Cookbooks Books

I am not a strict vegetarian and I found this book very helpful. I would highly recommend it.

I became a vegetarian a few months ago, and coming from a carnivorous family, problems immediately arose. Suddenly, I needed to learn how to cook protein/iron rich dishes for myself and discover meat substitues. I looked through a lot of books for this, and The Teen's Vegetarian Cookbook has definately been the best.

It addresses teen-specific problems, like how to make really quick, easy, nutritious dishes, eating vegetarian in the cafeteria, and myriads of tips, info, terms, etc.

It's not so big that it's overwhealming, but it's not to small that it's limited. It's perfectly organized and easy to navigate.

It makes foods you didn't like before delicious. I used to hate tofu, but after making some of the recipes in the book, I am a fan.

There are really nice charts to help you figure out how to get all of the important daily nutrients you need, so you don't become anemic or get porous bones and such.

It talks about meat-alternatives that you most likely would never have found out about on your own.

It uses really relaxed, genuine language without ANY straining to be hip and cool to appeal to the youth -- this is so common in books for teens and it is so degrading and stupid. This book has none of that, thank God.

I've made a lot of the recipes and they turned out wonderfully. The rest of my family totally stole my marinated tofu out of the fridge the other day. Which really says something, in my humble opinion.

Easy recipes for adults. Still haven't gotten my 14-yr-old, newly turned vegetarian to read it, but perhaps she'll take it to college.

I purchased this book for an 11 year old vegetarian as a christmas gift. She loved it, and began choosing recipes that she wanted to try immediately. After looking at it, her college age sister asked if she could have a copy. When the non-vegetarian rest of the family tried the foods created from the recipes this book became an instant family favorite. Recipes are clearly written, easy for even a child to follow, creative and tasty enough for adults to love. Teaches many basics of nutrition and cooking. Vegan and non-vegan choices are given for many recipes. Lots of the recipes are developed by real teens.

I LOVE this book! Being the only vegetarian in my family (and also being a 'kid')makes it really hard to find things to eat that are healthy that I still like. The Teen's Vegetarian Cookbook is the best cookbook I've ever used. The format is fantastic, the instructions are really simple to follow, the recipes don't usually include strange things or anything that no one would actually eat. If you're vegan, there are lots of really good recipes that don't contain any animal products at all. This book isn't just for vegetarians, though! I got my whole family eating some of it. They added meat to theirs, but they still love the pizza dough. I even make the Chocolate Coma Pie for a party and everyone ate it and enjoyed it. Whether you're a teen, a parent, someone hoping to eat more healthy but still delicious food, or you were just dared to be vegetarian for a week, this book is the ULTIMATE!

For people who are trying to eliminate allergenic foods from their diet and detoxify, or for those that need to be on a gluten-free diet, or for those of us who enjoy feeling like we ate something good for us that was truly delightful for our taste buds - this recipe book provides really delicious options for a whole lifetime of healthy living. Thanks Alissa and Tom!

This book is not unlike others of its kind. It is very informative about cooking whole foods i.e. nuts, seeds, beans, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Excellent charts for time and amounts which are helpful. The recipes are varied and interesting and I think the variety is carefully planned.

I received this cookbook as a gift. My friends are already asking when I'm hosting another dinner party! I love this creative, wholesome cookbook and will definitely give it to friends and clients on my Christmas shopping list this year.

This is so much more than a cookbook. It is a dictionary and encyclopedia. This is a gold mind of good nutrition. There are so many tips and great ideas. This is the only book you'll ever need in the kitchen if you want to be the healthiest you can be.
And you don't need to spend a ton of money to have the ingredients on hand. The recipes use the same basic ingredients.

I purchased this book about a month ago and have been cooking most of our family's meals from it since. I am back to buy another one for my sister who is pregnant right now with her first child. (I thought the introduction to solid foods list for babies in the back of the book would be useful to her).

About 2 years ago both of my sons were diagnosed with ADHD. I have put both of my sons on a GF / CF diet (i.e. gluten-free, casein-free) to help with their disorder and it has helped tremendously.

I have found it difficult to find a cookbook that addresses moving towards a healthier whole foods type diet AND one that is gluten-free and dairy-free. This book is just that. (Though there are a few recipes with gluten, nearly all are gluten-free or give options for being gluten-free).

The book starts out with information on food sensitivities to gluten, dairy, and eggs. Which is very informative and simple to understand. Then it moves on to what it means to eat whole foods. They even have a beautiful full color chart about dietary components - reminiscent of a food pyramid but much healthier. The authors eloquently and simply state the 7 Good Reasons to Eat Whole Foods, which we refer to regularly to remind us to stay on track.

