Pasta Books

But why on EARTH are people selling it for 60 BUCKS when it's 24.95? LMAO

Great book, every recipe to die for. Yummy!

I love it. It's easy to read and follow, has tons of illustrations, easy receipies. I use it a lot.

Ever wonder why the food in Italy is so good when it seems so simple? The secret is good technique combined with locally-fresh ingredients. I love to cook, I love French food the best and I love complicated food, but I love a simple pasta just as well. I am also very visually oriented. Thus, the illustrations of the mise en place is perfect for me. I usually only need to glance at the actual instructions for the classics, which include visuals of all your ingredients. If you appreciate Eyewitness Guides (also published by DK) you'll appreciate the visual approach to cooking. The Carbonara is my favorite - although I always add a little chicken broth to pull it all together, and take the pancetta out of the pan till the last minute then toss it in (so it does not get soggy) and the Puttanesca ROCKS! I've tried at least 3/4ths of these and they are great. The only one I've tried that isn't awesome is the zucchini & shrimp pasta. A great pasta book and a great cookbook overall. It's in the canon if cookbooks - right up there with Joy of Cooking.

I got this book while living with my sister in florence, italy. at first glance it looks like a step-by-step "idiots guide to pasta" but once you jump past the children's book exterior, it really is a great resource. The recipes make the best use of easily accessible fresh and imported canned ingredients. The sauces are straightforward and simple both in preparation and taste. I personally like the huge quantity of vegetarian or easily-adjusted-to-be-veg recipes. Having access to the florence markets made everything taste like heaven!!! Don't miss the recipe whose introduction begins something like: "If I were sentenced to death and allowed to choose a last meal, this pasta with white truffles would be it."

If you like pasta this book is a must have. I am Italian, and learned to cook because I appreciate good food, and I like to eat! Eating is essential to life, why not eat the best foods, you only live once! I learned from watching my mother and grandmother cook and I can tell you the recipes in this book are the real thing; after all my mother bought this book for me. In my opinion(and my mother's) Marcella Hazan wrote the bible of Italian cookbooks with "Essentials of Italian Cooking"(also a must have), and this book is written by her son, so it is natural that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I have used this book countless times over the years, it is my reference for any pasta dish. It is easy to understand and follow, and after a while you will realize all these dishes are easy to prepare. Great illustrations on how to make fresh pasta and excellent sauce suggestions for different types of pastas. Lots of pictures so it makes it easy to understand what the dish is meant to look like, and what the ingredients should look like...I may have had a head start being of the Italian culture, but this book should make it easy for anyone to understand. Italian cooking is not centered around spaghetti and stewed tomatoes over tons of burned garlic, Italian cooking is colorful, diverse and subtle. This book will give you some insight into true Italian pastas, and the importance of fresh ingredients. Buy it, read it and eat in good health Per Cent' Ani!

Though there are some rare occasions when I indulge in a greasy, dripping with fat, and tantalizingly delicious bacon cheeseburger, I never cook meat in my home, because it smells like... well, what it is. I have a decent collection of vegetarian cookbooks, but this has become a fast favorite. I'll admit it, combining vegetables with pasta really shouldn't be much of a task for a seasoned cook such as myself, but there are some simply amazing combinations of greens, olives, pine nuts, and veggies in every color and variety that I just wouldn't have thought of on my own. I LOVE THIS COOKBOOK. The layout is fantastic, the recipes are superb, and the dishes are easy to make and taste fantastic. I live with a vegan, and she also praises every recipe that we have tried. There is a list of vegan recipes in the front of the book, but I have found that there are many recipes not included on the list where the shredded parmesan can simply be omitted. The portions are generous, but I will admit that on certain recipes I slightly increase the amount of vegetables.

Stumped at dinnertime? This book makes cooking dinner easy. Look to see what vegetables you have lying around, find the vegetable in the book, and start cooking. It's that easy. By the time the water's boiling and the pasta's cooked, your sauce is ready.

The vegetables are organized from Artichoke to Zucchini, making it easy to find what you need. The easy-to-prepare recipes are a lifesaver when you're hungry, ready for something quick and easy, and want to use up what you have in the refrigerator.

I've eaten probably two dozen of these recipes and have yet to find a dud.

