A vegetarian cookbook?!?!
Posted by Cove Rattery at 4/25/2008 1:28 PM and is filed under uncategorized 
So, I'm reading this book called How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food by Mark Bittman, and I'm thrilled with it. First of all, you heard me correctly. I am indeed READING a cookbook, but this is SO much more than a cookbook. In fact, as a recipe guide, I've yet to use it at all. There are no full color, mouth-watering pictures. No black and white photos or celebrity faces either. There are a few illustrations of food prep techniques, but that's about it. But, what is lacks in 'looks', it makes up for in content. Let me secondly say that the book costs a mere $35.00 full retail price, but I've had my copy from the library for about a month now. I will be buying this one though, but I will also be checking for a deal somewhere... likely Amazon or a coupon via Barnes and Noble. Another nice thing that I should mention from the get-go is that this author is NOT a vegetarian. He is just an author and cook that has become aware, as many Americans have, that we need to get healthier, and a diet high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes is the way to go. So, this book is not only for vegetarians, but for the growing trend of 'flexitarians' too, as well as health conscience meat eaters that want a break from a pounds of animal protein and fat in their diets every day. I'm all for that!
Anyways....what is it that makes this book so grand?
1. Ingredients. This book is NOT unrealistic, so you will not find it describing only organic products, exotic produce, and foreign cooking techniques. This is a book to the real at home cook. He does discuss that you should try to purchase the best you can within reason and budget, but this isn't always necessary either. In fact, some olive oils for $5 are just as good as a $30 bottle. He does list 8 ingredients that you must not skimp on though. They are extra virgin olive oil (must be extra virgin), parmigiano-reggiano (the real stuff, not the powdered crud in the green shaker), real soy sauce (it's only ingredients should be soy, wheat, salt, water, and bacteria) , yogurt (whole milk please), dry pasta (from Italy only), basmati rice (from India is best), salt (kosher or sea), and peppercorns (grind your own..it makes all the difference). He also has a "bottom line" list, which is 25 ingredients that any vegetarian pantry should stock. Here they are: Extra virgin olive oil, neutral oil like corn or grapeseed, vinegar (which he details later in the book), real soy sauce, rices (long and short-grain), pasta, beans (dry and canned), spices, flours (all purpose and wheat), cornmeal, canned tomatoes, dried mushrooms, eggs, real parmesan, lemons or limes, butter, aromatic veggies (garlic, onion, shallot, carrot, celery), dairy (milk, yogurt, buttermilk), nuts, seeds, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch and yeast, standard condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo), and long-lasting produce (potatoes, apples, oranges, etc.). Okay, so it's more than 25 technically, but you get the picture. He also lists an additional 16 for an ideal pantry. Those are capers, seaweed, miso, sesame oil, bread crumbs, coconut milk, dried fruit, wine, parsley, sour cream, peanut butter, frozen vegetables, black beans, sake, fresh scallions (ginger and chilies too), and exotic condiments (curry, horseradish, hoisin, etc).
2. Equipment. This is a nice section of the book too. For someone like me that struggled for weeks on which cutlery and pots/pans to purchase, this was a great confirmation of the decision I ended up making. It discusses the essentials for cookware and cutlery, and the differences between the types, including pros and cons. I myself settle on Calphalon Contemporary cutlery and Calphalon One Infused Anodized cookware! They were good choices for me, but the pieces will come slowly as the price was inhibiting. But, in this book, he goes much further, discussing essentials beyond your stovetop cookware too. Loaf pans, pie plate, springform, ramekins, cake pans, muffin tins, bundt pan, souffle dish, cookie sheets, tart pan, roaster, baking sheet, square pan, and gratin dish. WOW!! From there, it's more in depth about small utensils. I would say that this section is valuble to those just starting out, giving them a guideline for what they need, but also helpful to those like me that want to round off an ideal kitchen collection as well. He really does well to cover everything from a whisk to a mandoline to a microwave to a melon baller to an ice cream machine to a skewer! This section had me jotting down things for about an hour.