Then there is a chapter on eating organic food and a list of the top 12 foods to buy organic. The authors have a great chapter on Making the Change, which gives simple tips to help move towards a healthier diet. After that, a sample 7 day menu is given, which we have used several times to plan a meal - especially helpful when we have company!

My favorite chapter is the Stocking Your Whole Foods Pantry. I have modified it and typed one up of my own which I take shopping with me.

For the novice cook, there is a short chapter on Definition of Cooking Techniques. I have actually read through it twice and learned things I never knew.

Then the recipes.....mmmmm! I am not sure where to begin. I have yet to find one that we don't like. Luckily my boys are great at trying new things. Most of the recipes they like, though a few they have not, but that it typical for a 4 and 6 yr old!

Bean cooking charts and information on cooking whole grains are in the recipes section. Then there are little "chef's tips" and "going gluten-free tips" throughout the book.

Here are some of my favorite recipes: Buckwheat Pancakes, Banana Walnut Muffins, Peachy Millet Flour Muffins, Red Lentil Dal, Vegetarian Chipotle Chili, Winter Quinoa Salad, Tofu with Garlic Ginger Kudzu Sauce, Spiced Citrus Salmon, Indian Chicken Curry, Lemon Basil Pesto, Cabbage Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette(my boys actually love this), Beet Kale and Walnut Salad, Raw Almond and Vegetable Pate, Lemon Blueberry Pudding, Gingerbread Cake, Chocolate Truffles, and the Avocado Fig Fudgesicles.

This book has been worth every cent!

This is a very good book if you want to learn how to grill. I don't think that this is the best recipes book, but if you're looking to learn the techniques to grill to perfection beef, chicken, etc. this is the right guide.

Everything you ever wanted to know about grilling is in this book. It is fantastic.

I purchased this book after reading a review and sample recipe in a local newspaper - this is one of the best cookbooks I've purchased. I am an avid CHARCOAL griller and this book has all the best tips (they do include separate instructions for gas grillers). I've made several of the recipes in the book and they have all received rave reviews - especially the brisket. The best part of this book (and other Cooks Illustrated books) is that they don't just hand you a bunch of recipes - they actually walk you through their testing methodology and explain how they came up with the final prep and cooking methods. Highly recommended!

I love this book! I received it as a Christmas gift, but I had checked it out at the library multiple times before. In addition to the excellent recipes, it also includes explanations as to why you should buy a certain cut of meat over another, why you should let meat rest after you take it off the grill, etc. The filet mignon and pulled pork were especially good. Highly recommended!

All the questions, tricks and secrets are answered, tried and revealed. I have used this book for everything from ribs to steaks to lamb to shrimp. It is a huge hit.

We have a lot of cookbooks. Our copy of A Cowboy in the Kitchen: Recipes from Reata and Texas West of the Pecos looks like it's been rode hard and put up wet. Why? Because it's the real deal. Not just a collection of recipes that look good or sound good, this is full of recipes that are great! If you like to eat, you'll come back to it over and over. Some of the recipes will become tradition. Others will be lots of fun to make and eat when you've got company. All of them will make you wish you doubled the recipe. We love it!

This is a wonderful book for anyone who loves Texas and Texas recipes. Our son lived in Texas for 8 years. His wife is from Texas. They were happy to get a "Texas Cookbook". GREAT recipes. The rub for steaks is fantastic.

Guys, if you want to upgrade your lifestyle from bachelor chow, if you want to impress the ladies, and most of all, if you want to have decent food at home or at work, you NEED this book. Now.

The stories are great, the author is a killer chef, and best of all, these are recipes YOU will like. If nothing else, get it to get the secret of his grill spice blend - it takes anything and makes it instanly a cut above anything else you've made.

But best of all, Mr. Spears shows us that cooking is not some girlie man thing, it's a cool thing. You'll eat better food, and women will realize you rock. I'm not kidding. Buy it now!

Although the recipies are good, easy to make and tasty it's the stories that accompany it that make the book. Grady doesn't try to be anyone he's not. He's a simple cowboy who enjoys cooking who fell into a career as a chef. Oh, and if you get the book, try the "Sissyfied Son-of-a-B*tch" it's definately better than it sounds.

