Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook (Second Edition)

Instead of focusing on a healthy balanced vegetarian diet the recipes consistently swing toward low protein, low fat, and high carbs. The author explains that most people, including most vegetarians, eat more than enough protein, and she applies this to the cookbook by neglecting protein altogether. I expected a better understanding of vegetarians' nutritional needs from a cookbook made by a long-running vegetarian magazine. It is based too much on the lone author's thoughts and on outdated nutritional information.

diverse recipes, easy to follow, if you are to have only one vegetarian cook book, this is the one!

I purchased this for my son and daughter in law as a gift. After I had purchased this cookbook, I found out that they had borrowed it several times from their local library. It is one of their favorite cookbooks.

While only some 2.5% of Americans are consistent vegetarians, an estimated 25 percent of us replace meat with meat alternatives for at least some meals, and for a handfull of reasons including: many illnesses (heart, stroke, diabetes) are related to diet. Cholesterol. Allergies. Food safety (mad cow disease, genetically modified foods. bioterrorism). Increase in organic foods. Dieting. Ethnic Diversity. Regardless of the reasons, Vegetarian Times magazine, started in 1974 has now grown to over a million subscribers. They actively research good tasting, healthy dishes and report on them in their magazine. This cookbook is a compilation of favorites from the magazine and seems destined to become a standard by which others are compared. Almost 500 pages long, with many pages having two recipies, this book covers everything from apetizers to deserts.

I purchased this book about 8 months ago and have become fully reliant on it. It's because of the Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook that I've changed my eating habits entirely and lost 30 pounds largely by following a more healthful, satisfying diet. Each recipe I try is better than the last! I find the recipes to be flavorful, creative, fun to make, and full of variety -- from Caribbean black bean cakes with mango salsa (a little work, but worth the effort) to lentil burgers, from falafel wrappers to vegetable dipping sauces. I've always been a junk food junkie and vegetables rarely crossed my table. Now, they're in almost every meal I eat. Many recipes are fast and easy, and others take more preparation time. I set aside a few hours on a Sunday, once a month, to prepare and freeze some favorites as well as some new recipes. I never hesitate to try something new!

An excellent primer and introduction to vegetarianism and vegetarian cooking. Recipes are all doable, with easily located ingredients (via local health food stores, if necessary). All recipes feature nutritional information and thorough instructions. Our family favorite; saffron risotto timbales on a roasted tomato sauce--very classy.