Customer Reviews

Professional Vegetarian Cooking

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a serious home cook who has made this book her kitchen bible. The recipes contained in this book are scrumptious and remarkably free of all animal products (including eggs and dairy). As vegan cookbooks go, this book is unique. The culinary results are delicious and visually appealing. The author is a professional chef who knows how to layer in complex, yet pleasing flavors into dishes for spectacular results. Ken Bergeron really knows how to stimulate taste buds that have grown weary of the same-old, same-old. Truly innovative cuisine like this doesn't come around every day. I've made dozens of recipes presented within these pages with incredible success. Over the holidays, I followed the author's menu suggestions. I made the festive holiday menu for Christmas dinner and the hors d-oeuvres menu for an elegant cocktail party. Most of the invited guests were non-vegetarians with sophisticated taste-buds--definitely not the dry lentil loaf and brown rice crowd. I was delighted to receive enthusiastic raves and dozens of requests for the recipes. The fried oyster mushrooms, vegetable walnut and pecan pate, baby bella mushroom risotto and maple nut tart were especially big hits, but everything was devoured with gusto. This book is truly avant garde--I believe vegan cuisine will be the everyday norm for most American tables by the end of the next century. Even Time Magazine--hardly a granola rag by any stretch of the imagination-has recently predicted this dietary megatrend will happen in the near future. Undoubtedly, this book will help lead the way. No home should be without it. And, anyone making a profession out of feeding the public--pay attention, please! Customers will continue to want to live large into the next century, but that doesn't necessarily mean they want big slabs of dead animals oozing blood on their plates. Exotic fruits and vegetables, prepared with all the care and attention given to flesh-centered cuisine, will fit the bill just fine. Many trendsetters are looking for this now, but millions will follow.

I'm so happy, there's hope that the next time I have to attend a work related function, that I won't have frozen baby carrots and red peppers, with no seasonings served with rice that ended up having chicken stock in it (in other words, I didn't eat), like I did last time. The chefs at the local Chef's Association consider vegetarian cuisine to be cutting edge cuisine. This book proves it! The book will allow chefs to understand their vegetarian customers eating preferences and will result in everyone else wanting the vegetarian special. This recipes are incredibly delicious. The author shares his experiences of when he first began preparing this type of food, and also tells chefs why it makes good business sense to take advantage of the vegetarian market. It is exciting that a professional chef has finally written a vegetarian book for professionals, though any vegetarian cook would enjoy this book. Bravo!

I am a serious home cook who has made this book her kitchen bible. The recipes contained in this book are scrumptious and remarkably free of all animal products (including eggs and dairy). As vegan cookbooks go, this book is unique. The culinary results are delicious and visually appealing. The author is a professional chef who knows how to layer in complex, yet pleasing flavors into dishes for spectacular results. Ken Bergeron really knows how to stimulate taste buds that have grown weary of the same-old, same-old. Truly innovative cuisine like this doesn't come around every day. I've made dozens of recipes presented within these pages with incredible success. Over the holidays, I followed the author's menu suggestions. I made the festive holiday menu for Christmas dinner and the hors d-oeuvres menu for an elegant cocktail party. Most of the invited guests were non-vegetarians with sophisticated taste-buds--definitely not the dry lentil loaf and brown rice crowd. I was delighted to receive enthusiastic raves and dozens of requests for the recipes. The fried oyster mushrooms, vegetable walnut and pecan pate, baby bella mushroom risotto and maple nut tart were especially big hits, but everything was devoured with gusto. This book is truly avant garde--I believe vegan cuisine will be the everyday norm for most American tables by the end of the next century. Even Time Magazine--hardly a granola rag by any stretch of the imagination-has recently predicted this dietary megatrend will happen in the near future. Undoubtedly, this book will help lead the way. No home should be without it. And, anyone making a profession out of feeding the public--pay attention, please! Customers will continue to want to live large into the next century, but that doesn't necessarily mean they want big slabs of dead animals oozing blood on their plates. Exotic fruits and vegetables, prepared with all the care and attention given to flesh-centered cuisine, will fit the bill just fine. Many trendsetters are looking for this now, but millions will follow.

This book is so good, you feel like eating the pages as you read through the recipes! Read it and feel your feet running to the kitchen to try some of the brilliant recipes presented here. You just can't help yourself. I predict this will be the 1999 Cookbook of the Year. I base this on three things: taste, taste and taste. And, of course, the awe-inspiring suggestions for culinary presentation. I recommend every chef buy and USE this book, no matter where they are cooking. Restaurants, cruise ships, caterers, culinary schools, hospitals, nursing homes, bed & breakfasts...buy this book NOW. This book is also a plus to any serious home cook. The inspired recipes are suitable to serve 10, but can be easily scaled down to serve fewer people. The menu suggestions for holidays and special occasions are fantastic. Don't waste any time ordering this incredible vegan cookbook, which promises to kick off the new millenium right!

All of the recipes in this book are not only vegetarian they are vegan. They are also scrumptious. I have tried several and it is well worth the trouble of having to scale down the recipes (since this is really created for restauranteurs everything serves 10).

Truly great example of why the question --don't you get bored eating vegetables all the time--is so funny!

Steph

This book is not just a must for professionals, anyone interested in vegetarian cooking should have it. The author shows us our options aren't dull and limited when meat and dairy products are not included in our diets. Professional Vegetarian Cooking appears to have creative author and chef commited to sharing his world of vegetarian cooking with everyone. The food is wonderful, the knowledge and understanding can't be beaten.

I have had the plesure of reading Professional Vegetarian Cooking and I have had the pleasure of eating Chef Bergeron's cooking. The book is well written and full of professional qaulity recipes. This is a must have for any chef who wants to learn and serve the foods of the new milinium

I just got this book today-it looks wonderful. I can't wait to try the recipies-it has very impressive food in it and looks like it could convert even the most stubborn meat and potatoes people. The food is really gourmet looking-yet not difficult to prepare. The servings are for 10 people-which is great for entertaining, for freezing or left overs, or even great for two people (who have tremendous appetites). It doesn't have fake cheese or tvp-i would say this book is a MUST HAVE. I am wondering though, what recipies would freeze-does anyone know how to contact the author???? BUY THIS BOOK!!!! We (vegetarians) have waited a long time for this-now i feel equal. I am no longer gypped in the catering/entertaining section of the bookstore. Also, I think that the whole book is vegan-I don't think anyone will miss the meat or dairy-Thank you for this book!!!

A little bias because Ken is a friend of mine, Ken is a modest down to earth guy---No pun intended. I am not a vegetarian by any means but every recipe that I have used is awesome. You really have to try the Oyster Fried Mushrooms, Watermelon Catsup or The Sea Czar Dressing. I have worked side by side with Ken, who is an incredible wealth of knowledge and expierience as a Vegan. Ken is the 1st World Vegan Gold Medalist at The Culinary Olympics in 92. I am very proud to be considered his friend and very proud of this book.

All I can say is it's simple, easy to read and healthy! Don't let the "Professional" in the title fool the average person because it is for everyone.The knowledge and eye opening this will give you to the vegetarian/vegan world is priceless.

I just hate that the book doesn't have ANY pictures. I think it would be richer if they increased it with at least a few of them. I'd rather pay more and see what the food looks like than opening the book and not feeling like preparing things from it just because I don't really know what it is all about.