Vegetarian Books

The Beans Lentils & Tofu Gourmet offers more than 125 delicious recipes for appetizers, soups, salads, chili, stews, casseroles, meat, poultry, fish, vegetarian, pasta, grain, and side dishes. From Black Bean and Sausage Gumbo, Wagon Boss Chili, and Bean Burgers with Dill Sauce, to Yahni (Greek beans with onions), Indian Frybread Tostadas, and Lentil and Pancetta Antipasto, The Beans Lentils & Tofu Gourmet is a cornucopia of wonderful, unique, and memorable dining ideas. This outstanding, ardently recommended recipe collection is enhanced with sixteen pages of full-color photographs, kitchen tips, serving suggestions, plus helpful information on buying, storing and cooking legumes and tofu.

The Beans, Lentils & Tofu Gourmet offers more than 125 delicious recipes for appetizers, soups, salads, chili, stews, casseroles, meat, poultry, fish, vegetarian, pasta, grain, and side dishes. From Black Bean and Sausage Gumbo, Wagon Boss Chili, and Bean Burgers with Dill Sauce, to Yahni (Greek beans with onions), Indian Frybread Tostadas, and Lentil and Pancetta Antipasto, The Beans, Lentils & Tofu Gourmet is a cornucopia of wonderful, unique, and memorable dining ideas. This outstanding, ardently recommended recipe collection is enhanced with sixteen pages of full-color photographs, kitchen tips, serving suggestions, plus helpful information on buying, storing and cooking legumes and tofu.

I LOVE this book. I purchased "Become a Vegetarian in Five Easy Step" and I was meat-free b4 I complete Step two. Christine Beard's book is VERY informative. If u or anyone u know will like to pursue a meat-free diet, buy this book. When I saw the book's title, I thought to myself that I will not be a Vegetarian when I completed the book, and I suprised myself. Once again, I LOVE this book for saving my life b/c I changed my diet.

This book showed me how to assess my diet and has given me a lot of ideas for my new vegetarian diet. The writing is really clear and easy to understand, and the steps are easy to follow. I like the non-judgemental approach because it takes real human behavior into account and encourages me to keep going when I slip up.

i worship this book. as a cook, this propelled me into my advanced vegan concepts, and i am now able to destroy the world.

I borrowed this from my public library because I wanted somenew and exciting vegetarian recipes, and I was not disappointed. The pictures are outstanding, showing not only the finished dish, but also the steps of preparation. After trying a sampling of recipes, I have decided it is a "MUST HAVE". ... The recipes are colorful, loaded with wonderful vegetables, artfully prepared yet doable by those of us who have not had gourmet training and just want to feed our families. This book is a nutritious treat; enjoy!

A Boy, A Chicken and The Lion of Judah
How Ari Became A Vegetarian

By Roberta Kalechofsky
Micah Publications (micahbooks@earthlink.net)
Young People's Fiction with illustrations, ages 7-14
Softcover 50 pages

Review by Karen Davis, PhD, President of United Poultry Concerns

"The problem had begun for him when he was about four and he had asked Ima where the chicken on his plate came from."

Ima, the young boy's mother, said that it came from the chickens living in the barn. Her reply marks the beginning of a deep personal resistance movement for nine-year-old Ari, who lives in the Negev Highlands, in Israel, with his parents.

Ari's parents are active conservationists who farm organically and work to protect the environment and wildlife, while showing no concern for the animals they eat. Ari wonders why they attend protest demonstrations to save the earth, yet never protest the cruel chicken house or the treatment of geese to make pate de foie gras. "His parents, he noticed, thought about many things, but not about these things."

For Ari it is dreadful to eat something that was once a living, "frightened creature." His morality is rooted in his perception of the difference between "the birds who were free and the birds who were not free."