As an avid cook and an amateur collector of quality cookbooks, I've seen a lot of theme cookbooks like this that are often more story that recipe. This cookbook combines both and is my absolute favorite cookbook ever! The recipes are amazing (though to all of you out there counting points/carbs/calories, etc., this is probably not for you), the back story is interesting, and the knowledge expressed in these pages is priceless to anyone from an aspiring weeknight cook to the most recent C.I.A. graduate (the cooking school, not the espionage organization). In short, there's something for everyone, and everyone will love the food from this book. As I write this, I'm enjoying the buttermilk biscuits that in a few days I will make into the buttermilk biscuit pudding with Southern Comfort cream!

This is such a great cookbook. There are a few recipes that call for ingrediants that you have to get at a specialty store but most you can get at a normal supermarket. The recipes are full of flavor and easy to prepare for the most part. Just looking through the book I get excited about cooking!

If you are looking for a myriad of tasty meals: appetizers, soups, salads, sides, main entrees and holiday menus that guests will rave about and ALL of the recipies are healthy, this is the cookbook for you. I have purchased several copies and given them away as gifts as my friends have complimented me on my dishes. My secret was this cookbook. Many of the meals are easy although there are some that are moderate or more complicated. Regardless of your cooking level, take the chance and learn to eat and cook well -- Bon appetite!

This is a great cookbook. It breaks down the recipes, tells you how much time they each take and gives an indication of how difficult it will be to make. The recipes I've made so far have all been great. I highly recommend this for people needing to find diet recipes.

Overall, I really like this cookbook. I was looking for new, exciting dishes that didn't pile on the calories. This certainly delivers. I've only made a handful of recipes but have yet to be disappointed.

My husband and I spent almost an entire summer eating out of this cookbook. The recipes are fantastic, especially if you aren't used to cooking with things like whole-wheat flour or dark, leafy greens. After buying this book, making homemade pizza with whole-wheat crust became a weekly event. What's really cool is that it inspired us to be more creative with healthy ingredients as well. We've done countless, healthy variations on the abovementioned recipe, and the Basic Chicken Saute recipe is one of the easiest, quickest, and most versatile recipes ever. All you really need is chicken and whatever healthy things you've got in the pantry or fridge. I also really enjoyed the vegetarian section. I'm not a vegetarian, but I enjoy having a couple meat-free meals per week. These were creative, flavorful recipes without a lot of that fake stuff that's supposed to make you feel like you're eating meat. In fact, all the recipes use real, honest ingredients; nothing spooky. Highly recommended.

Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters: More than 100 Years of Recipes Discovered from Family Cookbooks, Original Journals, Scraps of Paper & Grandmother's Kitchen lovingly collects those intriguing bits of family history in the form of recipes scribbled on the backs of bridge tallies, grocery sacks, and yellowed bits of paper. Collected from used bookstores, flea markets, yard sales, and from friends, the dozens of vintage recipes ranging from the 1800s to the 1960s and today are snapshots in time, from the frugality of war rationing (Miss Emma Smith's War Cake) to bridge snacks (Graham Cracker Fudge, Mah Jong Candy) to Jewish comfort foods such as mandelbrot, hamantaschen, and challah.

Sheila and Marilynn Brass have tested, tweaked, and updated these long-lost gems to the modern kitchen, an all-important step to ensuring success. Why is this important? In the good old days, measurements could be imprecise, the texture and type of flour depended on the mill it was ground at, and sugar came in the form of hard cones of loaf sugar that had to be broken and pulverized. Often, oven temperatures were omitted. In addition, they have chosen to use commonly available ingredients (and they include a handy primer on essential ingredients and tips on what was used in the test recipe), making these heirloom baked goods accessible to everyone.

The recipes are grouped loosely by occasion, from breakfast (Pineapple Walnut Breakfast Bars, Helen's Coffee Bans, Cranberry-Orange Cream Scones) to immigrant recipes (Hazelnut Cake, Libby's Coconut Linzer Bars, Canadian Sugar Pie, Mrs. Mattie James' Jamaica Caramel Ice Cream), church recipes (Christian Service Cookies, Reverend Brown's Cake, Black Pepper Hush Puppies), bridge snacks, holiday recipes , and a chapter on chocolate (French Chocolate Cake with Mocha Frosting, Mocha Ricotta Cake with Ganache Topping, Chocolate Coconut Bread Pudding).

The authors make heirloom baking accessible to the modern cook, and add insightful notes on the original bakers along with kitchen tips on substitutions and variations. This is a wonderful gift for anyone who's longing to recreate the smells and tastes of grandmother's kitchen and a joyous ode to simpler times.

