Guest guest Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 When I first went vegetarian, as a kid, there weren't a lot of vegetarian cook books around. At that time, the only tofu one could find in the grocery store was the sterile-packed silken kind. The cook books that were available were so annoying. They mostly used hard to find ingredients and were very complicated recipes- and the food didn't look very appetizing. Since then, I have found some really good cook books. As more westerners choose vegetarianism, the market has seen a niche. But then yesterday I was at the bookstore, and there were some cookbooks on sale (the " Step by Step " series) and I thought I would want the vegetarian one- but it was really disappointing. Half the recipes were really obvious, typical things (like macaroni and cheese, or fried tofu) and the other half were very complicated recipes with hard-to-find ingredients. I think cook books like these actually discourage people from going vegetarian. When they see this stuff, they think it's impossibly difficult to cook vegetarian food. I ended up buying the " Quick Short Recipe Cookbook " . The recipes looked much more appetizing, and most of them take only 10 minutes of prep time. It does have a dead animal section, but I think I can either skip those or make those recipes with meat substitutes. It has some delicious-looking vegetable recipes, and some yummy-looking soups, and in the middle of each section it has a list of recipes you can prepare in just a few minutes. Um, ok, this started out as a rant about annoying " vegetarian " cookbooks, and now it's a good impression of the other cookbook. But I'm sure y'all know where I was coming from. - Priscilla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 I understand exactly what you're talking about. Half of Crescent Dragonwagon's " The Passionate Vegetarian " (http://www.passionatevegetarian.com) has served me in good stead; the other half is way too freakin' ambitious for me. And most other vegetarian cookbooks just plain suck, for exactly the reasons you stated--Crescent's is only good because there are a thousand pages, and if you can't find something useful in that, you're too picky. I prefer to use Vegetarian Times, Everyday Food, and Cooking Light magazine's recipes to those in most vegetarian or otherwise " healthy " books. Sometimes I clip ones labeled " healthy " from newspaper food sections--the Washington Post and the New York Times usually have something every week or so. There's a rack in the produce section of many supermarkets with recipes for various fruits and vegetables, as a way to sell more produce, and those are usually tasty, nutritious, and easy. And of course, there is the trick I learned from my very carnivorous mother--if there's a product you like, and there's a recipe on the back, try it and clip it. (For example, pasta, flavored tofu, et cetera.) I have photo albums filled with " back-of- the-box " and otherwise clipped-out recipes. B*B, Jayelle , reptile grrl <reptilegoddess> wrote: > When I first went vegetarian, as a kid, there weren't > a lot of vegetarian cook books around. At that time, > the only tofu one could find in the grocery store was > the sterile-packed silken kind. > > The cook books that were available were so annoying. > They mostly used hard to find ingredients and were > very complicated recipes- and the food didn't look > very appetizing. > > Since then, I have found some really good cook books. > As more westerners choose vegetarianism, the market > has seen a niche. But then yesterday I was at the > bookstore, and there were some cookbooks on sale (the > " Step by Step " series) and I thought I would want the > vegetarian one- but it was really disappointing. Half > the recipes were really obvious, typical things (like > macaroni and cheese, or fried tofu) and the other half > were very complicated recipes with hard-to-find > ingredients. > > I think cook books like these actually discourage > people from going vegetarian. When they see this > stuff, they think it's impossibly difficult to cook > vegetarian food. > > I ended up buying the " Quick Short Recipe Cookbook " . > The recipes looked much more appetizing, and most of > them take only 10 minutes of prep time. It does have a > dead animal section, but I think I can either skip > those or make those recipes with meat substitutes. > > It has some delicious-looking vegetable recipes, and > some yummy-looking soups, and in the middle of each > section it has a list of recipes you can prepare in > just a few minutes. > > Um, ok, this started out as a rant about annoying > " vegetarian " cookbooks, and now it's a good impression > of the other cookbook. But I'm sure y'all know where > I was coming from. > > - Priscilla > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 --- Jayelle Wiggins <jayelle3 wrote: > I prefer to use Vegetarian Times, I used to sub to VT, and I really enjoyed it. I like getting recipes out of magazines, the internet (including this list) and I also pick up the recipe cards that are often at Whole Foods or Central Market. I tend to take cookbooks as guides- I will usually use them for ideas, and then combine those ideas into recipes of my own. Mail - You care about security. So do we. