The Cafe Brenda Cookbook: Redefining Seafood & Vegetarian Cuisine [Paperback]

Brenda Langston (Author), Margaret Stuart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1992

For years, restaurant owner and chef Brenda Langton has led the way in bringing sophisticated but sensible vegetarian and seafood cooking to the Midwest. At last, the recipes from her highly successful Twin Cities' restaurant, Cafe Brenda, are available in this The Cafe Brenda Cookbook. Cafe Brenda's health gourmet fare, the "cuisine of a third coast," has drawn raves from diners and critics alike.

With this cookbook, Langton provides cooks and diners with many of her most requested dishes-from her renowned vegetarian croquettes to savory soups (like Roasted Potato & Garlic soup) and stews and imaginative seafood recipes (like Poached Rainbow Trout with Berry Vinaigrette.) And then there are the sumptuous, naturally sweetened desserts, such as chocolate carrot cake, fresh fruit tarts, and maple pot de creme.

Here is the sensuousness of good food without the calories, and the pleasure of cooking and eating without the pain of elaborate preparation or time-consuming chopping. These recipes are intended for anyone looking for a new and healthy way to cook, from beginners to accomplished cooks alike.

Also recommended: Classic Freshwater Fish Cooking, Freshwater Fish Cookbook, The Art of Wild Game Cooking, Venison Cookbook.

Editorial Reviews

Review

" . . . a feast for Cafe Brenda regulars and uninitiated . . . recipes, ingredients and preparations are amply explained." -- Minnesota Monthly

"This book will be of interest to three groups of readers: lovers of light and attractive food, vegetarians and collectors of Minnesota recipes." -- Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Voyageur Press (MN) (May 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896582051
• ISBN-13: 978-0896582057
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,195,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great all-purpose book for healthier eating, September 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cafe Brenda Cookbook: Redefining Seafood & Vegetarian Cuisine (Paperback)

I spent a brief time working at Cafe Brenda, and I bought the cookbook while working there. I've worked my way through just about every recipe, and 90% of them were wonderful - the recipes are full of flavor, interesting, satisfying, and a great place to begin exploring a variety of international flavors. I particularly love the soup and dessert recipes. The almond cake with chocolate ganache makes a wonderful birthday cake, the maple pot de creme is a wonderful and easy way to end a dinner party with friends, and the variety of soup recipes make use of all the seasons with wonderful results. I do have to say that the fish recipes are generally a bit more creative than the vegetarian entrees, though I've made the vegetarian and vegan croquette recipes (Brenda's signature creations) many times and received enthusiastic feedback from my family and friends. I've given this book as a gift many times with a lot of good feedback. It's also a plus that not many people know about the book, so the recipes aren't dishes that are made over and over again by people who cook primarily vegetarian and have worn out the books by Deborah Madison and Molly Katzen, great though they may be. Hope you enjoy it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ambitious but delicious, February 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cafe Brenda Cookbook: Redefining Seafood & Vegetarian Cuisine (Paperback)

I have been using this cookbook on a regular basis for over 3 years. The vegetarian entrees and hot soups are to die for. Some of them are rather elaborate, involving numerous sub-steps, but the results are well worth the effort. The authors have developed flavor combinations that work with a beautiful mix of color and texture. I've personnaly given this cookbook to all my best friends. If you don't mind a little work, you won't be disappointed.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tasty and healthy, April 15, 2005

By 

Jennifer A. Wickes "Food Writer" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Cafe Brenda Cookbook: Seafood and Vegetarian Cuisine (Paperback)

In this fast-paced world of fast-food and pre-packaged convenience foods, Brenda Langton and Margaret Stuart show us recipes on how delicious healthy food is and how easy it is to prepare!

Brenda Langton is the chef and owner to Cafe Brenda, one of Minneapolis's favorite restaurants and an innovator of gourmet vegetarian cuisine. She currently runs her restaurant and a natural foods business with her husband. Margaret Stuart is a pastry chef, natural foods expert, as well as a horticulturalist in the Twin Cities.

Using whole foods and natural ingredients, this book is filled with delicious, nutritious recipes that have been adapted from international recipes to accomodate a more healthy lifestyle. This book has been marked as the "twenty-fifth anniversary edition". People who have not frequented the restaurant, Cafe Brenda, will not understand that this means that this is the 25th year that Cafe Brenda has been in business serving these exact recipes to her customers!

There are no photographs in this book, yet the recipes are easy-to-read and understand.

Chapters in this book include: Appetizers & Salads; Soups; Breads; Seafood & Fish Entrees; Vegetable Entrees; and Desserts. Some of the more delicious recipes in this book are: Japanese Soba Noodle Salad With Spicy Tahini-Ginger Dressing, Roasted Potato & Garlic Soup, Blueberry-Lemon Bread, Spiced Almond Tart and Basmati Rice, Red Bean & Vegetable with Roasted Onion-Miso Sauce.

If you are looking for gourmet recipes that are healthier for you, then pick up this book. Brenda Langton and Margaret Stuart have released a classy book to enjoy.