Vegetables is complete with over 150 recipes for soups, appetizers, salads, entrees, side dishes, and a chapter devoted to sauces and relishes made from vegetables or perfect to serve with vegetables. Accompanied by 75 full-color photos, you'll be eager to try vegetables that are new to you, or try a familiar vegetable in a new way.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 49 people found the following review helpful
I've seen a number of books before from the CIA that were clearly for student and working chefs - recipes and instructions heavy on the technical specifications and light on the images. That's fine for the cook with heavy experience, but tough on the average kitchen denizen. So I was delighted to see The Culinary Institute of America Vegetables: Recipes and Techniques from the World's Premier Culinary College.
Let's ignore the very last claim, as restaurant schools from Johnson & Wales to those in Zurich, France, and Germany might disagree. Physically this is a well-illustrated and designed book. Recipes are laid out with the steps on one page, ingredients running vertically next to the steps, and a full color picture facing. That's critical, because students in a culinary school get to see the food when the instructors show them how to make it. But if you've never laid eyes on a dish, it's difficult to tell whether your results are correct or not.
The one place where the visuals are lacking is in basic preparation and cooking techniques as well as information on storage and individual vegetable types. But, realistically, economic realities come into play. The volume is already just over 290 pages long at a suggest price of $40; any more, and it would quickly hit the $70 and higher price of culinary text books, putting it out of the price range of all but the most ardent home cooks.
Recipe organization is in a standard set of categories: soups, appetizers, salads, entrées, side dishes, and sauces and relishes. What is unusual for a book covering vegetables is that it's not vegetarian; there are some recipes that include meat. I was actually happy to see that. Too often vegetables are treated as accompaniments to meats, poultry, and fish, and not as integral parts of the recipe concepts. Those who eschew eating that which moved about at one time won't like those parts of the book, but for most people, I think it's a sound approach. I also saw enough unusual dishes - such as Thai Fresh Pea Soup and Hoisin-Caramelized Root Vegetables - that this collection is unlikely to be a duplicate of the standard "exotic" recipes that you find turning up in one book after another. I look forward to the next volume they do in this fashion.
Let's ignore the very last claim, as restaurant schools from Johnson & Wales to those in Zurich, France, and Germany might disagree. Physically this is a well-illustrated and designed book. Recipes are laid out with the steps on one page, ingredients running vertically next to the steps, and a full color picture facing. That's critical, because students in a culinary school get to see the food when the instructors show them how to make it. But if you've never laid eyes on a dish, it's difficult to tell whether your results are correct or not.
The one place where the visuals are lacking is in basic preparation and cooking techniques as well as information on storage and individual vegetable types. But, realistically, economic realities come into play. The volume is already just over 290 pages long at a suggest price of $40; any more, and it would quickly hit the $70 and higher price of culinary text books, putting it out of the price range of all but the most ardent home cooks.
Recipe organization is in a standard set of categories: soups, appetizers, salads, entrées, side dishes, and sauces and relishes. What is unusual for a book covering vegetables is that it's not vegetarian; there are some recipes that include meat. I was actually happy to see that. Too often vegetables are treated as accompaniments to meats, poultry, and fish, and not as integral parts of the recipe concepts. Those who eschew eating that which moved about at one time won't like those parts of the book, but for most people, I think it's a sound approach. I also saw enough unusual dishes - such as Thai Fresh Pea Soup and Hoisin-Caramelized Root Vegetables - that this collection is unlikely to be a duplicate of the standard "exotic" recipes that you find turning up in one book after another. I look forward to the next volume they do in this fashion.
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By J. Kletsky
Amazon Verified Purchase
I was looking forward to this title to complement the material in some of the other great CIA titles I have with some veggie-specific information. However, in contrast to those titles, it is little more than a collection of recipes without the in-depth sections on ingredients and techniques that I have come to expect from the CIA.
The "cooking" part of this volume is barely 25 pages long; not enough to give any depth to any of its discussions. From there it launches into a collection of specific recipes using vegetables, without providing "master recipes" for any. For example, "How can I roast beets?" isn't answered with a direct "400° for 45-60 minutes in a foil packet" kind of answer anywhere. The recipes seem to be repeats from other (recommended) CIA books I have, such as The Professional Chef, 8th Edition, Cooking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America, and Techniques of Healthy Cooking, Professional Edition.