"He noticed that the birds who were free were always beautiful, their feathers were soft and silky and brilliant with color, their wings opened like fans as they mounted the air with confidence and song. He loved to watch the birds in the air. Their migration patterns were like paintings in the sky, moving pictures against the blue air as the birds jockied for their different places and lined up behind their leader, predetermined by the forces of sun and wind and light to make this journey. The journey was part of their being. A cage was a terrible thing."

Unlike these birds, the chickens kept for meat and eggs smell bad, cannot move in their cages, make "low moaning sounds," and stare with "gloomy eyes." And then there is Ari's beloved hen, Tk Tk, named for her quiet clucking. Tk Tk is clean, soft, independent, and loving. She often sits on the porch step with Ari making sweet sounds that come "from deep inside her breast, deep under her feathers, deep inside a well of animal happiness."

Ari asks his mother, were there different kinds of chickens?
"Ima said there were. `A chicken that you eat and a chicken that's a pet are two
different kinds of animals.'
"`Does the cage make them different?' Ari asked.
"The question disturbed Ima. `Not exactly,' she said."

Ari ponders the difference in his parents' attitude towards Tk Tk, the chickens in the cages, and the millions of migratory birds - storks, pelicans, eagles, kestrels - whose ancient route across the Negev is threatened by the government's plan to build a radio station in the Arad Valley. These are the "birds in the air that people admired and wanted to protect." Ari wonders "why his parents felt so strongly about the birds of the air, and did not seem to care at all about the chickens in the cages."

Their answers are evasive, and Ari suffers a "secret misery" that keeps him from being happy, His pain becomes a family matter when he starts washing his meat with water at the table before eating. He scarcely understands his compulsion, but persists in doing it, even when his visiting Grandma Ellie from New York taunts him about his "disgusting habit" and does everything she can to make him feel even worse than he already does about hurting his parents and becoming a weakling if he does not eat meat.

Although Ari's parents have always encouraged their son's quest for moral independence, they never dreamed where their teachings might lead. Ari finds unexpected support from them, however, and even from his "henpecked" grandfather; but the most astonishing revelation is that his teacher, Ms. Greenblatt, is a vegetarian and that her brother Yossi, the famous soccer player, is a vegetarian, too. Ms. Greenblatt washes away Ari's fears so that he no longer has to wash the blood out of his food or be defensive when baited by his classmate, Yonatan, who thinks that being big and being strong are the same.

When Ari tells Ms. Greenblatt that he informed his mother he did not want to eat meat, she praises him. "Good. So now you own your own stomach." This idea becomes Ari's "personal truth."

Kalechofsky dedicated A Boy, A Chicken and the Lion of Judah to her son, Hal," "whose parents did not understand," and "to other parents who might also miss the clues." Ari's practice of washing his meat is based on Hal's childhood habit. Only years later did Kalechofsky learn that her son always hated meat. Now a vegetarian herself, she sees washing the meat as a purification ritual designed to wash away every sign of blood from the flesh so as not to feel there was ever any life in it.

A Boy, A Chicken and The Lion of Judah is an intelligent, adventurous, and beautifully written book. Although it is specially intended for young people seven to fourteen years old, it really is a book for all ages.

Review by Karen Davis, PhD, President of United Poultry Concerns (www.upc-online.org)