There are few cookbooks that are as universally useful as this one. While the subject matter (pasta sauces) is limited, the situations in which you can use these recipes is almost limitless. The book contains simple recipes that make me think that my mom was slacking when she fed us bottled sauce when I was a child. And you can find elegant recipes that use unusual ingredients in imaginative ways. Best of all, you'll love this book if you're a budget-constained novice (like my recent college-grad brother to whom I gave this book - many of the recipes are neither expensive nor difficult) or an accomplished cook, especially in Italian cooking, looking for new ways to prepare pasta. Regardless of your situation, you can find a good recipe in this book. Frankly, this book is indispensible if you want to cook interesting pasta. My copy is so stained from the many sauces that I've cooked that I have an extra "clean" copy that I'm saving for posterity.

I have cooked recipes from this book for my Italian colleagues who were universally impressed by the results. And, quite honestly, I'm not sure if my wife would have married me if I hadn't delved into this book. The first time that I cooked "Spicy mixed peppers with basil and parmesan" was an unqualified success.

This book contains over 100 great recipes for pasta sauces, but if you want suggestions for some specific ones (the type for which you'd bend a corner of a page if you were to give the book as a gift) try (page numbers refer to the hardback version):

Cheap sauces
1) Chopped broccoli puree with garlic (pg. 65)
2) Blanched broccoli with spicy black olive vinaigrette (pg. 67)
3) Aglio e olio (a great garlic and olive oil recipe) (pg. 148)
4) Pasta alla puttanesca (pg. 290)
5) Pasta arrabbiata (pg. 296)

Sauces to impress
1) Golden Cauiflower in Spicy Tomato Sauce (pg. 101)
2) Sauteed endive with bell peppers, shallots and white wine (pg. 124)
3) Carmelized vidalia onions with black olives and rosemary (pg. 152)
4) Steamed green beans with double mushroom sauce (pg. 164)
5) Spicy mixed peppers with basil and parmesan (pg. 234)
6) Roasted red pepper sauce (pg. 238)
7) Roasted new potatoes with herbs, garlic and balsamic vinegar (pg. 248)
8) Spinach in tomato sauce with shallots and carrots (pg. 263)
9) Slow-cooked zucchini with tomato sauce (pg. 312)

Of course, almost anything else from the book is worth trying as well. These are just some recipes to start. Overall, this book is fantastic. I use it at least twice a week, and the inspiration that it has provided is even more pervasive. Grazie, Jack Bishop!

This is the best kitchen resource for pasta and vegetables! Look up the vegetables you have, and for each one, there are a bunch of great sauces to choose from. Plus he suggests substitutions or alterations. Once you've done some, you get the hang of how to mix and match to fit your pantry, or your harvest. Well-written, clear and complete... one of my most used cookbooks ever.

Outstanding book!! Simple and approachable. The most used cookbook in kitchen...Some recipes can be combined to add dimension and complexity. (Of course, as an omnivore, all recipes can be improved with a little pancetta, prosciutto or sausage, not to mention a splash of wine). Huge fan of Jack Bishop!

ps. why buy paperback? Esp. when the hardbacks are nicer and more durable...as well as cheaper!!

This book has totally encouraged me to finally make my own fresh pasta. I love reading everything in this series, but this one has been especially motivating!

I got this book for my wife to go along with the Kitchen Aid pasta maker attachment for the stand mixer. She loves this book and we have already made several wonderful recipes out of it. It really is the 'Complete' book it claims to be.

This is a great general reference book for all aspects of pasta dishes. It has plenty of diagrams and sketches to help clarify key points. It has lots of recipes and "how-to" information. It is an appropriate resource for beginners and has enough info to make it worthwhile for advanced home cooks. It is a great starting point if you are trying something new. However, if you are into something very specific such as pasta making or seafood sauces, you will find yourself reaching for another reference with more information.

Best pasta selection for creativity - learned alot about pasta pesto sauces whatever goes with it- I now make all my own pasta KitchenAid KPRA Pasta Roller Attachment for Stand Mixerswith my kitchenaid and makes a big difference in budget and how I view my meals. Great recipes with alot of information not just on Italian but Chinese as well.

wel Bob comes to my restaurant and serve him self to crepes, eclair pies etc. He sugested to make fresh pasta, so I went for my source Amazon and got this book on pasta. We spend my wife and Bob and I a all day reading all the fantastic recipy, made us saliving and SMART hum hum good. Yvon.

Laura Schenone's book-length essay is an expertly crafted exposition of her search for family history, for barely-surviving traditions, for connections to immigrant ancestors who were strangers to her. She is, by her own admission, "obsessed" with replicating the ravioli of her great-grandmother. She longs for authenticity, for real nourishment in a world of "silver wrapped", mass produced cream cheese. She longs to know who they were, this Genovese couple who came to New Jersey from the isolated, breathtakingly beautiful mountains of Italy so many years ago.