One small caveat: according to their website, there is a misprint in the recipe for Mrs. Marasi's Butterballs, on page 252. Change the amount to 1 cup of butter, not 2 cups of butter.

What a Gem of a cookbook, not only are the recipes outstanding but the Brass Sisters know how to write, the book reads like a history of baking. I have already used the cookbook several times and got rave reviews. This book stays on my kitchen counter.

I love this baking book. Great recipes. I have already baked three recipes from this book and all come out excellent.

I am giving this book five stars because every recipe I have tried has been, if not outrageously good, then at least delicious. Plus, the text is interesting and the pictures of antique kitchenware are great, making this my favorite cookbook to bake from right now. I am starting to notice a trend though, after making the chocolate peanut butter cake. It did not fit in the pan size that was recommended and ran out all over my oven. I then recalled when I made the lemon cheesecake it didn't fit in my smallish 9" springform pan either. I'll be paying more attention now; the recipes are worth this inconvenience.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book which was written in an easy to understand conversational tone. I love the history of the recipes and the clear instructions. I also liked that the authors tested store-brand ingredients against brand-name ingredients in order to be able to advise readers that we do not need to pay more to produce quality baked goods.

I liked that the recipes are for baked goods that I want to eat but do not duplicate recipes I have seen in other cookbooks (since I have more than 250 cookbooks, this is worth noting).

The book is published on sturdy pages and contains many photos of the finished products as well as of hand-written recipes and cooking tools of years gone by. My only complaint is a very minor one - I found the first page of each chapter a little hard to read as the text was superimposed over a decorative pattern.

I am grateful to the Brass sisters for "rescuing" these recipes from flea markets and antique stores in order to share them with the next generation of bakers. I encourage them to continue their search for lost recipes and to publish those, too.

This book would be an excellent gift, if you can bear to part with it!

This is not the best cookbook I have on my shelves, but I wouldn't want to give it up. I love to read this cookbook and learn how my ancestors prepared their food. There are many recipes presented as they were originally written with measurements offered in non-standard methods, for example as, "a teacup full". There are some surprising omissions, but all in all, it is a good cookbook.

One of the 3 basic cookbooks (Joy of Cooking, Better Homes & Gardens) you must have. Check out the blue cheese burger... worth the price. This goes out of print from time to time, so get it now.

According to the editorial material, this is Mr. Beard's definitive cookbook. He is a culinary journalist of the highest caliber, and this is his penultimate collection of recipes gathered over multiple decades of culinary journalism. While it might be an impressive compendium of recipes, it is no better than many other cookbooks of similar intention. It is an interesting historical document, but is also a rather mediocre culinary resource, despite its distinguished pedigree. Considering the author's celebrity status, I was rather under whelmed by this cookbook. I do recommend it, but not enthusiastically. It does function as an all-purpose cookbook for today's typical home cook, but you can do better.
La Cuisine: Secrets of Modern French Cooking
The gold cook book
The Fannie Farmer Cookbook: AnniversaryThe Joy of Cooking Standard Edition: The All-Purpose Cookbook (Plume)
Selected Recipes from the Saturday Evening Post: All-American Cookbook
American Heritage Cookbook
New Cook Book (Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbooks)
The Good Housekeeping Cookbook

There are 2 distinct aspects to this cookbook. Over time, it has been widely hailed as important cultural anthropology. It is also an extensive compendium of home cooking. Neither aspect is especially convincing, but together, they make a decent culinary resource. Its main strength: for those who like to 'entertain at home' (OK, this an archaic term also from the era of the 'housewife'; by this, read: superbowl sunday, sunday dinner with the neighbors, baby showers, cocktail/diner parties, celebrations where food is expected, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother's/Father's day, etc.), and you need a source for reliable, decent recipes that will feed a crowd.

The recipes themselves are the weak point of this book. Mr. Beard has openly cribbed recipes from far and wide, and expertly assembled them as the good journalist that he is. He has a tendency to present several recipes that are only marginally different. This is a good sign, inasmuch as this indicates that the author has significantly altered the original recipe to fit a mold that he knows works correctly, and it also indicates that the author has tested it or a similar recipe (`authentic' is not one of the words I would use to describe the recipes). On the bad side, it means that the scope of the recipes is not as comprehensive as you might think by counting recipes or pages. There are substantial gaps, including entire categories of recipes you would normally expect to find in such an all-purpose cookbook. It also means that much of the original techniques in the recipes have been filtered through Mr. Beard's au courant (circa 1970) sensibilities. I am also not convinced that ALL of the recipes have been thoroughly tested by Mr. Beard.