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 My favorite recipe book is Tassajara Recipe Book right now--it's the yellow one. My husband and I are a bit Tassajara-obsessed. I got a one-year subscription to VT for free about one year ago through some online promotion. I was stoked. Laura-Marie --- reptile grrl <reptilegoddess wrote: > > > --- Jayelle Wiggins <jayelle3 wrote: > > > > I prefer to use Vegetarian Times, > > I used to sub to VT, and I really enjoyed it. > > I like getting recipes out of magazines, the > internet > (including this list) and I also pick up the recipe > cards that are often at Whole Foods or Central > Market. > I tend to take cookbooks as guides- I will usually > use > them for ideas, and then combine those ideas into > recipes of my own. > > Mail - You care about security. So do we. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 Oh I forgot about that cookbook. It's a great one too. Laura-Marie <veralinnyumsweet wrote:My favorite recipe book is Tassajara Recipe Book right now--it's the yellow one. My husband and I are a bit Tassajara-obsessed. I got a one-year subscription to VT for free about one year ago through some online promotion. I was stoked. Laura-Marie --- reptile grrl <reptilegoddess wrote: > > > --- Jayelle Wiggins <jayelle3 wrote: > > > > I prefer to use Vegetarian Times, > > I used to sub to VT, and I really enjoyed it. > > I like getting recipes out of magazines, the > internet > (including this list) and I also pick up the recipe > cards that are often at Whole Foods or Central > Market. > I tend to take cookbooks as guides- I will usually > use > them for ideas, and then combine those ideas into > recipes of my own. > > Mail - You care about security. So do we. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 18, 2004 Report Share Posted October 18, 2004 Do you mean Tassajara, as in Tassajara Zen Mountain Retreat? Gil Laura-Marie <veralinnyumsweet wrote: My favorite recipe book is Tassajara Recipe Book right now--it's the yellow one. My husband and I are a bit Tassajara-obsessed. I got a one-year subscription to VT for free about one year ago through some online promotion. I was stoked. Laura-Marie --- reptile grrl <reptilegoddess wrote: > > > --- Jayelle Wiggins <jayelle3 wrote: > > > > I prefer to use Vegetarian Times, > > I used to sub to VT, and I really enjoyed it. > > I like getting recipes out of magazines, the > internet > (including this list) and I also pick up the recipe > cards that are often at Whole Foods or Central > Market. > I tend to take cookbooks as guides- I will usually > use > them for ideas, and then combine those ideas into > recipes of my own. > > Mail - You care about security. So do we. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 18, 2004 Report Share Posted October 18, 2004 Yes, the very one. Laura-Marie --- Gilbert Wirt <toohypewriter wrote: > > Do you mean Tassajara, as in Tassajara Zen Mountain > Retreat? > > Gil > > Laura-Marie <veralinnyumsweet wrote: > My favorite recipe book is Tassajara Recipe Book > right > now--it's the yellow one. My husband and I are a > bit > Tassajara-obsessed. > > I got a one-year subscription to VT for free about > one > year ago through some online promotion. I was > stoked. > > > Laura-Marie > --- reptile grrl <reptilegoddess wrote: > > > > > > > --- Jayelle Wiggins <jayelle3 wrote: > > > > > > > I prefer to use Vegetarian Times, > > > > I used to sub to VT, and I really enjoyed it. > > > > I like getting recipes out of magazines, the > > internet > > (including this list) and I also pick up the > recipe > > cards that are often at Whole Foods or Central > > Market. > > I tend to take cookbooks as guides- I will usually > > use > > them for ideas, and then combine those ideas into > > recipes of my own. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mail - You care about security. So do we. > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 18, 2004 Report Share Posted October 18, 2004 Have you been before?[i've been twice] Laura-Marie <veralinnyumsweet wrote:Yes, the very one. Laura-Marie --- Gilbert Wirt <toohypewriter wrote: > > Do you mean Tassajara, as in Tassajara Zen Mountain > Retreat? > > Gil > > Laura-Marie <veralinnyumsweet wrote: > My favorite recipe book is Tassajara Recipe Book > right > now--it's the yellow one. My husband and I are a > bit > Tassajara-obsessed. > > I got a one-year subscription to VT for free about > one > year ago through some online promotion. I was > stoked. > > > Laura-Marie > --- reptile grrl <reptilegoddess wrote: > > > > > > > --- Jayelle Wiggins <jayelle3 wrote: > > > > > > > I prefer to use Vegetarian Times, > > > > I used to sub to VT, and I really enjoyed it. > > > > I like getting recipes out of magazines, the > > internet > > (including this list) and I also pick up the > recipe > > cards that are often at Whole Foods or Central > > Market. > > I tend to take cookbooks as guides- I will usually > > use > > them for ideas, and then combine those ideas into > > recipes of my own. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mail - You care about security. So do we. > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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