Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table (Hardcover)

by Moosewood Collective (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
For many baby boomers, Moosewood Restaurant is synonymous with vegetarian cooking, thanks to Mollie Katzen's 1977 classic cookbook, which brought the joys of hummus, tofu and other veggie staples to home kitchens. The Ithaca, N.Y., establishment now publishes books in the name of the collective; this is the 11th. By emphasizing ease of preparation and reliance on as few ingredients as possible, the authors must stretch to find new twists on the vegetarian repertoire they've covered previously. They include new dishes such as Indonesian Sweet Potato and Cabbage Soup, and Cranberry Bulghur Pilaf—but it's ultimately familiar fare like Warm French Lentil Salad that is most appealing. The book's only real surprise is a section devoted to fish, the sole animal protein included. Working parents and students will welcome the consistent use of canned and frozen ingredients, but the quick and easy approach combined with the preponderance of dishes like Corn on the Cob, Greek Salad, Coconut Rice, and Easy Egg Rolls result in a book that might've been better in an inexpensive paperback format than a glossy hardcover. Those seeking a cheap, simple vegetarian supper are better off pulling that old, dog-eared paperback off the shelf. Photos. (On sale Oct. 25)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
The Moosewood Collective adds to its growing list of indispensable titles with this compendium of delicious, healthful recipes that aim for simplicity and speed. As in many Moosewood titles, the recipes are mostly vegetarian, with the addition of a seafood section. Included are sections focusing on pasta, eggs, grains, beans, soups, salads, and desserts as well as an unusually large section of homemade sauces and dressings to enliven basic staples and encourage experimentation. Each chapter begins with helpful tips about even the most basic foods (there's a double-page spread just about corn on the cob, for example), and there's also shopping advice, as in the pasta chapter's explanation of "why made in Italy matters." Every recipe is followed by ideas for variations and menu planning. Moosewood devotees will recognize the familiar blend of cultural influences represented here--Asian, Middle Eastern, French, African, Cajun, and more--and an appendix offers detailed explanations of the elements in "a well-stocked pantry." Timely, reliable, and inventive, this is sure to inspire harried diners to reach for the cupboard doors rather than the takeout menus. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; illustrated edition edition (October 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609609122
• ISBN-13: 978-0609609125
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,056 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #77 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Vegetables & Vegetarian > Vegan
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Modern, easy, fast, fresh, December 31, 2005

By	S. Thompson (NJ, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I own all of the Moosewood books, and this one is already a favorite (along with Cooks at Home and Daily Specials). Simple Suppers reads like an updated version of Cooks at Home- the recipes are straightforward and easy to prepare, but original in the combinations of flavors and textures. Green Bean and White Bean Gratin contains green beans, pureed white beans and whole white beans layered with cheese and breadcrumbs for a filling winter meal. Navajo Stew combines roasted sweet potatoes with black beans and a quick blender tomato-chipotle sauce. Tortilla Melts are quick sandwiches of roasted mushrooms with pesto, tomatoes, and cheese. I made all of these in the past week and my husband and I both liked them a lot- good, unfussy food.

My only quibble is that it would be nice if nutritional information had been included. Many of the recipes are decidedly not light as written, but could be lightened fairly easily.

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More great ideas from the Moosewood people, November 14, 2005

By	D. Slater - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you're looking for food that's healthy, tasty and easy to prepare, I don't think the Moosewood cookbooks can be beat. While I've only tried a couple of recipes from this new cookbook, they've both been good and simple to put together, and I'm looking forward to trying many more. I love to cook, and I love to try new dishes, but I'm also interested in staying slender and in not spending too much time in the kitchen: Moosewood achieves all of that for me. I especially appreciate their "serving and menu ideas," in which they make suggestions for what you may want to serve with the current recipe to make a whole meal -- very nice for entertaining. If you don't own any Moosewood cookbooks, the "Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home" is probably the one to start with. With that one and this one together, however, you'd have a formidable collection of recipes. Enjoy!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Healthy, Simple, Imaginative, April 5, 2006

By	Barbara Casler (El Cajon, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This cookbook is perfect for people like me who eat fish, grains and lots of veggies, but no other "meats".

I love the way they make suggestions for side dishes to go with their recipes. (I'm not too creative, so this helps a LOT!)

Fabulous table of contents, clear cooking instructions and delicious recipes.