 
The vegetarian cause is buttressed by many powerful facts and statistics relating the production and consumption of animal products to human diseases, the mistreatment of animals, the destruction of ecosystems, the waste of resources, and spreading hunger. While arguments based on this data are valuable and have undoubtedly contributed to convincing some people to becoming vegetarians, progress has been slow, and the vast majority of people still eat animal-centered diets. Wee also need other approaches, such as books that show the personal aspects of vegetarianism, that appeal to our emotions as well as to our intellect, and that help to overcome the rationalizations that people use to justify their dietary habits.
Roberta Kalechofsky's A Boy, A Chicken, and The Lion of Judah - How Ari Became a Vegetarian is such a book. It provides a powerful vegetarian message while probing the human condition. Although I have read many books on vegetarianism, this is the only one that brought tears to my eyes. This occurred as often during my second reading as during my first reading.
Ari, a nine year old boy who lives in the Negev Highlands in Israel with his parents, has a "secret misery", and initially there is no one to answer his questions or to understand his wretchedness. Because of the strong bond that he has developed with his pet hen, Tk Tk, Ari has decided that he wants to become a vegetarian, but he hesitates to tell his parents to avoid hurting their feelings. He wonders how his parents can be so actively involved in protest demonstrations to protect the environment, and yet be so oblivious to the daily cruelty in the nearby chicken coop and the treatment of geese when their livers are fattened to make pate de fois gras. He doesn't understand how they can be so concerned about saving "the birds in the air" while serving the chickens that were raised in cages for dinner. He doesn't comprehend his "purification ritual" of washing meat in a saucer before eating it, an activity that his grandmother, who is convinced that Ari needs to eat meat in order to be "strong and healthy", considers a "disgusting habit". Ari suffers because he doesn't have what psychoanalyst Erich Fromm called a "socially patterned defect" that would have enabled him to be like almost everyone else, blind to the moral inconsistencies related to their diets.
How Ari discovers others who are vegetarians, overcomes his aloneness and alienation, comes to "own his own stomach", gains his parents' understanding, and much more, is told with sensitivity and compassion in this wonderful book. Readers will be left with much to ponder with regard to their eating habits and their relationships with other people and non-human animals. While the book is aimed at children 7 to 10 years of age, based on my experience and the responses of other adults that I have shared it with, How Ari Became a Vegetarian provides adventurous, thought-provoking reading for people of all ages.

 

Great cookbook, the begining starts with basic foods you may want to keep on hand which are cheap and easy to find. several really great recipes for sauce, and even a pizza crust with no yeast.

I found this cookbook to be a really good learning tool. Most of the vegetarian cookbooks I own have complicated recipes with tons of hard-to-find ingredients....

I've spent less money on groceries since I started making my meal plans from this book... And just about every recipe includes a suggestion on what to serve with the dish!

The only thing I was disappointed with was the lack of tofu or tempeh in any of the recipes.. otherwise, it's a must-have for busy college students on a budget :)

I lived in New Haven for many years and enjoyed going to Claire's Corner Copia at least once a week during luchtime. The food was delicious, inexpensive, and the restaurant was small and cozy, with great casual atmosphere, and a very friendly staff. I moved to the west coast in the mid-80's and really missed my weekly walk to Claire's. I was so excited to find this book! It brought back many good memories, and now I can recreate the great food I used to enjoy. The ingredients are easy to find, and the food is filling and satisfying. I also have her Claire's Corner Copia Cookbook, which I highly recommend getting as well.

This is such an easy cookbook to follow. I hate to cook and my friend let me borrow hers and I loved it so much I'm buying my own.

I have made quite a few of the recipes from this book and they have all been delicious. The sauces especially stand out for me - I have never been good at concocting stir-fry sauces, but there are several in here that have become standbys. Tofu is really treated well in this book - its versatility is showcased - and there are many noodle recipes as well. Highly recommended.

I'm not a vegetarian but this is a delightful recipe book. Full of authentic recipes covering everything from appetizers to desserts and everything in between. The ingredients are not extremely obscure as some readers find with other Asian cookbooks. The recipes are well written and some come with illustrations to aid in things like rolling an egg roll wrapper. What a wonderful variety of over 135 recipes to cook. This will keep you coming back to it.

This book has Great Detail on how to use Natural Ingredients for Healthy Cooking. The charts were easy to read and so informative. I learned how to buy, store & prepare Natural Foods. Everything I needed to know and more, which I could not find in any other book.

Being a vegetarian, I found myself bored with rice and vegetables minus the meat. I decided to experiment more with vegetarian cooking. However, I found that most recipes had ingredients that I had never heard of, and most cookbooks did not give an explanation of the ingredients. I was ready to give up until I bought this book. This is by far the most comprehensive book on healthy food on the market. It is easy to follow their instructions, and I really like the Nigro tips. Anytime I have an ingredient I don't reconize, I pick up this book and quickly learn where to find it and how to use it. This book introduced me to so many food choices that I never knew I had. I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in vegetarian or vegan cooking.