I also note a couple of format deficiencies. The recipes do not specify the yield; you have to read the recipes closely to discern how many servings the recipe makes. The TOC of this book is woefully inadequate: it simply lists the chapter title. The chapters are thoughtfully divided into sections and subsections, but these are not listed in the TOC. You are more or less obligated to leaf through an entire chapter, which can be 100 pages long, to find something specific, or try your luck prospecting in the index.

The copyright of this book is 1972. It is mainly a collection of recipes of `home cooking' from the 50's and 60's. During this period, all females were `housewives', who did not go to work but instead got married, stayed at home, cooked, cleaned, and raised children. On the good side, the typical `housewife' had acquired substantial cooking abilities (not unlike the abilities expected of a newbie line cook applying for a job in a smallish restaurant) much superior to today's household, regardless of sex. There are many such collections of recipes, and Mr. Beard's effort is only fair to middling when compared to the competition. On the down side, this book has its share of recipes that are incomplete or vague, requiring the experienced touch of a `housewife' to make the recipe work correctly.

On the good side, this book is a valuable source of culinary anthropology, and it is this aspect that has made this cookbook justly famous. Throughout the book, Mr. Beard regales the reader with stories of what Americans ate, why they ate it, and how they prepared it. While this may be important to a writer or culinary journalist, it is at best an amusing anecdote for the typical home cook.

What books you would grab as you ran out of a burning house? Remember that old parlor game? This is one on my list. My copy is stained and spine-cracked and I could not live without it. It's the standard by which all cookbooks should be measured.

I got one of these when they first came out in print, in hardback, back in the 1970s I think. It's obvious when you look at mine that it has been well-used and loved. I bought a recent edition for my daughter who is just starting out in her own place. I haven't compared hers to mine to know how the editions differ, so my review is based on my old hardcover. If you are looking for a cookbook with the basics of classic American foods I would highly recommend this -- far better than Joy of Cooking. It would make a great wedding or shower gift. It is logically organized, easy to understand, and interesting to just sit and read. The basics of how to cook a turkey, how to choose and cook various cuts of beef, basic bread and cookie recipes, it's all there. The recipes are easy to follow and reproduce and I've had great results every time.

I'm on Day 6 of a 30-day vegan challenge (just diet, not lifestyle). I just got this book last week and the timing was perfect. It has dozens of gourmet-tasting but easy recipes that are either vegan or easily converted--vegetable recipes, soups, salads, grains, and even some desserts.

Most of the recipes focus on plant foods (which is the whole point of "the new American plate"). The grains recipes often rely on intact grains, which I prefer over flours. The recipes are pretty simple but contain yummy combos I would never have done on my own, like quinoa with peas and sage, or roasted parsnips with sweet potatoes and apples.

The book has a nice layout, a thorough index, and photography that makes me drool (yes, over vegetables). I just wish I could find more books exactly like this one. I'd give it more stars if I could.

I've been cooking healthy for a while, but this is by far the best overall cookbook (healthy or not) I have come across. Everything I tried has been great. Even my picky daughter has bought a copy and lives by it, so whether you have gourmet tastes or plebeian like my daughter, it is a perfect cookbook.

It amazes me that the best healthy eating cookbook is also the best cookbook for modern American cuisine. My fiance bought this book about a year ago and I am consistently impressed by the variety and taste of the food contained within (it also helps that she is wonderful). My personal favorite: the couscous with raisin, apricot and ground beef.

I received this book wrapped in plastic and once opened I was overwhelmed with the smell of mildew. Once all was corrected (great customer service) I enjoyed it. I have cooked several things and tried new legumes I had never heard of. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the art of cooking healthy unusually good foods.

Having recently gone into remission, one of my key focuses is to eat healthier, etc. This cookbook really helps. I know what I should eat, the problem is making it taste good enough. This cookbook knows what spices go well with vegetables, etc. to make them wonderful. You can eat well without feeling guilty.

I am an engaged home cook who happened to read a review of this cookbook and then come upon it in a NYC bookstore. I promptly bought it, and it remains, ten years later (?) -- maybe longer -- my favorite cookbook. Excellent, easy to follow recipes with always satisfying results. Just enough other commentary to keep one engaged, along with the overall idea that one ingredient can inform every meal. Buy it -- it's a winner!

Great travel writing, great food writing, great photographs. I never tire of reading this cookbook. The authors stories are endlessly entertaining. We cook a lot from this book, Rice Congee, and Thai Fried Rice are 2 of the standby meals my family never grows tired of.