Immersed in the demanding cycles of domesticity, raising two young sons, it is in the chores and delights of the kitchen that she recognizes her mission and begins her quest.

This book speaks to the the mystery of generation, the families who spring forth, the gathering around the table on feast days, and on ordinary days as well. The mothers nourish so that the families may flourish. Schenone's masterful prose absorbed me. I could not put this book down.

I ate this book up and still wanted more. I am 1/2 Italian as well, the same age as the author, have 2 boys as does the author, and have what I thought was the only mixed up crazy family. I chose education and career over learning how to cook, so I loved hearing about her search. Laura write a sequel! More pictures!

This is one of the oddest books I have ever read and I recommend it to anyone -not just food lovers. It kept me facinated until the end. One of those books which enlightens one to the small but exciting adventures people can find themselves caught up with. You don't have to be a movie star or run for president to find some exciting things in your own life. Laura Schenone did this and brought the reader along with her. I don't know this lady but it would be fun having her for a neighbor - especially for Christmas ravioli.

Schenone has written a mesmerizing meditation on food that is a mystery, a memoir and a love letter to ravioli all at once. The book made me wish I had Italian ancestors, so I could go hop a plane and explore the mountains of Italy to track down secret recipes, and hidden family lore, too. Instead I made the walnut sauce--which was delicious. This book is a beautiful and honest memoir about a woman's search to understand her family and herself. Honestly, I didn't want the journey to end.

I love this book! It is a little bit cooking, a little bit history, a little bit travel, a little bit genealogy, a little bit family drama. I had borrowed a copy from my local library, and I enjoyed it so much that I had to buy it.
I am intending to try some of the recipes and make my own ravioli.(My all time favorite food)

We are constantly reading this book not for the recpies but for the knowledge and history of different foods that we comonly use. We are lucky enough to be able to enjoy Zingerman's Deli anytime we want and they are top quality just like in the book.

Finally I understand why sea salt is so good; and how to choose olive oil. And I now know a few good brands to look for on my gourmet items. This has really helped me shop for excellent ingredients. And the recipes, esp the roasted beet salad, are delicious and simple, relying on the very best ingredients for flavor instead of complicated instructions.

For anyone who knows the name Zingerman's, chances are they know the name is synonomous with amazing food of the highest quality. For anyone interested in food, particularly imported, specialty and artisanal foods, check out this book and their website. You won't be disappointed.

I really enjoyed this book. As a lover of food, I was elated to discover this book. He includes history and just an over all knowledge of fine foods and how you can tell when you get your hands on them! The commercialization of fine foods (like balsamic vinegar) often times loses the art. I appreciate the art of creating fine foods and am grateful to now have a little extra "Zing" and knowledge when I'm shopping for them.

When it comes to food and cooking, this is one of my top 3 favorite and most used books. Though this has recipes, that is not where its value lies. This book is a guide to understanding and appreciating quality in your food. Some of the foods covered are olive oils, vinegars (balsamic and others), cheese, bread, pasta, chocolate, etc. Each section tells you what makes for quality and recommends brands to try. If you love good food, this is a MUST HAVE!

I have had and enjoyed this book since March of 2000 and have not had a bad dish yet - I've made almost every one and a lot of them many more than once. I can't count the number of copies I've sent to children, grandchildren and friends. I find when I put the bowl on the pot of water Joie sends me in all kinds of directions with ingredients - not only good tasting dishes, but so fun!
cjs

Best book of recipes I've found for truly good and nourishing meals that can be prepared in a jiffy. If you are vegetarian, it's a plus, there are many recipes that do not contain any meat, some using fish but mosly cheese and vegetables. Meat can be added to many of the recipes but they are excellent as they are. I have had the book for a long time but wanted it for my college-age grandson.

What a great cookbook! Everything in it is tasty and so easy. Perfect for those nights when you don't feel like cooking. We cook from this on average once a week. I give it as gifts now.

Jolie Warner has produced another of her 20 cookbooks, `take a tin of tuna', in that relatively undistinguished but very worthy genre of recipe collections centered around a single ingredient, in this case, canned tuna. While Ms. Warner does not have the high wattage name like Cat Cora, Tony Bourdain, or Rachael Ray, she is doing us a service as good or better than these very readable chef / authors. That is, she is giving us 65 recipes for an extremely inexpensive, durable staple. With this book and similar books on recipes for pasta, potatoes, sardines, corn meal, and canned tomatoes, one can live like a king with good recipes on a pauper's income. Ms. Warner has put one more nail in the coffin of my projected book on cooking cheaply but well.