3. Techniques. I really enjoyed this section. I love my knives, but I always battle the 'proper' technique, so this was helpful in not only how to hold and rock a chef knife's blade, but how to get the perfect chop, mince, julienne, and even chiffonade! It also covers the ten essential cooking techniques, and as simple as some may seem and often as they may be used, this section was still informative and interesting to read. Those 10 techniques, by the way, are boiling, steaming, sauteing, stir-frying, deep frying, braising, roasting, baking, grilling, and broiling. I admit I have never broiled in my life, but I certainly would like to now! Of course, food safety, leftover ingenuity, and reheating are in this section too!
4. Salads. Of course, as would be expected, this section starts with a 'lexicon' of salad greens, and covers most of the basics from price to prep and storage, as well as some of the less known. By this point in the book, if you are reading it like a book, you SOOOO want to make something. So, I'm off to try that... more to come later.
Anyways....what is it that makes this book so grand?
1. Ingredients. This book is NOT unrealistic, so you will not find it describing only organic products, exotic produce, and foreign cooking techniques. This is a book to the real at home cook. He does discuss that you should try to purchase the best you can within reason and budget, but this isn't always necessary either. In fact, some olive oils for $5 are just as good as a $30 bottle. He does list 8 ingredients that you must not skimp on though. They are extra virgin olive oil (must be extra virgin), parmigiano-reggiano (the real stuff, not the powdered crud in the green shaker), real soy sauce (it's only ingredients should be soy, wheat, salt, water, and bacteria) , yogurt (whole milk please), dry pasta (from Italy only), basmati rice (from India is best), salt (kosher or sea), and peppercorns (grind your own..it makes all the difference). He also has a "bottom line" list, which is 25 ingredients that any vegetarian pantry should stock. Here they are: Extra virgin olive oil, neutral oil like corn or grapeseed, vinegar (which he details later in the book), real soy sauce, rices (long and short-grain), pasta, beans (dry and canned), spices, flours (all purpose and wheat), cornmeal, canned tomatoes, dried mushrooms, eggs, real parmesan, lemons or limes, butter, aromatic veggies (garlic, onion, shallot, carrot, celery), dairy (milk, yogurt, buttermilk), nuts, seeds, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch and yeast, standard condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo), and long-lasting produce (potatoes, apples, oranges, etc.). Okay, so it's more than 25 technically, but you get the picture. He also lists an additional 16 for an ideal pantry. Those are capers, seaweed, miso, sesame oil, bread crumbs, coconut milk, dried fruit, wine, parsley, sour cream, peanut butter, frozen vegetables, black beans, sake, fresh scallions (ginger and chilies too), and exotic condiments (curry, horseradish, hoisin, etc).
2. Equipment. This is a nice section of the book too. For someone like me that struggled for weeks on which cutlery and pots/pans to purchase, this was a great confirmation of the decision I ended up making. It discusses the essentials for cookware and cutlery, and the differences between the types, including pros and cons. I myself settle on Calphalon Contemporary cutlery and Calphalon One Infused Anodized cookware! They were good choices for me, but the pieces will come slowly as the price was inhibiting. But, in this book, he goes much further, discussing essentials beyond your stovetop cookware too. Loaf pans, pie plate, springform, ramekins, cake pans, muffin tins, bundt pan, souffle dish, cookie sheets, tart pan, roaster, baking sheet, square pan, and gratin dish. WOW!! From there, it's more in depth about small utensils. I would say that this section is valuble to those just starting out, giving them a guideline for what they need, but also helpful to those like me that want to round off an ideal kitchen collection as well. He really does well to cover everything from a whisk to a mandoline to a microwave to a melon baller to an ice cream machine to a skewer! This section had me jotting down things for about an hour.
3. Techniques. I really enjoyed this section. I love my knives, but I always battle the 'proper' technique, so this was helpful in not only how to hold and rock a chef knife's blade, but how to get the perfect chop, mince, julienne, and even chiffonade! It also covers the ten essential cooking techniques, and as simple as some may seem and often as they may be used, this section was still informative and interesting to read. Those 10 techniques, by the way, are boiling, steaming, sauteing, stir-frying, deep frying, braising, roasting, baking, grilling, and broiling. I admit I have never broiled in my life, but I certainly would like to now! Of course, food safety, leftover ingenuity, and reheating are in this section too!
4. Salads. Of course, as would be expected, this section starts with a 'lexicon' of salad greens, and covers most of the basics from price to prep and storage, as well as some of the less known. By this point in the book, if you are reading it like a book, you SOOOO want to make something. So, I'm off to try that... more to come later.
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