Venturesome Vegetarian Cooking: Bold Flavors for Meat- and Dairy-Free Meals [Paperback]

J. M. Hirsch (Author), Michelle Hirsch (Author), John Mackey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2004

Venturesome Vegetarian Cooking busts the veggie mold, focusing on flavor and innovative recipes, rather than on philosophy and persuading tofu to taste like tenderloin. These are great recipes that just happen to be vegetarian.

This mother-son team offers more than 150 recipes (and more than 100 color photographs) that are simple enough to pull together during the week, yet daring and delicious enough for dinner parties. This is vegetarian cooking for people who love to eat. Packed with advice for keeping cooking easy, efficient and always an adventure, the book includes a world of meat- and dairy-free meals drawn from the authors' culinary explorations—Spanakopita from Greece, Crostini and pasta from Italy, Pad Thai and aromatic soups from Thailand, Sushi and earthy noodle dishes from Japan, and plenty of comforting favorites from home like Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Fluffy Biscuits, Rich Gravy and Thick Corn Chowder.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

J.M. Hirsch (author) is a food writer for The Associated Press. His weekly vegetarian cooking column can be read in hundreds of newspapers across North America. Educated in Scotland and South Africa, he lives with his wife and cat in New Hampshire. Michelle Hirsch (author) has been a training and development specialist in the food industry for more than 20 years, most recently with Whole Foods Market. A vegetarian for 30 years, she studied and taught at The Kushi Institute and is a macrobiotic chef. She also is a food writer for "Spirit of Change" magazine. She lives with her husband in New Hampshire.

John Mackey (foreword) is founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Surrey Books (August 5, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572840641
• ISBN-13: 978-1572840645
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #713,406 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As the national food editor for The Associated Press, the world's largest news organization, I get to influence what millions of Americans eat every day. I watch the trends, break the news and taste many of the best (and sometimes worst) foods. And I get to share all of that via thousands of newspapers and Web sites. It is seriously the coolest job in the food world.

And my perspective on all of that is pretty much the same as yours. I've never been to culinary school or cooked at a posh restaurant. I've got a 5-year-old in constant need of feeding, cleaning and ferrying; a journalist wife forever on deadline; and a demanding job with the pressure of a nation watching over my shoulder every time I stand in front of the stove. What I don't have is time to fuss over dinner. Meals must be fast, flavorful, easy and real.

That's how I came up with my blunt force approach to cooking. It's a pretty simple idea. Let high-flavor ingredients do most of the work. Foods that taste great going into the pot need less work from you to taste great when they come out. These are the Parmesan cheeses, balsamic vinegars, jalapeno peppers, chorizos, smoked paprikas and wasabis of the food world.

Cooking this way requires no particular genius or skill, and certainly not much time. I lack all of these. It takes just a bit of thought about which ingredients can best ramp up the flavors of a dish. And it's my job to make even that easier for you.

Want to know more? Check out my blog at jmhirsch.com or follow me on Twitter @bluntforcecook.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A welcome new vegetarian cook book, August 13, 2004

By 

Jonathan Landry (Fairfax, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Venturesome Vegetarian Cooking: Bold Flavors for Meat- and Dairy-Free Meals (Paperback)

I was fortunate enough to be able to take a gander at an advanced copy of the book, and I have to say the book is one of the best vegetarian books out there today.

The foods are exciting, bold, and unlike many vegetarian cook books out there, it doesn't try to be different for the sake of being different. Many veg cook books seem as if they are simply trying to make dishes that include as many odd combinations as humanly possible to cover up the fact they don't have meat. One example is a pesto and carrot pasta bake that I saw in one cook book. This book has many old favorites that are updated and modified to not include meat or dairy, and in ways that you won't miss them at all.

Hopefully this book is the first of many that we'll see from these authors.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glad I Ventured, June 23, 2006

By 

Cherie J. Anderson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Venturesome Vegetarian Cooking: Bold Flavors for Meat- and Dairy-Free Meals (Paperback)

This book is great for those who want to get some variety and experiment with new flavors. The Asian-inspired dishes, the breaded eggplant with sweet tomato sauce, all really wowed me and made me want to try more. There are photos, which is nice, too, so you can check out what some of the recipes will look like in their finished form.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious!, June 2, 2005

By 

Neil Theberge - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Venturesome Vegetarian Cooking: Bold Flavors for Meat- and Dairy-Free Meals (Paperback)

I have tried many recipes and loved them all! My favorites are Italian Spinach, Baked Sweet Potato Wedges and Frozen Fudge Pops. I am not a vegetarian or lactose-intolerant. I was looking for some interesting meals and side dishes to feed my family of four and this hit the spot. My two-year-old daughter shovels veggies in her mouth like they are candy!!!
The book is very attractive with colorful highlights of the time necessary for each recipe and other helpful hints!!! I'll be cooking from this book forever!