Before I go any further, I must put in a plug for canned tuna. Like several other ingredients that have been available in a can for a very long time, this product has virtually taken on a life of its own, completely distinct from the cuisine and recipes based on fresh tuna. Like salt cod, it is not only accepted as a different product, it is actually better for many recipes than the fresh flesh, which is both highly perishable and requires a fair amount of subtlety to cook well. Even the highest authorities on French cooking give us Salad Nicoise made with canned tuna.

The first chapter in this book is the routine intro. on showing us around the varieties of canned tuna and itemizing good pantry items to have on hand to work with tuna. While this list, especially the first half, is better than most, it violates my standing rule about pantry lists in that it lists several relatively perishable items in the refrigerator and dried basil in the spice rack. I use lots of dried spices, but I would not use dried basil or parsley short of having a gun put to my head. Both are available fresh the year around and fresh parsley is usually dirt-cheap. I do respect the author's recommending selected national brands for bacon and mustard. I have seen good things said about her recommended products, but I have seen bad things said about them as well. Be very aware that in spite of the sense that it is virtually imperishable, please know that mustard looses its pizzazz after about three months in the bottle, so don't stockpile the stuff, especially the stuff shipped to us from France.

Among the recipes, you will find all the old standards such as Salade Nicoise, Tuna salad, and Tuna casserole, but you will find lots of other goodies as well. The first chapter of recipes is on starters with recipes for stuff such as tuna tapenade, tuna dips, tuna and caper spread, tuna wontons, and tuna tapas, for example. I think I will pass on the tuna fondue.

The second chapter of recipes gives us tuna coups and chowders where, among other things, we have tuna standing in for clams and keeping company with beans, corn, broccoli and cheddar, and tomatoes. I get strongly positive feelings about all these recipes. This may be worth the price of the book.

The third chapter of recipes covers sandwiches, the home of the classic tuna melt. The author does here what lots of recipe writers do in turning a recipe for a salad into a sandwich, with virtually no alterations except that the ingredients are plopped between two halves of crusty bread. Ms. Joie does this with a tuna nicoise sandwich, simply leaving out the potato salad which, I'm sure, you will be happy to find as the featured side dish.

The fourth chapter is the center ring for sure for the canned tuna show, as these are the salads, both classic and nuveo. The author essays tuna with lots of tomatoes, beans, curries, leafy veg, and Mexican themes. These recipes are more traditional than the soups, but swell to have all in one place.

The last chapter of recipes is largely all the things that do not fit in other categories. These are terrines, pies, omelets, and pizzas. Shades of Wolfgang Puck.

I regret that the author and her publisher did not see it fit to list the author's previously published titles. Either they are not from Chronicle Books or they are not considered worthy. I also find the $20 list price just a tad high for 65 recipes from a journeyman author.

Both of these nits are relatively trivial. This is a very good book for people both on a diet and on a budget and in serious need of some variety in their meals. If you can get it for less than $15, I say snap it up.

Highly recommended.

I like this book for those nights when I know ahead of time I'm going to be crunched for time. I'm the kind of person who plans a week of meals at a time before grocery shopping, with an eye on what nights will be busy vs. when I'll have oodles of time. I also keep a pretty extensive pantry on hand. I think if those 2 things weren't true, this book would lose alot of its usefulness. But with the right ingredients around, there are some good quick meals in here.

A few things to be aware of:
- These recipes are LOADED with butter, oil, and fatty cheeses, typically half a stick of butter, 1/2 a cup of cheese to serve 4.
- There is a little bit of prep required before you boil the water, but it's light, like chopping a garlic clove or grating some cheese.
- Most of these recipes uses strong tasting ingredients, like raw chopped garlic, crushed red pepper, and basil. If you don't like these ingredients, you might not like a lot of these recipes.

So, with those caveats, I would recommend this book. I especially like the sauce made from riccotta cheese, bottled red peppers, basil, garlic and parmesan cheese. I typically serve these with boiled broccoli and quick frozen garlic bread, and dinner is ready in like 20 minutes.

I was looking for a complete pasta cookbook and I found it in this one. It has color photos of every recipe and the lay out is user friendly. Much better than I expected.

