i don’t know about you, but at this time of the summer, i usually start hunting around for new ways to use vegetables from the garden (for others, it could be the farmer’s market or CSA).
on the one hand, we don’t want to waste even a bite of that great summer flavor, but on the other . . . if we have to eat green beans (squash, tomatoes, peppers—you name it) fixed the usual way one more time, we just might question our good fortune.
enter another terrific book in the CIA at home series—vegetarian cooking at home with the culinary institute of america.
now, i know that the word “vegetarian” often conjures up all manner of negative connotations—the most scurrilous being that one will be be forced to choke down tofurkey with some sort of stringy, greenish-gray mass of goo on the side, all in the name of “dinner”.
uh . . . NOT.
think back to all those meals you’ve watched me cook and asked for recipes to make yourself—did you see any meat? most people who eat in our home don’t even realize they are enjoying meat-free meals.
and truly, there is no reason on earth that eating vegetarian should involve foods that are any less delicious, nutritious, or attractive than those containing meat. i wasn’t raised in a vegetarian household, but because my mom is italian, we enjoyed a whole repertoire of dishes that are vegetable based—childhood favorites that we continue to cook and share. we never thought of them as foods from the fringe—just what was for dinner. and the fact that these dishes are often more economical is an added bonus.
i guess what i’m trying to do is set the scene—if you’ve been looking to expand your horizons, add new levels of texture and taste to your diet, and/or eat from a more healthy selection of choices, get ready to be wowed.
as with other books in the CIA at home series, this one is not merely a collection of recipes. i think that’s especially important in a vegetarian guide, because great meatless meals rely on a certain chemistry for success, both in flavor and in nutritional value. not that getting it right is difficult—it isn’t. but knowing a few key pointers about cooking and combining various food types will go a long way to bringing out the fullest flavor of each dish, while ensuring proper balance and complete protein.
the book is divided into sections according to meal components and food groups—starters, soups, main dishes, grains, vegetables, sauces, and even condiments.
each section begins with some background information, pantry basics, and cooking fundamentals for that food type, followed by a series of tempting recipes through which to put that information into practice.
a handy and guide to making soup stocks and which one goes best with which soup segues right into some awesome soup recipes
taking advantage both of the fruits of summer
and the warmer, richer flavors of winter.
now, soups and vegetables and grain dishes aren’t the jurisdiction only of vegetarians—just about any cook might have use of a book that offers both tasty vegetable recipes and some guidance to making them the best they can be.
i just love that the book has a section on making pasta. i do have at least four or five other books that contain pasta recipes, but i know i will use this one a lot because it has the information and the recipe right there
alongside sauce recipes i might be making or vegetable preparations i might be using in the same meal. making my kitchen life a little easier was very smart.
while it’s true that preparing vegetarian meals might entail a little more prep than say, slapping a steak on the grill and opening a bag of peas, the book does a good job of showing one how to get from A to B efficiently and effectively,
whether you are tackling one of the fancier, fussier dishes designed to impress
or a more humble and hearty meal in a pot.
all of the reasons listed above are good ones for considering this book, whether you intend to go full-on vegetarian or not. but what if you ARE curious about meat alternatives, such as soy, tempeh, or seitan?
no worries—it’s in there.
the section on cooking with high protein meat alternatives is quite informative and even contains a guide to making these products at home, should you want to try it.
while we enjoy eating these products as ingredients in a number of our favorite dishes, i had never thought about making them at home before. however, i may do it after reading up on it more. i’m not sure i’m well set up for it in our current situation, but i’ll find out if i decide to experiment, haha.
i do think it would be great to make our own burger substitutes for instance—we both like the idea (and the convenience, once in a while) of veggie burgers, but have yet to find a packaged brand that is nutritionally sound and really knocks our socks off.
i have great hopes for the recipes here . . .
another bonus section contained in the book is the one on condiments. because many vegetable based recipes may come from unfamiliar cuisines, learning a little about the condiments associated with them can widen the appeal of a new dish by allowing eaters to customize the spiciness or flavoring.
salsas, relishes, chutneys, dressings, flavored vinegars, even ketchup are included and using them to add a layer of flavor to everything from soups to sandwiches is encouraged.
yeah, if i go to the trouble of creating our own homemade veggie burgers, i just might go the extra mile and make some ketchup to go with them. all the more likely if the recipe is right there where i can get my hands on it.
last but certainly not least—this book is simply gorgeous. it celebrates the mouthwatering beauty of vegetable dishes so that i can practically smell the food as i browse the pages—it makes me want to cook something right now. that’s the best advertisement for vegetables i can think of.
so, are you excited?? thinking already about rolling up your sleeves to get busy in the kitchen this weekend? well fortunately for us, our friends at the CIA are generously holding a signed copy of vegetarian cooking at home with the culinary institute of america for one lucky reader. want to throw your hat in the ring to win it?
leave a comment at the end of this post by 9 pm EDST on sunday, september 2nd naming a vegetable dish you want to learn to make better. we’ll announce a winner in the blog post following.
in the meantime, don’t hold back from getting started on some new vegetable dishes this weekend—the best of summer is upon us; time to get in the kitchen and enjoy what remains.
hope we all have happy labor day weekend with safe travels. for those who have asked, erica finally resurfaced this morning and i hear that baby knitspot will be making an appearance very soon—stay tuned!
293 thoughts on “veg out”
I’m looking for a great veggie chili for an upcoming cook-off. Great looking book. I can’t wait to see it
This looks like it would be a great addition to my vegetarian/vegan cookbook library! Beautiful photographs, everything looks luscious.
I keep trying to make Sichuan fish-fragrant eggplant, and I always prefer the restaurant version (my have in Toronto is Asian Legend).
