Customer Reviews

Laurel's Kitchen: A Handbook for Vegetarian Cookery and Nutrition

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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This book is an excellent guide into the world of vegetarianism. It offers delicious recipes, loads of information on good nutrition for the vegan, and is written in a humourous, easy-to-read style. The authors give great basic instruction on making meals healthy and balanced, making it simple to take off from there and get creative in the kitchen. I have literally worn out three copies of this book over the years, and highly recommend it.

i have had this book on my kitchen shelf for 10, years. i particularly love the soup recipes. laurel robertson's soups are old favorites with a new spin. many of the legume soups include potatoes, which, though seeming a strange ingredient at first, give a marvelous, velvety texture to such old favorites as pea soup and lentil soup. anyone interested in vegetarian cooking, or just cooking with vegetables, would do well to have a copy of this book in his or her library. yum!

This book literally changed my life. I've never been healthier since I learned to cook for myself from this book. Although I now use the recipes found in the book from time to time, it set the standard for how I eat.

Laurel's Kitchen is the best course on basic nutrition I've ever read. (And I've read a bunch, plus studied nutrition in nursing school) The recipes are fine, but they are not the reason I bought two copies again, thirty years after I bought the first one--one for a vegetarian niece and one to refresh my knowledge.

If you are a vegetarian or vegan whose loved ones are concerned that you are not getting enough protein, read Laurel's Kitchen. You'll learn the details of the role of protein in the diet, the levels necessary for health for different age groups, health conditions and activity levels. And you'll learn how to combine food, like rice and beans or vegetables and cheese to provide complete protein. (And you'll learn what that means so well, you'll be able to amaze your well-meaning, concerned loved ones.)

The same is true of their chapters on vitamins, carbohydrates and fats. Plus, it's a good read. As Paddington Bear would say, "It's really quite good value."

The original "Laurel's Kitchen" is a gold mine of great recipes, simple ingredients and user-friendly directions. BUT, the true treasure is the introduction and the journey the author undertakes, with the reader happily in tow.

It starts with the simple phrase "keeper of the keys" referring to a position women held in previous years. Creating balanced and healthy meals, a full pantry and a harmonious home was considered a privilege, not an unpleasant chore. The art of providing colorful, fulfilling meals and a centered homelife that draws others into its warmth and harmony is presented as a highly valued undertaking in and of itself. Aside from the woman literally being "keeper of the keys" to the larder, a great amount of her time, skill and effort went into preparing and maintaining her household.

We are inunndated by a fast-paced, fast-food, buy now and pay later world. This extends into what we choose to eat, or, more frequently, what foods choose us - we eat now and pay later. What "Laurel's Kitchen" does is weave our propensity for food with the concepts of a joyful and healthy life. There is a melding of food choices incorporated with a lifestyle that leaves a small footprint (before the word footprint was used). What? Is a cookbook offering such a change in lifestyle? Well, I have to say yes, it is. And it works.

The recipes are delicious, easy to make with ingredients you can actually find that are affordable. Of course, there are certain favorites. I really enjoy the soups, muffins, breads and desserts; they smell wonderful, with lots of flavor and texture. A surpise section was the condiments, including salad dressings and yogurt. Very easy to make with simple ingredients; very economical when compared to ready-made. Another plus is the option to delete certain ingredients which may cause allergies - an easy solution.

One recommendation I can make for this book is that I went to some trouble to find the "Keeper of the Keys" version. My home life feels more centered and harmonious, and people seem to gather in my kitchen when I take Laurel's "keeper" philosophy and make it foremost in my everyday life. When I make an effort to provide friends with a bit of respite from life's craziness, they can move on their next activity feeling a bit more relaxed, a bit more valued. With a tasty snack for later! They know they're important to me, and who doesn't need that! All from a little book that will touch your heart (and stomach) in a big big way ...

I first read this when I was going through a vegetarian phase. My mother had it. I bought my own copy because of Laurel. The scene where she packs the lunch; she just shows you what Love can look like. Simple, humble doing what is right for another person. Her care of her craft is not to be showy or make herself feel good, it is about the benefit of her family and neighbors.
I tried several of the recipies, very good but for me it is really about Laurel. It may be time to read it again.

I was happy to find this book still in print. My Mother used this book as a weekly referance. This book for me is compfort food.

This is a fantastic book!! I'm not vegan but I cook a lot of veggies and this book has sooo many wonderful recipes and ideas to add to your kitchen. I'm always interested in healthy ways to cook and this book (30yrs old it may be) is amazing and is full of great info.

For "something borrowed" I wanted to pass onto my daughter my first cookbook, which sadly I had loaned to someone else and never received. Through Amazon I purchased a used edition of exactly the same vintage. It even felt like my old one. The bride cried and so did I. There's a reason this book remains much in demand. I fed my family from it for over a decade, and having memorized so many of the recipes, i thought I could lend the book out. Don't. Buy your own copy, keep it, share it. And one day, pass it on only to a family member.

The book arrived on time and in condition promised. this book has so much info crammed inside the covers. Bought for a friend who had 'mislaid' her book 20+ years ago-she cried. Good cooking references and recipes.