The Greens Cookbook: Extraordinary Vegetarian Cuisine from the Celebrated Restaurant

Let me get this point out of the way right now: the recipes in the Greens Cookbook are not quick or particularly easy. Frankly, Greens is a fantastic, high-end vegetarian restaurant - anybody who bought this cookbook expecting great food in a jiffy was kidding themselves. Making recipes from this cookbook is TIME-CONSUMING, occasionally requires HARD-TO-FIND INGREDIENTS, and is not meant for a busy person who only has 30 minutes to put together dinner. That said, this is a great vegetarian cookbook. The food you eat at Greens is a labor of love, so expect the same from many of the recipes in this book! I especially appreciate their fritatta and pizza recipes - two types of food I love and hadn't really considered making at home. If you're ready to put in the effort required for a great vegetarian meal, use this book.

This is a very creative, well-written cookbook. When I want to experiment, I'll look through this book for an idea and I'm generally not disappointed. I've mostly focused on the entrees in this book, and a few of the breads, and many of the salads. I've tried one of the desserts (Meyer lemon mousse). Generally, everything has been very appetizing and delicious. The recipes are sometimes complicated, but I like to cook, so it's generally fun and educational for me to try them. Because the recipes are so original, I often get inspiration later on for simpler versions I can make on weekdays. Many of the recipes are quite easy. The spinach soup with curry spices for example. If you like to cook, want to experiment with cooking more, or just want another cookbook, definitely give this one a go.

I have been to The Greens Restaurant in San Francisco a number of times since 1991, including one special occasion: my best friend's wedding reception in 1996. The restaurant is superb, one of the best in SF and in any city! My husband turned me on to the cook book back in 1992, and since then we refer to it more often than The Joy of Cooking. Our favorite recipes include the mushroom pizza with jack and dry jack cheese, and the mushroom lazagne. These are not beginner's recipes, but the directions are easy to follow if you're familiar with all the standard cooking techniques. The recipes are out of this world!I personally am not a vegetarian, but these recipes take your vegetables and taste buds beyond your wildest dreams. I would recommend this cook book to anyone who likes cooking and eating fine food. If you're looking for easy recipes that take 10 minutes, you'll have to settle for hamburger helper or kraft macaroni and cheese... this is not the place for you! But if you love cooking and love trying new recipes, this is one to add to your collection.

This, together with Yamuna Devi's "The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking," is my favorite cookbook.As has been mentioned in other reviews here, the recipes are somewhat complicated. I am slowly working my way through the book and have already attempted almost 50 of the recipes.The first few recipes were daunting and I was tempted to give up on the book, but the more recipes I tried, the easier it got. I found that I was learning something.As others have mentioned, I also don't have all day to prepare a meal, and more often than not, I will only cook from this book on weekends, though to be fair, not all of the recipes are as time-consuming as they seem.I highly recommend this book to anyone who also considers cooking a hobby and not just a means to an end.

I have a weakness for buying cookbooks and probably have far too many. Whenever I go to make a meal (7+ times a week) I think that I should use some of the untouched cookbooks with glossy photos, but inevitably I return to the Greens. Even though I eat meat, I don't notice that this is a vegetarian cookbook. With the advent of more varied produce sections in most grocery stores, you owe it to yourself to get this book and use it. You will be eating healthy without even realizing it! There are some wonderful pizza recipes (including homemade crust that is fun to make) and an intriguing spinach soup with Indian spices. The restaurant in San Francisco is also definitely worth a visit; the tempting menu vies with the stunning view of the bridge for your attention.