This book is all you need if you have some experience with grilling but want to grow your knowledge. The text is very readable and the recipes result in delicious meals.

The Complete Book Of Vegetarian Grilling: Over 150 Easy And Tasty Recipes You Can Grill Indoors And Out by Susann Hadler is an impressively creative compilation of visually appealing and appetite satisfying vegetarian meals. With recipes ranging from Grilled Bing And Queen Anne Cherries; Crostini With Grilled Zucchini And Eggplant; and Pizza With Garlic Tomato Sauce, Ricotta, And Fresh Greens; to Soft Tacos With Grilled Tofu And Pickled Jalapenos; Asparagus, Shiitake Mushrooms, And Tofu en Papillote; and Honey-Ginger Marmalade, The Complete Book Of Vegetarian Grilling is a well rounded and diverse collection of great vegetarian recipes suitable for any and all dining occasions. A core addition to personal and community library cookbook collections, The Complete Book Of Vegetarian Grilling is confidently recommended for kitchen cook's when preparing wonderful meals to be enjoyed by vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.

Unlike other books I've looked at that were primarily vegetarian cookbooks, Being Vegetarian is meant to teach you how to go vegetarian, why vegetarianism is a good and healthy option, and how to survive and thrive as a vegetarian. It does a truly amazing job of this, covering a wide array of fascinating and helpful information.

While the author is a lacto vegetarian (a vegetarian who eats dairy products), she details the wide array of potential vegetarian diets, from the least strict to the most. Her recipes suit a lacto vegetarian diet, although she includes suggestions for adapting them to vegans.

Dr. Wolfe includes a huge amount of nutrition information, both in support of the idea that a vegetarian diet is a perfectly healthy one, and to make sure that you continue to get all of your nutrition as a vegetarian.

Since vegetarians often take up their diet due to health concerns, environmental concerns, or reasons of conscience and animal cruelty, Dr. Wolfe includes information about organic foods, nutrition for all stages of life, cruelty-free products, and so on. I think this holistic approach to the book is going to be particularly useful for many readers.

There are many issues related to going vegetarian that I'd never even thought of that Dr. Wolfe addresses. She provides suggested ways to gradually phase your diet over to a vegetarian one. She details ways to handle holiday meals with the family; road trips; airline travel; restaurant eating; neighborhood barbecues; pregnancy; vegetarian teens; and more. She discusses the idea of using the various available vegetarian substitutes for diary, meat, and eggs, vs. finding other ways to fill out your diet.

In addition, the book includes 92 vegetarian dishes, ranging from breakfasts to dinners, and including a handful of dishes from various cuisines around the world. The recipes are laid out clearly, occasionally include black-and-white photos, and often come with helpful tips. The ones we tried came out wonderfully and were quite delicious; my favorites were a meusli recipe and a chard kopita recipe.

Now it a newly revised, updated and expanded third edition, "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Being Vegetarian" continues to be a premier instructional guide for aspiring vegetarians enhanced with the inclusion of almost one hundred, 'kitchen cook friendly' non-meat recipes for dishes that would grace any dining occasion, please any palate, and satisfy any appetite. Of special note is the inclusion of nutritional advice focused on keeping meat-eating habits in proper balance; tips for helping non-vegetarian family members and friends to understand the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle; finding vegetarian options at grocery stores, restaurants, and when eating while traveling. The recipes range from such staples as Vegan Gravy, to popular dishes like Veggie Bean Chili, to ethnic fare such as Tofu Tamale Bake, to such party fare as an Eggless Potato Salad. Each individual recipe includes along with a list of ingredients and cooking instructions, an 'info block' noting the number of serving portions, servicing size, and prep time. Especially recommended for practicing and aspiring vegetarians, "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Being Vegetarian" is an ideal addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.