All recipes are fast and easy. Yet, for pasta, they are the best I have found

This book is one of my favorite cookbooks. The dishes are elaborate, yet easy to follow and always end up tasting delicious. In addition, the book is presented in such a way that each recipe is accompanied by a beautiful picture, allowing you to wet your appetite before you begin cooking. The cookbook not only offers wonderful recipes, but also gives a great general sense on how to cook Italian food.

Truly, if I could only own one cookbook of pasta recipies, this book would be the one I'd want. There are countless books available on the subject and yet none I've seen present pasta cooking in such clarity and with such excellent results.

If you want to know how to make all the basics, and make them right, you'll find the answers here: Pasta with Olive Oil and Garlic, with Marinara, Pasta Primavera...they may seem simple but if you follow the directions here, you can't go wrong. Handy details include pasta noodle suggestions as well as alternatives that work well, and variations on recipies depending on what ingredients you have available as well as how you may want to experiment and mix things up. Many recipies in this book have become staples of my cooking, and favorites include the Pasta with Chick Peas and the perfect Putanesca. This cookbook gets my highest recommendation.

I picked up this about two months ago and have been making two or three recipes a week ever since. So far every one was been a keeper.

The recipes are clearly written, all ingredients are listed at the beginning (no surprises lurking in the last line of text) the directions are clear and easy to follow. Each recipe is illustrated by a large photograph, and indicates which type of pasta is best suited for that particular dish. In addition many recipes have variations offered.

Besides the recipes there is lots of other information concerning various types of pasta, proper preparation techniques, hints on stocking a pantry and storing ingregients and cooked dishes. Also there are a couple of meal planning charts, one based on ingredients and the other by suitability (summer, cold weather, for children, for parties etc) that come in handy when looking for a particular recipe.

I highly recommend this cookbook, even for a cook experienced with Italian cuisine this one has much to offer.

This is a fantastic cook book!!! I love cookbooks with pictures and this one if filled with them. I got this cookbook after I bought a pasta machine so I could find some sauces to serve with my homemade pasta and I certainly wasn't disappointed. I have tried several recipes already and found them easy to prepare and they turned out great. I highly recommend this book. You won't be disappointed!

I randomly picked a pasta salad recipe out of the book for an upcoming barbecue with friends. The dish was excellent, I got rave reviews from my guests. I can't wait to try another recipe.

A very helpful book, well organized, and full of recipes from the easy to the more complicated. Everything can be done in a reasonable amount of time if you adhere to the star method to choose your level of complication (one star: easy; 2 stars, a little harder...). This is a favorite of those who've tried the dishes, though a little more careful editing would have been welcome (for example, in the recipe for Ziti with Vegetables and Italian Sausage, why is there no sausage in the recipe? For the times you must create a béchamel, why not mention that you return the sauce to a medium-high heat and not the low heat you were just using?). I won't be picky: this is a great pasta book. One caveat: if weight watching is an issue for dishes you prepare, keep looking - these recipes are mostly quite high in the calorie department. However, if you're looking for a good general pasta book, try this one first and wait before buying others; this one supplanted most of my other pasta cookbooks, and it may for you, too.

A true must have for any pasta lover. The book is elegant and beautifully designed, it has a transparent, water resistant dust cover, designed to be used in the kitchen and last many years.

In this excellent reference you will find everything, not just recipes, dedicating full chapters to Pasta Secrets, Dried and Fresh Pastas, Making Pasta, Classic Sauces, Soups, Pasta with Meat, Pasta with Chicken, Pasta with Seafood, Pasta with Vegetables, Creamy Pasta, Pasta Salads, Gnocchi and Making Gnocchi, Filled Pasta and Filling Pasta, Baked Pasta, Pasta pronto, and Pasta Desserts, including special features on Antipasto, Cheese, Cold Meats, Olives, and Breads.

Wow, I thought I had pretty much seen all the great cookbooks out in the market. Boy I am so pleased by this book. It is very well organized, with catagories, such as pasta with meat, chicken, vegetable, etc. I was pleasantly surprised with the gnocchi section, as it is hard to find great recipes with pictures for this topic.

If you are searching for a great book that will satisfy both your palate and mind, this is the book to have.

BTW, the paperback version comes with a plastic cover. So no worry about ruining the cover during cooking. A++++ !!!

These recipes are delicious and healthy. Also, the book is very easy to use.

I had purchase this book for a library collection and after seeing how great it was, I bought it for my mother-in-law.
I love this book. The recepies are easy and the salads are very good. The other good thing is that on the back, it has a section of only salad dressings. I strongly recommend this book.