This was one of those cookbooks that I glanced through at the bookstore, liked it, put down and then went on my way yet it never left my mind. I've found when I do that I might as well buy the thing the next time around. So I did and I was not disappointed.

As others have said its part cookbook, part travelouge organized by geography. I found this to be an interesting combination. I bought the thing for the reciepies but find myself enjoying the travelouges while search through it for my next meal. I don't know, it just seems like you get more out of the dish that way.

At the beginning of the book it tells a good chunk about history, cultivation, physiology and processing of rice. This was quite informative. Things like the advantages and disadvantages of hulled vs unhulled rice and rinsing rice before cooking. No perfect solution, just valuable information based on your needs.

The receipies are of course the meat of the book. When I first opened it up I figured it would be 300 ways to prepare rice or something like that. Far from it. Many (say half or more) of the dishes are not rice dishes at all but meals or snacks that you would eat with rice. So while it does have some rice specific dishes its really more of a cookbook that samples dishes from around the world. A good chunk of them are winners, far higher hit rate than I see in most cookbooks.

The receipeis themselves tend to be easy to moderate in complexity. Having its international focus does call for some ingredients that you just wont find at your local chain grocery store. There are some good mail order sources in the back for some of the more shelf stable items. For items that need to be fresh they often suggest substitutes.

Its a great book, I really recommend it and its on my short list of go to books when I ask myself "What do I want to cook for dinner"

The paperback version/publisher's closeout of this book has grainy black and white photos. From other reviews, I gather that the hardback version has stunning color photos. The same great recipes and travelogue are in both books. (I personally wish I had spent more for the book with the better photos.)

One word - AWESOME!!! If that's not enough of a review for you..here goes. This book will take hold of you by your collar and won't let you go till you've finished the last page....and not only that but this book will affect the way you think about rice...even if rice is a staple at your house and you feel like you know everything there is to know about it!
I read this book for 4 hours last night...and couldn't tear myself away from it. The depiction of countries and their people is so true and so touching, you'll feel like visiting those places.
Being an Indian myself, I could see all the recipes featured under the Indian section are 100% authentic...trust me on it. I'm sure the same goes for all the other countries too...do buy this book if you love rice.
[...]

My partner and I received this book as a Christmas gift. I have a rather extensive cookbook collection, and I assumed that this book would remain with the others, referenced from time to time. Instead, it rarely makes its way back tot he shelf as I am always cooking from it. So far, we are about 10 for 10 with good recipes; I haven't hit upon a bad one yet. I am so confident in this cookbook, that I will make a dish for company or a pot-luck without testing it first. The recipes are simple, easy, and absolutely delicious. I recommend this book to anyone who loves good food.

When I first became a vegetarian 5 years ago I was a bit intimidated. I received this book as a gift and realized that there were tons of delicious vegetarian items that I could make for myself and that my meat-eating family would enjoy.

I have made many of the recipes including Tiny Eggplant Turnovers, Fried Ravioli, and frequently make the Mediterranean Vegetable Soup (which is excellent and easy to adjust depending on what vegetables you have on hand).

I am still cooking with it today and highly recommend it.

I ordered this based on all the great reviews. When it came, I was a little disappointed because there are no pictures (sounds silly, but I like to see what the dish will look like) and none of the recipes really jumped out at me. Strapped for ideas, though, I started making some of them, and I've been so shocked at how well they turned out. They've been delicious and flavorful and relatively simple. True, the short list of ingredients means you should splurge and buy the best since those are the ones you'll be tasting, which is not good for me because I just got out of college, but all-in-all it's been a money-saver and I'm always impressed by the results. The only bad experiences have been the ones where I substituted ingredients. Try the butternut squash soup, which is just like Jeanne Lemlin says: sunshine in a bowl. Many of the dishes also work well as leftovers. I definitely recommend it to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.

Our family stopped eating meat about 10 years ago. (There were so many reasons---health, humaneness, environmental concerns---but I'm probably preaching to the converted here.) My wife has a shelf full of cookbooks, but whenever a meal turns out to be especially delicious and interesting, it's usually from one of Jeanne Lemlin's books. I can't recommend them highly enough!

One of my favorite vegetarian cookbooks. Nothing fancy, but lots of reliable everyday meals and a few real gems. My favorites are the black bean chili (meat eaters don't realize it's veggie) and the triple rice salad (beautiful and perfect for the holidays). I've given this book as a gift to at least 3 others--none are vegetarians, but they all love this book.