Archive for August, 2013

India’s Vegetarian Cooking by Monisha Bharadwaj

by on Friday, August 30th, 2013

Book Description
Indian cuisine is one of the most popular forms of cooking in the world today but, as Monisha Bharadwaj shows, the myriad regional varieties of healthy and inspiring recipes of India have yet to be discovered by many Western kitchens. Encompassing the entire range of vegetarian Indian cooking, from the finest Gujarati thalis or choiciest tandoori-cooked foods in the north, to the steaming hot idlis and chutneys of the South, via everything from chapatis to sweets, this is an inexhaustible and indispensable guide. Whether you want a snack, a quick lunch or a lavish meal this book will bring a sense of adventure to your diet and your kitchen.

Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey

by on Tuesday, August 27th, 2013

Book Description
In her most comprehensive volume yet, Madhur Jaffrey draws on more than four decades of culinary adventures, travels, and experimentation for a diverse collection that both intrigues and delights the palate. Dishes from five continents touch on virtually all the world’s best loved flavors, for a unsurpassed selection of vegetarian fare.

More than 650 recipes exemplify Madhur’s unsurpassed ability to create simple, flavorful homecooking that is well within the reach of every cook. Extensive sections on Beans, Vegetables, Grains, and Dairy explore the myriad ways these staples are enjoyed worldwide. Each section opens with a detailed introduction; Madhur describes methods for preparation and storage, as well as different cooking techniques and their cultural origins. Throughout she balances appealing, uncomplicated dishes such as sumptuous omelets and rich polentas with less familiar ingredients such as green mangoes, pigeon peas, and spelt. Madhur demystifies the latter with clear-cut explanations so that incorporating new combinations and interesting flavors into everyday cooking becomes second nature. She also offers substantial sections on Soups, Salads, and Drinks, as well as Sauces and Other Flavorings, to help round out a meatless meal and add exciting new flavors to even the most easily prepared dishes. Finally, a complete glossary of ingredients and techniques clarifies some of the little-known elements of the world’s cuisines so that even the uninitiated can bring the flavors of Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and more to their tables.

Throughout this extensive collection, Madhur includes personal anecdotes and historical contexts that bring her recipes to life, whether she’s remembering field of leeks she saw in the mountains of northern Greece or describing how corn-based dishes arrived in Indonesia through colonial trade. Committed vegetarians will rejoice at the wide variety of meatless fare she offers, and nonvegetarians will enjoy experimenting with Madhur’s global flavorings. This highly readable resource promises to be a valuable addition to any cook’s library, helping everyone make healthful ethnic foods a part of everyday cooking.

Silk Road Cooking by Najmieh Batmanglij

by on Sunday, August 25th, 2013

Book Description
This book is at once an exploration, a celebration, and a little-known tale of unity. It presents 150 delicious vegetarian dishes that together trace a fascinating story of culinary linkage. As renowned cookbook writer and teacher Najmieh Batmanglij explains, all have their origins along the ancient network of trade routes known as the Silk Road, stretching from China in the east to the Mediterranean in the west. On this highway moved not just trade goods but also ideas, customs, tastes and such basics of life as cooking ingredients. The result was the connecting and enrichment of dozens of cuisines.In “Silk Road Cooking: A Vegetarian Journey”, Najmieh Batmanglij recounts that process and brings it into the modern kitchen in the form of recipes that are venturesome and yet within reach of any cook. They are intended for vegetarian, partial-vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike – anyone who is looking for balanced, unusual and exceptionally tasty dishes. The book offers a wealth of information derived from the author’s extensive research and her travels along the Silk Road during the past 25 years. She complements the recipes with stories, pictures, histories of ingredients, and words of wisdom from her favourite poets and writers of the region. The chapters include: Introduction: A Traveller’s Tale; The Era of Caravans; New Foods – East & West; Toward a Silk Road Cuisine; Salads, Eggs Rice Fruit & Vegetable Braises Pasta, Pizza & Bread Pastries, Desserts & Candies Teas, Coffee & Sherbets Preserves, Pickles & Spices Silk Road Glossary & Resources Credits & Acknowledgements Index.

The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen by Melissa Clark

by on Thursday, August 22nd, 2013

Book Description
Peter Berley’s mission is to show how the simple act of cooking food can enliven your senses and nourish your life–from going to the farmer’s market and outfitting your kitchen with the simplest, most useful tools to learning techniques and sharing meals with friends and family

A cooking teacher for many years, Berley has kept the needs of his students continually in mind in this book. The recipes are written to feature the basic techniques and background information needed to create wonderful meals with fresh vegetables, fruits, and grains. He truly inspires both novice and experienced cooks to understand what they are doing and why, to learn to work with the ingredients, and to apply their skills creatively. This wonderful book brings vegetarian cuisine to a new level.

From the Earth Chinese Vegetarian Cooking Eileen by Yin-Fei Lo

by on Monday, August 19th, 2013

Book Description
One of the best known experts on Chinese food draws on her reminiscences of the foods of her childhood to create 200 exciting vegetarian recipes–many of which make use of commonly available ingredients–and describes the techniques used to prepare them. 40 line drawings.