Thanks for offering a contest!
oh, how i dream of finding a great veggie burger recipe!
The book looks wonderful! I’ve been trying to find ways to reduce my meat intake and this looks like it is full of wonderful ideas.
I have tried every variety of vegetarian spaghetti I can find and it is always “soupy”. I WILL find a good one! 🙂
yum just yum had to go order. can;t wait to drool over the pages.
I am throwing my hat in the ring. The pasta and condiments sections really caught my eye. Cool.
The pasta and desserts look wonderful. Hope I win this gorgeous book!
Looking how to better use, rice, beans, lentils etc especially in the soup department. So many options, I might have a hard time deciding what to try 1st!
Yummy, love to try some of those recipes from Vegetarian Cooking at Home With the Culinary Institute of America on my own vegetables from the garden!
Love to make an all vegetarian French Onion Soup without the beef broth.
I’d love to learn to make better vegetarian curries!
mmm yummy… please send it my way!
Belinda
As a “man of a certain age” I’m all about incorporating lots of leafy green veggies into my diet. I would love to learn a better way to prepare Swiss Chard. I tried it the same way I do my kale and collard greens (sautéed in butter with onions) but the flavor of the Swiss Chard just seemed a little wrong for that.
I love tofu & would like to find some dishes I can make at home. I’ve been trying to find a local vegetarian cooking class, but so far no luck. This cookbook looks fabulous.
I have quite a few vegetarian cookbooks. I recommend the Moosewood Restaurant series, a couple of which are my favorites. Nonetheless, I have tried a few veggie burger recipes without good success. I would like a new try at burgers. I also could use a few appetizer recipes, particularly do-ahead for a crowd ones.
Mmm. I myself want to perfect my vegetarian lettuce wraps. I’m *almost* there, but it still needs a little something…
Veggie burgers is what I’d like to make. Sounds so healthy and yummy!
I’m with you on the veggie burgers. Would love to make my own. Already have the ketchup figured out, it’s fabulous!
Would also like to have a better veggie burger recipe. Have tried a couple but needs a little something to spice it up. The cookbook looks to be a fabulous addition to any kitchen
My hat’s in the ring for this fab.u.lous book. I’m always up for a better veggie burger recipe: the ready-frozen ones are lacking, and I haven’t found a home-made one that I’m in love with. Yet.
Incredible book. Healthy, beautiful eating! It would be great to add this to my cookbook library. Thanks!
I would like to learn how to use seitan and tempeh in meals. I’d also like to learn how to make it at home since no stores in my neck of the woods carry products like that. Luckily my local grocery started carrying some tofu for me.
I thought that was nice of them. So, I’d like to throw my hat into the cookbook giveaway ring. Thanks.
Ii would like to learn how to make veggie burgers!
I would love a chance to win the book. I get tired of making the same thing.
The condiment section looks like it would be fun to try. We do make a big effort to buy products without high frutose corn syrup. The book overall looks beautiful!
that rolled up eggplant dish looked delish. I need to figure out more eggplant meals.
All of the food looks delicious. I’d love to try the recipes in this book.
This book looks wonderful. Tossing my hat in!
What a gorgeous book! (and seeing your full freezer in the previous post makes me feel like a real slacker! LOL )
I would like to learn some more interesting things to do with winter squashes. I love squash just roasted, but there’s gotta be more that you can do with it.
Oh, this book looks delicious.! I want to know how to make the pasta dish you have a picture of.
I would love to have the gorgeous book–the soup recipes and veggie burger pique my interest–please pick me!!!!! I have 3 of CIA’s other books–this would be so fun to add to my collection.
this book looks amazing! it’s great that it has a section on making pasta and about the condiments, both sections are not often found in general cookbooks. I do not call myself a vegeterian, but in my house we don’t eat a lot of meat, and I really enjoy the variety of recipes that can be found in vegetarian cookbooks – I already own 3. If I’m not the lucky winner of your generous giveaway, then this book will be on my wishlist!
Wow, lots of the dishes look yummy, but the veggie burger is one I’ve been trying to perfect. I like to eat vegetarian foods, but its hard to convince the meat eaters in my house to join me. If I can get them to look as good as these, I may have a fighting chance. Thanks for the chance to win. 🙂
I would love to learn how to make a great cole slaw!
I hope there are recipes for delicious beets! Maybe there is some way to make David and Erica like them.
I belong to a CSA, so I am always on the lookout for new veggie recipes. This is a beautiful book!
I’ve always wanted to master tempeh and or seitan. My husband isn’t crazy about tofu. The book looks beautiful.
I would love a chance to win the book. I get tired of making the same thing and love all kinds of veggies!
Book looks amazing…would love to find a way to make a chowder without the clams!
I’m looking for a good veggie main dish that is easy to make in the heat of summer, something other than salad.
Actually, I feel myself heading more away from meat as the years go on. I do enjoy veggie burgers on occasion, but find them a little thin. I’d like a good recipe to make some hefty sized veggie burgers that really taste good to my meat-loving husband.
We’ve been expanding our repertoire of vegetarian main dishes and it would be great to have a terrific resource.
Would love recipes for any kale, chard, spinach combos that would really knock my handknit socks off!!!! Thanks for the contest. Love your blog.
I would like to know how to make a delicious veggie burger to eat on one of my homemade hamburger buns…YUMYUMYUM!!!!
I would like to know how to cook any vegetarian dishes for Sophie, my granddaughter, who is being raised as a vegetarian.
i’d like to learn to make some veggie stir-frys that would make a carnivorous man happy – the book looks yummy!
I’d love to learn to make risotto – this book looks like it would be a great resource.
I’ve been on the look out for ways to incorporate beans into our diet without upsetting the fussy eaters in my household. Perhaps this is the key
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