Conscious Choice: Vegetarian-Friendly Cookbooks

June 1999 | Cooking with the Seasons

Vegetarian-Friendly Cookbooks

by Colette Christian

I love cookbooks. I have at least a hundred. I haunt the cookbook sections of any bookstore I enter. New or used, it makes no difference to me. So when my editor called and asked me if I would like to review three new vegetarian titles I responded with an enthusiastic "Yes!"

A few days later the package of books arrived. Because I cook mostly vegetarian meals at work, I was anxious to start sorting through in order to find some new inspiration for my menus.

Inspiration was there for the taking: all three of the new titles in my possession are very different cookbooks. Sometimes, single subject cookbooks have the tendency to all sound similar and formulaic, like romance novels. That doesn’t stop diehards like me from collecting them, but it does leave us starved for surprises.

I found this to be true the last time I was shopping for a new vegetarian cookbook. They all sounded the same: cookbook author heralds "the new healthy eating," invokes favorite friends’ recipes, and sends the hapless reader out for hard-to-find ingredients. Personally, when I am surrounded by cookbooks like those, my cookbook snobbery escalates and I either leave book-less or I end up adding another Moosewood title to my collection.

But these books are thrilling. Each of them is very useful. And that is exactly what a cookbook should be.

The first book is Eating in Eden by Hermaine Freed. Ms. Freed was inspired to write Eating in Eden after being diagnosed with breast cancer. As a breast cancer survivor myself, I was truly interested in this book.

Numerous studies have linked pesticides in our food to cancer. This is old news, but I think the general public still ignores the fact. Freed goes into solid detail about the dangers of our American diet. She clearly bemoans the way "the food industry has tampered with our food products so severely."

Freed makes a strong case for choosing organic ingredients and relinquishing meat, fats, and processed foods. She even includes a short but thorough chapter on foods that hurt and another on foods that help. This information makes for interesting reading and a quick review of basic nutrition.

The recipes in Eating in Eden are largely vegan or vegetarian and low-fat or non-fat. I tested several and found them to be well-balanced and tasty. Most of them have fewer then seven ingredients, which can be helpful to busy cooks.

Here is a sampling of Eating in Eden:

Gazpacho
This is perfect for a hot summer appetizer. This version is delicious and non-fat.
serves four to six
5 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 medium cucumbers, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of one lemon
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
1/4 cup chopped basil
1 sprig oregano

1. Reserve about one-quarter cup of the tomatoes, one-half of a cucumber, two tablespoons each of the onions and peppers.

2. Puree the rest of the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and add the reserved chopped vegetables.

3. Chill until ready to serve.

I love sweet potatoes. I think they are one of the healthiest vegetables out there. It’s criminal that most people think of them only at holiday time. Consider them next time you’re menu planning. This recipe shows them to particular advantage. It is very simple to put together.
serves two to four
2 sweet potatoes, cut julienne and stemmed
1 inch piece of ginger, minced
2 Tablespoons rice wine
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Sauté the ginger in the oil and add the julienned, steamed sweet potatoes. Stir for a minute and add the other ingredients. Heat through and serve.

The next wonderful cookbook is called Food for the Spirit: Seasonal Vegetarian Recipes to Warm the Kitchen and Nourish the Soul, by Manuela Dunn Mascetti and Arunima Borthwick. I liked it even before I opened to the first page. We human beings have made our world today so crazy. I think the first step in healing ourselves is to pause, relax, and think about how we nourish our bodies and souls. That is what Food for the Spirit is all about.

The first chapters discuss religion, ritual, and its connection to what and how we eat. The authors also discuss meditation and explain the Chinese theory of yin and yang and the five elements in a great chapter entitled diet for a new humanity. Food for the Spirit is full of delicious recipes, but more than that, it suggests ways to enjoy the process of cooking and eating. This book reminds us that the kitchen is the heart and soul of our homes.

From the Spring chapter:
Mediterranean Casserole
serves four
2 Tablespoons sunflower oil
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 zucchini, sliced and salted
4 tomatoes, sliced
pinch of sea salt
pinch of fresh ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon pesto

Topping:
3 Tablespoons dry bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
2 Tablespoons chopped celery
2 Tablespoons chopped onion

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a nine-inch baking pan.

2. In a medium skillet, sauté the onions and garlic over medium high heat until softened.

3. In the prepared dish, layer zucchini, onions, and tomatoes. Repeat until you have three layers. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and basil.

4. Combine vegetable stock, tomato paste and pesto. Pour evenly over vegetable layers, cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes.

5. For the topping: Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, celery and onion together. Carefully remove the foil and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the vegetables. Place under the broiler until the crumbs are browned.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

The last book in this series is Light the Fire by Linda Matthie-Jacobs. This is the cookbook for those who like to turn up the volume on their Scovill units. There are some wonderful menu suggestions, great graphics, and gorgeous photographs. I like the informative sidebars that appear at the bottom of most pages.

Light the Fire contains recipes that please both the omnivore and the carnivore. You’ve got to like some heat though, as most of the recipes contain some form of hot or dried pepper.

But the recipes in this book are not only hot; they’re also easy and delicious. The example below is a good choice for the next time you need to bring a dish to a gathering.

Szechwan Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
4 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound soba noodles

1. In a small bowl, mix peanut butter with boiling water until smooth. Stir in green onions, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. Combine until smooth, set aside.

2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles until just tender. Drain and transfer them to a serving bowl. Pour on the peanut sauce and toss to thoroughly coat the noodles.

Serve immediately.

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