How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food - Hardcover

Recipe Excerpts from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

· Spinach with Chiles
· Chickpea Fries (Panelle)
· Braised Tofu with Eggplant and Shiitakes
· Amazon-Exclusive Crunchy Corn Guacamole

A: What motivated me--several years ago--was seeing the handwriting on the wall: That although being a principled, all-or-nothing vegetarian was not a course of action that would ever likely inspire the majority of Americans, the days of all-meat-all-the-time (or, to be slightly less extreme, of a diet heavily dependent on meat) could not go on. Averaging a consumption of two pounds a week or more of meat (as Americans do) is not sustainable, either for the earth or our planet. And, as more and more of us realize this, I thought it was important to develop a cookbook along the lines of How to Cook Everything, but without meat, fish, or poultry. Needless to say, there’s plenty of material.

Q: In the course of writing How to Cook Everything Vegetarian did your approach to food shopping, cooking or dining change significantly?

A: Completely. The more I tried new ways of cooking with vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, the more I enjoyed them. I probably eat sixty or seventy percent fewer animal products than I did three years ago.

Q: Because meatless cooking isn't limited to a single cuisine, your recipes introduce the flavors and techniques of many different cultures and cuisines. How did you manage to cover so much ground? Seems like a daunting task.

A: It’s what I do.

Q: Out of the more than 2,000 recipes in the cookbook do you have a favorite dish or dessert that you turn to again and again?

A: No. There are hundreds I wish I could cook all the time, but one can only cook and eat so much. But in the last week, for example, I’ve made Fava Bean and Mint Salad with Asparagus; Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes; Cornbread Salad; and Red Lentils with Chaat Masala.

Q: Why is simplicity so important in cooking? What does the novice home cook need to know to cook and eat well?

A: Simplicity is only important because it’s the way to learn to cook; it’s very difficult to start cooking with complex dishes. For people to learn to cook, they must start simply--the way everyone used to cook. And, for most of us--including me--there’s no reason to carry things much further. Even the simplest cooking is rewarding, enjoyable, and--obviously--the healthiest and best way to eat.

Known for simple recipes, great-tasting food, and straight-shooting advice, Mark Bittman has inspired a whole new generation of cooks. Now, with How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, he delivers the ultimate guide to meatless meals. Like his bestselling, award-winning How to Cook Everything, this masterwork is comprehensive, authoritative, contemporary, and approachable—a book that sets a new standard and finally makes vegetarian food accessible to every home cook. Written not only for vegetarians but for those who—like Bittman himself—are omnivores striving for a more health-conscious, planet-friendly diet, it provides everything you need to build meals around delicious meatless recipes.

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian is packed with more than 2,000 recipes and variations—an unprecedented number of ways for you to enjoy satisfying meals without missing the meat. To name just a few of the great dishes you'll find inside: Cherry Tomato Salad with Soy Sauce, Rich Zucchini Soup, Pan-Grilled Corn with Chile, Eggplant-Tofu Stir-Fry, Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Lentils and Potatoes with Curry, and Breakfast Polenta "Pizza." And because Bittman is a self-taught home cook, not a restaurant chef, his recipes are refreshingly straightforward, resolutely unfussy, and unfailingly delicious—dishes that you can prepare with ease and serve with confidence.

The book covers the whole spectrum of meatless cooking: salads, soups, eggs and dairy, vegetables and fruit, pasta, grains, legumes, tofu, breads, condiments, and desserts. To make choosing recipes easier, special icons identify those recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less, those that can be made in advance, and those that are vegan. And throughout the book, handy, creative charts, sidebars, and lists give you brilliant ideas and tips for everything from spicing up tomato sauce to grilling vegetables. Illustrated with 250 how-to illustrations and brimming with Bittman's familiar, no-nonsense advice on everything from cooking an omelet to preparing pad Thai, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian is the first vegetarian cookbook that everybody will want.