The recipes aren't organized by vegetable, as I might have liked, but by course (e.g., salads, appetizers, entries, etc). As a result, I do not find it easy to use as a "go-to" resource on my bookshelf.
This book would be at home on the coffee table of someone that has immaculate, polished stainless steel or copper All-Clad pots and Global knives on display in their kitchen. If your All-Clad and Japanese knives fall into more into the well-loved category, I'd save your money on this one.
(Interestingly, this is published by Lebhar-Friedman Books rather than Wiley -- No idea if that means anything in general.)
The "cooking" part of this volume is barely 25 pages long; not enough to give any depth to any of its discussions. From there it launches into a collection of specific recipes using vegetables, without providing "master recipes" for any. For example, "How can I roast beets?" isn't answered with a direct "400° for 45-60 minutes in a foil packet" kind of answer anywhere. The recipes seem to be repeats from other (recommended) CIA books I have, such as The Professional Chef, 8th Edition, Cooking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America, and Techniques of Healthy Cooking, Professional Edition.
The recipes aren't organized by vegetable, as I might have liked, but by course (e.g., salads, appetizers, entries, etc). As a result, I do not find it easy to use as a "go-to" resource on my bookshelf.
This book would be at home on the coffee table of someone that has immaculate, polished stainless steel or copper All-Clad pots and Global knives on display in their kitchen. If your All-Clad and Japanese knives fall into more into the well-loved category, I'd save your money on this one.
(Interestingly, this is published by Lebhar-Friedman Books rather than Wiley -- No idea if that means anything in general.)
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
The book has enticing pictures of the recipes and has nostalgic images of vegetable growers' packages.(love them) The recipes are reasonable, up to date, and the informational snip-its are well laid out. Do not be afraid to try a recipe twice, the ingredients are inexpensive enough to have a trial run before you prepare them for company. The CIA has published a mountain of books and I feel that this cookbook is one of the better ones. I would have enjoyed a few more exotic vegetables for the adventurous, but overall the book is worthy of shelf space in any kitchen.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous book
We have our own vegetable garden. This book is a godsend. Great recipes and instructions. Must have if you enjoy vegetables or want to enjoy them more.
Published 6 months ago by Lanier Cordell
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great product from CIA as always!
Never a disappointment buying or cooking anything from the CIA! I have most of their books and not only are the photos great but the instructions can work for the home cook as... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Jeff Holbrook
4.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive guide
This book is such a great guide to using vegetables in wonderful ways. Not only do you learn about different vegetables you can find fun and creative ways to cook with them. Read more
Published on January 1, 2011 by Elaine
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vegetables
One of the Best - all you need to know about the wonderful benefits of Vegetables
Published on May 19, 2008 by Lynn M. Meyers
5.0 out of 5 stars
yummy
A beautiful book. I loved every thing I have attempted so far. Do yourself a favor and buy this book.
Published on March 19, 2008 by leftylily
5.0 out of 5 stars
The CIA VEGETABLES
Whether you're a vegetarian, like myself, or want to accompany your meat/poultry/fish entree with fabulous side dishes, this book is wonderful. Read more
Published on July 15, 2007 by Susan Tierney Cockburn
3.0 out of 5 stars
Showcase of Vegetables
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA):
Vegetables
Recipes and Techniques from
The World's Premier Culinary College
Reviewed by Marty Martindale... Read more
Vegetables
Recipes and Techniques from
The World's Premier Culinary College
Reviewed by Marty Martindale... Read more
Published on July 10, 2007 by Margaret Martindale
4.0 out of 5 stars
Vegetables by the Culinary Institute of America
Lovely book, great recipes and a massive disappointment all wrapped into one.
While the idea is great, there are NO pictures of individual vegetables! Read more
While the idea is great, there are NO pictures of individual vegetables! Read more
Published on June 7, 2007 by Gibson Darryl
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