Rating: 
Summary: The best, but complex
Review: This is one of those rare cookbooks that is not only a collection of recipes, but that actually teaches us a broader lesson; in this case, that vegetarian food can be elegant.I was a vegetarian for 12 years (fell from grace a few years ago) and found that most vegetarian cookbooks were way too heavy on the here's-a-plate-of-millet-with-raw-veggies. There seems to be a defiant attitude that the vegetables and grains should have enough taste for you. They lived up to all the stereotypes of vegetarian food. The next best thing were the Moosewood cookbooks, which were sort of hippy-dippy in approach, (and the later of which were decidedly uneven) but at least there was not an aversion to herbs. The Greens cookbook offers a wide range of foods that are beautiful and sophisticated: e.g., Spinach soup with Indian spices, Cannelloni with greens and walnut sauce, artichoke and fennel stew covered with a pastry. These are not recipes you will make every day, but it is a great resource to have at home.
Rating: 
Summary: what food should taste like
Review: We are fortunate to live close to San Francisco and have been to Greens several times, so when I saw the cookbook, I had to have it. I have used and enjoyed it since 1987. Everything I have ever cooked from it is fabulous. A special favorite is the leek and mustard tart. I'm on Amazon.com today because I served the tart to my sister-in-law and niece last month and they asked me to send them not just the recipe but the cookbook. The recipes are complex and have a lot of ingredients, but that is what makes them taste so wonderful.. Don't leave anything out! Fortunately here in California the ingredients are all available at our neighborhood grocery. My husband jokes that even the most simple recipe in the book takes at least an hour to prepare, and it's true. You think, "This looks simple; it can't take very long," then it does take very long. But it's worth it. By the way, my husband is able to use the book just fine, and he is definitely a novice cook. Believe it or not, my husband and I have been to France and Italy, and nothing we ate there was as good as the recipes in this book. We also enjoy the cookbook Fields of Green by Anne Sommerville, (who took over Greens aftrer Deborah Madison left, I think), but this is our favorite of the two. Happy cooking! Happy eating!
Rating:
Summary: Worth it just for the guacamole...
Review: When I made a handful of recipes from Deborah Madison's cookbook, "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone," I wasn't incredibly impressed with the flavors. Well, everything that her other cookbook isn't, this one is. "The Greens Cookbook," based on the cooking of the Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, delivers enough fantastic flavors for any two cookbooks. Recipes are laid out very well. This cookbook covers the basics right down to brown rice and egg pasta; it never leaves you stranded wondering if you have a recipe for such-and-such. Also included are seasonal menus, wine pairings with vegetarian food, a glossary of ingredients, and a list of useful kitchen tools.
But this cookbook doesn't stop there. There's a Wild Rice and Hazelnut Salad that includes currants and orange juice. There's an Asparagus Soup that's quite good. The Mexican Vegetable Soup with Lime and Avocado is fantastic! There's a Basque Pumpkin and White Bean Soup, a Pumpkin Soup with Gruyere Cheese, a Grilled Tofu Sandwich, Creole Egg Salad Sandwich, Basil Fettucine with Green Beans Walnuts and Creme Fraiche, Spinach Noodle Pudding, Potatoes and Chanterelles Baked in Cream, Squash Stew with Chilies Spices and Ground Nuts, and an absolutely fantastic Cheese and Nut Loaf... among many other fantastic recipes. This cookbook does occasionally call for the odd hard-to-find ingredient like hazelnut oil, but it doesn't get out of hand, and I think it's quite worth it. Ms. Madison takes her inspiration from all sorts of cuisines to wonderful effect. All in all this is a fantastic cookbook, whether or not you're a vegetarian!
Rating:
Summary: Worth it just for the guacamole...
Review: When I made a handful of recipes from Deborah Madison's cookbook, "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone," I wasn't incredibly impressed with the flavors. Well, everything that her other cookbook isn't, this one is. "The Greens Cookbook," based on the cooking of the Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, delivers enough fantastic flavors for any two cookbooks. Recipes are laid out very well. This cookbook covers the basics right down to brown rice and egg pasta; it never leaves you stranded wondering if you have a recipe for such-and-such. Also included are seasonal menus, wine pairings with vegetarian food, a glossary of ingredients, and a list of useful kitchen tools.
But this cookbook doesn't stop there. There's a Wild Rice and Hazelnut Salad that includes currants and orange juice. There's an Asparagus Soup that's quite good. The Mexican Vegetable Soup with Lime and Avocado is fantastic! There's a Basque Pumpkin and White Bean Soup, a Pumpkin Soup with Gruyere Cheese, a Grilled Tofu Sandwich, Creole Egg Salad Sandwich, Basil Fettucine with Green Beans Walnuts and Creme Fraiche, Spinach Noodle Pudding, Potatoes and Chanterelles Baked in Cream, Squash Stew with Chilies Spices and Ground Nuts, and an absolutely fantastic Cheese and Nut Loaf... among many other fantastic recipes. This cookbook does occasionally call for the odd hard-to-find ingredient like hazelnut oil, but it doesn't get out of hand, and I think it's quite worth it. Ms. Madison takes her inspiration from all sorts of cuisines to wonderful effect. All in all this is a fantastic cookbook, whether or not you're a vegetarian!
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