This small book contains some wonderfully creative, new salad ideas. Many recipes arre accompanied by a photo - gives you something to aim for in your presentation! Who knew you could purchase a New Year's resolution?

This is by far the best cookbook I have used for everyday, healthy recipes. Every recipe is reasonably easy and they are all tried and true. They all work well...and for the silly reviewer who thought some were too oily or sweet??-they clearly don't follow recipes very well because I am a chef and these recipes ROCK! Thanks for a wonderful book with gorgeous photos!!

Raising the Salad Bar has become an irreplaceable stable for me. I have a very well worn and loved copy that is invaluable. This cook book along with a pair of wooden salad tongs has become my favorite gift to give my friends.
My favorite recipes are the Wheatberry and the Chicken Salad recipes. The Fried Tomato and Lobster salad are this side of outrageous! What I like best about this book versus other cook books I have is that these recipes tend to bring out the natural goodness and flavor of the main ingredients rather then mask them w/thick and oily dressings.
The recipes are easy to read. The instructions are straightforward and the end product is always gorgeously presented.

This is an eye-opening little book in that it gives recipes for roasting vegetables that I have never considered. I especially liked the sweet potato & "Best Ever Green Beans" recipes. Everything is so easy

I checked this book out of the library but I will be ordering a copy. Since checking it out a few days ago, I've roasted about 4 lbs of green beans. The green beans are sooo delicious...like eating french fries. I've also roasted asparagus and made the Parmesan Fennel Roasted Tomato tart. Really, if you want vegetable ideas and are bored with the same-old, this is a great book.

My husband and I were bored, bored, bored with vegetables until we picked this up. Easy to make recipes with a minimum of cleanup and absolutely delicious. We use our gas grill to roast the veggies for extra kick and ease of preparation. All the recipes use common ingredients- many of them you can just whip up with what you've got in the house left over from your weekly shopping! Serve any recipe in the book with a nice grilled steak or piece of fresh fish for an exquisite meal.

"The Roasted Vegetable" is a wondeful example of a cookbook which stays "on task" and fulfills the promise of its title.

I'd had good results with recipes for roasted root vegetables, roasted asparagus, and roasted nuts from other cookbooks, so you could say that I was "ripe" for this volume, but still...5 minutes after picking this book off the racks and sampling the recipes, I was at the register and on my way home to try some of them. And "The Roasted Vegetable" has completely rewarded and repaid my faith in it with a wonderful variety of well designed dishes that even an undistinguished cook like myself can make and enjoy. I am also reasonably confident, given the nature of most of the dishes, that many of the recipes could also be reproduced on a smaller scale in a good toaster/convection oven, which adds to the convenience and possible applications for smaller families, couples, and solo diners.

You will understand the possibilities of roasted vegetables just by glancing through this book for a few minutes. Even if you have little-to-no interest in vegetarianism, even if you wolf down a Delmonico 4 times a week, you will find plenty of recipes to spark your interest here. The dishes are fairly simple to execute (there are a few more involved exceptions) and reward the cook with flavorful, satisfying dishes. Not only that, but since you are indeed "eating your vegetables" just like your mother wanted, you get the satisfaction of knowing you are doing something good for yourself.

And it does all this without the tedious self-righteousness and endless "cut the fat" mantra of the typical "low fat healthy cooking" book. This book is about the flavor and about the enjoyment of your veggies and nuts, and health benefits are just a side effect of good food, done right. That's my kind of cookbook.

This is definitely worth your time if you come across it, and worth seeking out if you are looking for ways to make a more balanced diet without feeling deprived or put upon.

I thought I knew what you needed to know about roasting vegetables: a 425 degree oven, vegetables drizzled with oil, an hour for sturdy root vegetables, less time for everything else. Then I found this book at the local library and discovered that I knew diddley. I went out and bought it.

Chesman offers recipes for appetizers, entrees and other dishes. She makes magic with the vegetables anyone can easily find in the supermarket or roadside stand. She uses fresh herbs frequently, but is not fussy about any specifics, so you can work with what you have. The first thing I discovered, as someone who is gas-grilless in this age of the grilled vegetable, is that many of Chesman's roasted vegetables, particularly the spring and summer ones, do a great stand-in for the grilled variety. She provides a general chart for roasting times and temperatures of various vegetables and I've been able to extropolate off it and make up my own dishes. My balsamic and cardoman roasted mushrooms have transformed pizza.

The recipes all revolve around vegetables and none call for meat of any kind. That's okay. You don't miss it.