Regina's Vegetarian Table: Your Invitation to Flavor, Freshness, and Health [Paperback]

Regina Campbell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 24, 2002

Healthful, Tasty, and Fresh Vegetarian Cooking
At last a vegetarian cookbook bursting with flavor, creativity, and variety! Written by Regina Campbell, who is the host of the hit PBS television show, Regina's Vegetarian Table, this lively reference for healthful cooking with fabulous simplicity and flavor is a must for any cook and kitchen.
Inside, you'll discover just how easy it is to enjoy great vegetarian meals by following Regina's step-by-step instructions on over 200 savory recipes that are as much fun to prepare as they are to eat, including:
·Herbed Vegetable Pot Pie
·Thai Garlic Dip
·Italian Lentil Soup
·Fresh Fig and Baby Spinach Salad
·Focaccia with Rosemary and Green Olives
·Peppery Mushroom Barley Soup
·Ranchero Risotto
·Corn Cakes with Chiles and Squash
·Eggplant Lasagna
·Meyer Lemon Sorbet
·Brandy-Baked Apples with Custard Sauce
·And Many More Tantalizing Creations!
Simple, delicious, and healthful--with Regina's help in the kitchen, you can have it all!
"What continues to fascinate me about food is the tremendous power it has to both heal and please. That we were made to enjoy the very thing that nourishes and heals us is one of the great graces of being alive. It is my hope that the recipes in this book will allow you to enjoy the combined pleasure of good taste and good health. A santé!" — Regina Campbell

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Regina Campbell has taken the 90s to heart and opted for a multimedia assault on vegetarian cuisine. Her new cookbook, Regina's Vegetarian Table, follows on the heels of the acclaimed PBS show of the same name, and of "Vegetarian in the Kitchen," her weekly column for the Sacramento Bee. While the new book is not an official companion volume to the television show (posing the classic chicken or egg conundrum, but in a vegetarian sense), the series is based on recipes from the book. Campbell's approach to her book is based on her own simple and self-proclaimed philosophy: "Enjoy!" and "Simplicity is the key." The result is a cookbook with enough diversity to appeal to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.

Instead of the tofu, tempeh and soy milk recipes that seem to dominate many vegetarian cookbooks, Campbell opts for refreshing and unique diversity. Try the Smoked Mushroom Medley Lasagna, or the Orange Carrot Souffle for exciting new twists on old themes. For sometime vegetarians who like at least the thought of meat in their cooking, the chapter on soy cooking will prime the imagination. The Not-so-sloppy Joes and Tempeh Tacos are a healthy and delicious alternative to the original dishes. All the recipes are designed with the home chef in mind. The book opens with a short primer on common ingredients in vegetarian cooking, along with advice on cooking oils and recommended cooking methods. Throughout the book, shortcuts are offered wherever possible and many recipes contain notes on ingredients and possible substitutions for hard-to-find vegetarian items. In a delightful added feature, Campbell has wine expert David E. Berkley offer suggestions with each recipe, offering an excellent blend of good wine and great food. --Mark O. Howerton --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Vegetarian Cooking for Real People!


From the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Prima Lifestyles (September 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761563709
• ISBN-13: 978-0761563709
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,200,658 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good but not perfect, November 19, 2001

By 

Kim D (Chicago IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Regina's Vegetarian Table : Over 200 Full-Flavored and Easy-To-Prepare Recipes (Hardcover)

This book is pretty good - there are a decent number of recipes that are delicious and have become a staple in my diet.

Standouts incode New England Risotto, Polenta Mexicana, Gumbo Stew (vegan) and Stuffed Zucchini Provencal.

However, there are a few problems:
1. too much dairy: I am not vegan, but after eating a few recipes from this book, I feel cheesed out. Many of the recipes are quite heavy. The Smoked Mushroom Lasagna, which many people rave about, was too greasy, cheesy, and rich for me.

2. Butter: Regina wrote this book during brief period in which people thought butter was healthier than margarine. Therefore margarine is never mentioned, only butter. Do I really need to use so much butter?

3. Instruction problems/omissions/vagueness: Sometimes, Regina forgets to mention where a certain ingredient comes in - it's in the list, but never mentioned in the text. So you have to guess. Also, she says "add seasoning to taste" often. I wish she would provide a range, since I have no idea.

4. Recipes take more time than one would expect: The blurb on the jacket implies this is a good book for busy people ("She has found wonderful shortcuts" "without going to time-consuming extremes"), however, most of the recipes take plenty of time to make. I mostly use this book for weekend cooking.

This book would be more useful if there were estimated preparation times for each recipe.

5. There is no vegan recipe index, although I've seen this in several other cookbooks.

Faults aside, this is still a good book to have, as long as you are not vegan.

Another nice aspect is the huge variety of cheeses used in the recipes. If you are curious about what other cheeses taste like and what they are used for, this cookbook will help you explore them - Gruyere, Edam, Smoked Gouda, Provolone, etc. You'll wonder why so many people limit themselves to American, Cheddar and Mozarella.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best cookbook I own! Fabulous!, April 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Regina's Vegetarian Table : Over 200 Full-Flavored and Easy-To-Prepare Recipes (Hardcover)

I saw Regina Campbell on her PBS cooking show, "Regina's Vegetarian Table," and loved her cooking style, philosophy, and recipes so much that I had to buy the book. What a worthwhile purchase! This book has given me the best recipes out of all of the cookbooks I own. Some of my favorites are the mushroom pasta provencale, banana bread, and fresh peach cobbler. All the recipes are easy to prepare, but use fresh & easily accessible ingredients. My meat-eating husband loves the dishes I have prepared from this book. Regina has done a wonderful job adapting her recipes to taste like they contain much more fat & oil than they actually do. I especially love her technique of sauteing in water or vegetable broth, and adding oil afterwards (this technique is explained in the book). I can't wait for her new cookbook to come out. You won't be disappointed with this one!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take it from Chris, that guy next to Regina, December 6, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Regina's Vegetarian Table : Over 200 Full-Flavored and Easy-To-Prepare Recipes (Hardcover)

This is from Chris, the sometimes sous chef/helper/foil for Regina on her TV series. This cookbook isn't just for vegetarians (I'm not one). It's for anyone who likes good food. If you are an omnivore, this is the perfect book to provide great meals many times every week. You won't miss a thing. If you're a vegan, just substitute non-dairy alternatives. It can move you into new cuisines with ease, fill you up, keep you light, provide wide variety, and most are fun to prepare. I ate it while we taped it. I use the book constantly at home. This book takes vegetarian eating out of bland or boring and into great tasting, filling and fun.