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 Great cookbook, flimsy pages Nov 22, 2009
I LOVE this cookbook. It is exactly what I needed 7 years ago when I moved out on my own. Of course, I didn't have it, but I do now and I have already learned so much! It is a wonderful reference. If you want to try a new ingredient, but don't know what to do with it, look in this book. It will tell you how to prepare it and then 10+ things to do with it. Brilliant! I have tried many new things with confidence and got excellent results. It is organized well and has an INCREDIBLE number of simple, doable recipes.
My only complaint is that the actual paper it is printed on is very thin. I understand that that is because of the volume of recipes, but it doesn't hold up well to drips or splashes, which happen a lot in my kitchen. Two pages ripped when they stuck together, and that was a bummer. Would this stop me from buying it again? NO. But, its worth a mention because a lot of other cookbooks have heavier pages and hold up fine to a little bit of splashed sauce -- be extra careful with this one.
 Very Useful Nov 03, 2009
I'm not a vegetarian, but I'm always trying to include more plant foods in our diet, and I absolutely love this book. It can be a little intimidating when you first pick it up. It is the size of a phone book and has no pictures except some simple illustrations of food prep techniques. However, if you give the book a chance, it is worth its weight in gold in the kitchen. Bittman does a great job explaining things, and his recipes are very flexible. Almost every recipe has several variations to try and lists of alternate ingredients. This is particularly helpful for people with dietary restrictions or if you just don't have time to go to the store for that one missing ingredient. The book is full of charts that give you different combinations for various foods. For example, he has a whole chart on things that go together in a sandwhich wrap. He doesn't quite cover every vegetarian food out there. I was sad that I couldn't find a listing or suggestions for guava fruit. However, he does manage to cover just about everything mainstream and a lot of more obscure ingredients that most Americans haven't discovered yet. You could use a different recipe from this book every day of the year and still not try all his ideas.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
My vegetarian cooking bible Oct 25, 2009
I've never been much of a cook (and often when I tried, the results were laughable). But I got this book six months ago, and it has made a huge difference in the way my family eats. I've been able to make yummy, relatively quick recipes multiple times a week, and I've actually enjoyed doing it. My fiance, who once did all the cooking, has gotten totally spoiled.
There are many things I've enjoyed about it, but to name a few:
1. Bittman does a great job of explaining the basics (for example, how to cook asparagus... by multiple methods). I loved the charts providing information on (and substitutions for) different types of oil, vinegar, grains, legumes, etc. I doubt that I would have discovered the wonders of sherry vinegar, for example, without them. Even more advanced cooks than myself could probably find useful information and ideas here (there are additional charts for enthusiasts in some areas).
2. This book provides a vast number of recipes - with nearly 900 pages and multiple recipes on a page, there's always something new (and maybe more advanced or exotic) to try. When we had the boss over for dinner, we tried the tofu provencal, served with the spicy gazpacho and a salad that was also inspired by this book.
3. The variations help you understand the actual potential of the recipes, so that you don't feel obliged to copy verbatim the instructions of the master.
I did take note of the criticism that some of the recipes needed alterations. I appreciate the comment, but I wanted to make a note that none of the recipes that I've tried from this book have required major changes. Although I did experiment with plenty of them, just for fun!
One final note: I'm in a minority as a lifelong vegetarian, and I'm sure that I've inconvenienced many people who have no idea what to cook for a vegetarian (particularly the vegetarian kid who didn't like vegetables... I ate a lot of PB&J). I just want to suggest that this book has tons of easy, healthy options. So for anyone who needs some inspiration, I definitely recommend it!
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
My new bible. Oct 15, 2009
This is my new bible.
The book doesn't feel like a specifically vegetarian cookbook, but instead like a giant, thorough cookbook where none of the recipes have dead animals in them. The only problem I have is that I start reading the book, and then hours later realize that I haven't made dinner yet.
Excellent book Oct 12, 2009
I really like the way he presents a core recipe-like concept, then suggests variant directions it can be taken. This fits very well with my somewhat experimental seat-of-the-pants preference/style. It might be that some who prefer a more straightforward "do this now" approach could find the book scattered and insufficiently directive, but I like it very much.
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