Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (Hardcover)
May 24, 2009 by TheChef
Filed under Culinary Cooking Books
Amazon.com Review
The elegant simplicity and exquisite flavor of Deborah Madison’s food make her one of America’s leading cooks. In Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, she offers more than great food: her book includes comprehensive information about ingredients and techniques, plus more than 800 recipes. The recipes range from dishes as familiar as Guacamole to those as distinctive as Green Lentils with Roasted Beets and Preserved Lemons, and Cashew Curry. The 124-page chapter titled “Vegetables: The Heart of the Matter” is a virtual book of culinary revelations; you could use it as a manual on buying and preparing vegetables. Madison provides equally inspired recipes and guidance for everything from grains and soy to dairy foods and desserts.
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Madison, whose The Greens Cookbook sold more than 300,000 copies, offers recipes that will please even nonvegetarians.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Buy Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (Hardcover) at Amazon
This has become my favorite cookbook. I have been vegetarian for nearly 20 years and I am an avid cook, and this book has provided nothing but perfect food, without meat, every time I have used it. I love good food. Food that is merely nutritious and not really good, also, is a bane to humanity. This food is not generally low-fat, but it is still whole, nutritious food. The desserts are great, the salads are great, the vegetable dishes are great. You name it, in this book, it’s good.
The other thing that I love about this book is that Deborah Madison is not only a great chef she also knows how to translate her cooking talent into recipes that really WORK. I am disappointed by some chefs’ cookbooks because it’s obvious that they are excellent cooks, but their recipe-writing skills are sub-par. These, on the other hand, are well-tested, well-written recipes.
The food in this book is what I’d call fine food. Some recipes in other cookbooks are for everyday-type food that will get you by, and others are for trendy food that are novel to make once in a while. The recipes in this book direct you to make the kind of food that will have you talking the next day about how good it was, and they’re not trendy. Most are also uncomplicated. The flavors are refined and you might call them sophisticated, but that’s misleading because there’s nothing pretentious about the recipes or the presentation. The sophistication comes from a cleanness to the palate that is presented here.
I have a large collection of cookbooks (200+) and this one definitely stands out. If you have others of Madison’s cookbooks, such as the Savory Way or the Greens Cookbook, which are also both excellent, I suspect that you will find this one more accessible. There’s a hint of preciousness in those other two books that I find lacking here. Madison seems less concerned about impressing us in this book and more relaxed in her approach. This has improved her style and has improved her food, as well.
I just counted 34 cookbooks in my kitchen, but this is the one I use the most. Only the Joy of Cooking gets an equal workout. This book is the only vegetarian cookbook I’ve ever seen that:
1) Is comprehensive enough to cover every ingredient you have in your fridge (if you have a head of fennel and a potato, and nothing else, you will probably be able to find a recipe);
2) Is neither too far in the “twigs pebbles and roughage” camp nor the “80 ingredients you never heard of and 3 hours you don’t have” camp. Most recipes are reasonable in scope and actually flavorful, although if you want to create a fancy banquet you can.
Even if you are not a committed vegetarian (I’m not), but you just want to eat healthier, or to avoid the “vegetables turning into science experiments in the fridge” thing, this is a tremendous great resource.
My husband calls Deborah Madison the Dominatrix of Cooking because of the picture on the cover of the book (she looks like she could get pretty serious with those wooden spoons—why two?), and because of her high-minded attitude about certain standard ingredients (e.g. the Parmesan cheese in the green box and regular table salt). I think she earns the moniker because she is clearly in charge in the kitchen. I love these recipes for their simplicity. Though I have (too) many cookbooks, I use this one more than any other and recommend it to all my friends who are curious about vegetarian cooking.
I have achieved a deep appreciation for chick peas–try chick peas and farfalle. This is easy, but so tasty, I serve it to company. Another elegant company dish: leek and goat cheese galette—sublime and wonderful, and not hard!
Though some have described recipes as too “simplistic,” I would say this book allows vegetables to shine in a healthy straightforward way, not drowned with fatty sauces. Many of the recipes are do-able on a day-to-day basis, and since I cook for my family (including four kids, ages 10 to 17), I can’t be the French chef every night. I bought a copy for my oldest, who has also fallen in love with it, since she will be going off to college soon.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Cookbook for the Inquisitive - and the strong!
Do buy this book if you have a lot of time to experiment, love to read, and have good upper-body strength. This is a HEAVY book!
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best
This is one of my favorite cookbooks. The recipes are uncomplicated and give due respect to the flavor, freshness, and seasonality of each vegetable.
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book never ceases to amaze me
I’ve had this book for over ten years, and it continues to be the one I go to more than any other among my enormous collection of cookbooks.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Getting your friends and family to eat vegetarian
Get healthy and save the planet! I am buying many copies of this book for everyone, friends and family, trying to motivate them in the direction of eating vegetarian.
4.0 out of 5 stars
joy to read and educational, but flavorless dishes
Author really explains how to do basics with vegetables- good for a vegetable averse person to learn from. She is a good writer.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Overwhelming and Obscure
After reading all the great reviews of this book, I found myself very disappointed with it. I wanted something simple that gave everyday recipes, but instead found thousands of…
1.0 out of 5 stars
Here’s her pathetic recipe for falafel
On page 125, here’s Deborah Madison’s laughable excuse for a falafel recipe, listed under Pita Sandwiches:
“Make the falafel according the the packaged instruction.
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love love love this cookbook
Every recipe that I have tried from this book has been fabulous. I have given this book to several friends and reccommend it to anyone who enjoys cooking.
5.0 out of 5 stars
We’re not vegetarian,
but this is a super cookbook. Everything I’ve made from it so far has been delicious, and the recipes are very easy to follow.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Only Vegetarian Book You Ever Need To Buy
A friend gave this book to me when I became a vegetarian and I have absolutely loved having it. It is an amazing reference to have around in case you have any questions…