Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

I'm a Cornell grad, and one thing I remember with particular pleasure about my time in Ithaca, NY are those occasional forays down the Hill for lunch or (more likely) dinner at Moosewood, for years one of *the* local standout restaurants. Although not a vegetarian, I try not to eat meat every day of the week; and for a tasty, healthy alternative, there just isn't anything better than Moosewood's recipes. No question that I had to get their cookbook - several of them, actually - before I finally left town. "Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home" begins with two short introductory sections about the use of time and nutritional analysis. The recipes are then grouped into individually introduced sections covering soups, dips, spreads and quick breads, salads and sides, dressings, salsas and sauces, main dish salads, gains, beans, pastas, stews, stir-fries and sautes, fish, sandwiches, filled tortillas, and pizzas, eggs and pancakes, and desserts. The book closes with a pantry list, a guide to ingredients, chapters on preparation and techniques, fresh herbs, menu planning and quantities (including liquid and dry measure and temperature conversion tables - particularly helpful for those of us who live in a "metric system" country); as well as a number of special lists, grouping the featured recipes according to their qualification as nondairy and vegan, kid-pleasers, recipes preparable in 30 minutes or less, and recipes suitable for entertaining, buffets and pot-lucks. What I like most about this book - besides the overall outstanding quality of the recipes and the fact that most of them are very quick and easy to prepare - are the countless little insider tips regarding the shopping for as well as preparation and storage of individual dishes and their combination with other dishes or ingredients, in addition to the background information on the names, provenance and cultural context of the many Non-Western recipes (not to mention that so many of those recipes are included in the first place). It's hard for me to pick a personal favorite; there are so many ... for soups, I guess I'd pick the Mexican tomato lime soup, for dips the spicy peanut dip, for sides the mushrooms in lemon marinade, for dressings either the creamy pine nut vinaigrette or the lemon sesame dressing, for sauces the hazelnut and red peppers sauce, for main dish salads the sweet potato salad, for grains the herbed lemon pilaf with almonds ... and for salsas, pastas, stews, tortillas, pizzas, eggs, pancakes and desserts, every single one! (Sorry, really can't make up my mind there; it's more a question of mood and, of course, what ingredients I happen to have handy.) But whether you're just cooking for yourself or for family and friends, there should be something for everyone in this book; regardless whether you are vegetarian/vegan or not. Highly recommended! Also recommended: Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant: Ethnic and Regional Recipes from the Cooks at the Legendary Resta

One of the best of the vegetarian cookbooks, this has delicious recipes (e.g., "Pasta with Greens and Ricotta"), and clear directions for relatively easy vegetarian fare. There's an emphasis on the "fast and easy," and each recipe has an estimated preparation time, often under half an hour. Sometimes these estimates imply a cook with Olympian speed and efficiency, but with experience, preparation time is reduced. For example, "Field Peas with Kale and Sweet Potatoes" requires boiling potatoes, and sauteing onions, kale, and peas. Total time is a reasonable 25 minutes. A nutritional analysis follows each recipe. Field Peas above has 142 calories, 6.9 G protein, 2.3G fat, 24.5 Carbohydrates, 19mg sodium, and 0 mg cholesterol.There's no particular low-fat emphasis here: Boiled Polenta with Mushrooms and Cheese" has 15.6 g of fat per 8 oz. Serving, Moosewood Fudge Brownie have 9.3 grams per two-inch brownie, but there are several recipes with under 3 grams of fat per serving.It's a very comprehensive book, with recipes for soups, quick breads, salads, sauces, main dish salads, grains, beans, pastas, fish, desserts, stews, stir-fries, pizza, and more. The book includes a guide to ingredients, and chapters on techniques, herbs, menu planning, and a list of recipes for kids, parties, vegans, and buffets. Finally, there is a chapter called "Quantities," so that you'll know with utter serenity that it takes 2 ½ cups of florets to get one pound of cauliflower.For an emphasis on low-fat vegetarian cooking, take a look at the Moosewood Low-Fat Cookbook. Otherwise, this is an excellent cookbook for beginner or expert, and ranks with "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" as one of the best vegetarian cookbooks available.

For anyone who has toyed with the idea of eating healthier, this book is for you! The recipes are quick, easy, interesting, and most of all, delicious! Many of my skeptical non-vegetarian friends have been very pleasantly surprised by the meal they've been served when they've come for dinner - "We didn't realize that you could eat this WELL without meat!" When they discover how simple the ingredient lists are, they usually go out and buy the cookbook for themselves... it's made many a new believer. (Of course, being from Ithaca myself originally, I also rave about the Moosewood Restaurant - and the amazingly talented folks that make up the collective - but this is a great way to bring the restaurant home into your own kitchen!) My husband and I use it several times each week; it is definitely our "Kitchen-Bible". I can't sing it's praises enough!

I'm a personal Chef. I work part time cooking privately for a Jesuit Community as well as teach Vegetarian Cooking at the New School in NYC. This cookbook, is the wonderful! I literaly have to buy a new copy cause mine is falling apart. The recipes are easy, versatile, well written and varied. The suggestions for menus are helpful. And you dont have to be vegetarian to enjoy this book. The fish recipes are excellent and all the dishes can be used with other meals. I have an extensive library of Vegetarian cookbooks and this one is the one I use. Thanks Moosewood :) Merrick Dean