingredients too exotic and expensive. The photo on the cover was irritating to me; it's too busy and, well, kind of strange. I know, that's such a petty thing, but that is really poor marketing. I recently got Vegetarian Express, which is much more my speed.
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Summary: My favorite cookbook
Review: I own many cookbooks. But this is the one cookbook I reach for nearly every day. My copy is so worn with use that the cover has completely fallen off. I have not bought another copy, though, because I would lose all the notes I made to the recipes!! I have given a copy to just about everyone I know... I am not a vegetarian (at least, not anymore; my husband likes meat too much, so I have started eating it again, too). Sometimes I make these recipes strictly vegetarian, but normally I don't. I throw cooked chicken or fish into a curry or boiled sausage into a bean soup... This is a very inspiring cookbook. I rarely follow a recipe blindly, but I always find a good idea. Most of the recipes are fairly easy and quick, allowing them to be made on weeknights. Some great recipes-just to name a few: Curried Cauliflower and Peas; All-Bean Chili; Vanilla Custard; Yeasted Sugar Cake; Lentil Minestrone; Peppered-Cheese Bread. Get this cookbook!! Whether you are an experienced cook or a beginner, this is a great text about vegetarian food.
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Summary: Big, delicious, but lacking sufficient recipe details!
Review: Good day! I bought this book for my girlfriend, Sarah. She's an avid cooker of vegetarian dishes. On the very first recipe she selected, she prepared it but with a bit of difficulty.
First let me say that Sarah knows a decent amount of cooking knowledge. When she began this recipe she had no idea she would be finishing it with her own educated guesses! To clarify, the recipe called for 1 bok choy. She surmised that, had she followed the instructions literally, the dish would have been WAY overbalanced in favor of the bok choy. You see, the recipe should have described the size of the bok choy. For those of you who don't know, Bok Choy comes in sizes large and small. Thankfully, Sarah's expertise in cooking, saved the dish.
Despite what I thought was a good dish, I felt it lacked a little "oomph" in spices, but nevertheless I DID enjoy the dish.
For those new cookers out there, be prepared for recipes that are very simple, almost to the point of not having enough information to properly prepare the dish. It's too bad, as the recipes taste good. Now I'm wishing I had gotten Sarah a better birthday present!
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