New Vegetarian: Bold and Beautiful Recipes for Every Occasion

I'm not an vegetarian. I just try to eat less meat. I rate this book very high, possibly over Debrah Madison books, for the beautiful photos, and simple instructions. She sometimes mixes ingredients that you never imagined together, yet they come out very delicious with complex and delicate flavor. I have made 7 or 8 recipes out of this book, and never been disappointed. Again, you don't have to be vegetarian to enjoy this book.

I'm not a vegetarian, but came across this cookbook and the pictures looked so wonderful. The ingredients are easily found, most of which you may have on hand already. The dishes are very flavorful, easy to prepare, and beautifully crafted. I highly recommend this book to vegetarians and carnivores alike!

I received this cookbook as a gift, and at first thought, "I really don't need another cookbook!" My cookbook shelves were already overflowing, but after looking through this book, I decided I'd definitely find a place for it. As with most vegetarian cookbooks, this one starts out with the basics about grains, protein sources, etc., with the added twist of discussing the actual nutrients we all need in our diets (iron, b vitamins, etc. and what they're good for). This section is only two pages, though, but there is general advice on what foods supply which nutrients. There are beautiful photos throughout this section, as well as accompanying each recipe in the book. The next few pages cover the basic vegetarian pantry (with nothing more obscure than kosher salt and truffle oil) and basic recipes like veggie stock and basic tomato sauce. There's also a page on kitchen equipment. The actual recipes are roughly grouped by meal type. Recipe chapters are: Breakfast; Soups & Salads; Appetizers & Snacks; Dips, Salsa, & Sauces; Entrees; Vegetables on the Side; Vegetarian Grills; Party Food; and Sweet Things. Some of the recipes are pretty basic (pancakes, anyone?), but in those cases there are usually variations suggested (like cottage cheese pancakes). More involved recipes have two-page "how-to" instructions with nice pictures and clear step-by-step directions. This approach makes recipes like Japanese Omelets (cut to look like sushi!) and (polenta-stuffed) Piedmontese Peppers incredibly approachable even for the faint of heart. I was most surprised, though, that I found several new recipes to try. With my full shelf of vegetarian cookbooks, I expected to flip through this one and put it away forever. Not so -- from the Thyme and Mushroom Gravy (for a vegetarain Bangers and Mash!) to the aforementioned Peppers, there are several inspiring ideas in this book. Most biggest complaint is that the book is much too short, especially for the price (so only four stars). Each section only has a handful of recipes, just enough to whet the appetite. but I definitely hope to see more from this author in future.

I just got this book yesterday, which happened to be my parents' 33rd anniversary, and so I made them a gormet meal, which looked gorgeous, tasted good, and was veggie. I made the mushroom and chickpea salad (mmmmmmmmm) and the rasberry roulade, which was rather complicated, but had photos of each step. it was sweet and pretty. :-D the only drawbacks of this book come from its being a gormet cookbook. the recipies take a while to make (about 3 hours for those two dishes) and some ingredients are really hard to find (such as rosewater). but her instructions are excellent, and the food tastes wonderful. For simpler and faster vegitarian dishes, The Teen's Vegetarian Cookbook by Judy Krizmanic is excellent. It also is very savory, but it is geared toward the college student, and therefore the recipies are a little simpler and more basic. well I hope that this helped, and GO VEGGIES! hehehe ~~Samantha R, MA, age 17

I own a number of vegetarian cookbooks, and although all of them are good, they tend to be in the "nuts and grains" variety of cooking. Which I love, but its nice to get a different perspective sometimes, which is why this book is great. It breaks from typical veggie cookbooks in two aspects, actually: types of recipes, and the look of the book. Its simply beautiful, actually. I enjoy flipping through it and looking at the recipes. And so far, although I'm no master cook, the dishes have turned out as well as the pictures.One downfall, I think, is the focus on mostly Asian dishes (again, I love Asian food, but it would be nice to get a few more non-Asian recipes... maybe in the sequel), and the small number of recipes in the book. I guess you can't have both huge, pretty pictures and lots of text at the same time... oh well.However, it covers all the basics of vegetarian cooking as well as suggesting some exciting ideas. Pick up the veggie cookbook staples, and then this will make a wonderful addition to your collection!