Customer Reviews

365 Ways to Cook Vegetarian

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I first bought this book some 10 years ago, when I was a student with lots of "at home" time to stir pots and putter in the kitchen, I was fairly disappointed in the "envelope of this, packet of that, bottle of this, can of that" approach, and didn't use it much, preferring my very dog-earred copy of vegetarian classic "The Enchanted Broccoli Forest Cookbook." Now that I consider running to the grocery store to be a chore rather than a study break, I absolutely love this cookbook, and use it much more than frequently. Why? The "envelope of this, packet of that..." approach enables me to prepare delicious vegetarian meals with many non-perishable items that I can keep stocked in my pantry plus a few fresh veggies. "365 Ways" also contains many quick-to-fix recipes. The prep and cooking time estimates are particularly helpful in meal planning, and generally are right on the money.

Recipes are organized in chapters focusing on hors d'oeuvres, soups & stews, bean-based dishes, "meatless main courses," pasta, "pizzas, pies & vegetable tarts," salads, grains, "stuffed, wrapped & rolled" items, eggs, sandwiches, vegetable side dishes and dips and sauces to spice up a meal. Many excellent ethnic recipes are featured, including Gado Gado with a very tasty peanut sauce, a variety of Tex-Mex and Italian-inspired dishes. The Asparague Flans with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette were delicious enough to convince a impress a former boyfriend who moonlighted as a chef but simple enough to not screw up. While I generally do not like vegetarian recipes that mimic a meat-based dish, the creamy East-West Meatless Stroganoff, made with walnut balls instead of meatballs, has satisfied vegaterians and meat-eaters alike. My junk food-only stepchildren were halfway through Charlie's Pizza before they realized that they had just eaten pizza topped with pears, spinach and pecans instead of pepperoni--and what's more, they liked it.

Since I'm not a vegetarian, just someone who enjoys a variety of food and meals that aren't planned around a meat dish, I was unconcerned about recipes calling for chicken stock or Worcestershire sauce. I can't speak for the calorie level either, since I am not good about counting those nasty things. All in all, despite a few recipes that I decided to modify to make a bit spicier, I haven't been disappointed. Instructions were easy to follow, and everything turned out extremely well. The spiral bound spine makes the book easier to use, since it lays flat and pages don't flip on their own while you cook.

I have owned this book for over four years, and I still surprise meat-eating gueasts with the wonderful and filling foods it offers. It has a variety of courses, as well as many ethnically different foods (Indian, Afrian, Polish, and Greek to name a few). An added bonus is that the author tells you appoximatly how long it will take to make the recipes. Vegetarians will love the variety and meat-eaters will love the taste of vegetairian cooking.

Some of the recipes are okay. Unfortunately, almost every recipe in this book needs to be reworked somehow. Though generally veggie-friendly, the recipes are completely UNHEALTHY! Lots of heavy cream, eggs, whole-fat cheese, mayonnaise, etc., are featured in this book. Many of the recipes, if you lighten them or substitute, are fantastic. However, if you are not a seasoned vegetarian and not used to doing this for every other cookbook you own, this book is not for you. If you are a new vegetarian, start somewhere else!

It was a great day for me when I discovered this book as an early step on my new path to meatless cooking. It provided me with the taste to make the transition almost painless. A must for all vegetarian gourmets.

Will they reprint this book in the wonderful 365 series

I am a huge fan of the 365 Ways Series. I look everywhere for these books and hope that most will be back in reissue soon. The recipes are easy to understand and create. The wide variety makes it fun to enjoy old favorites and unique dishes too. Cheers to Harper Collins, bring on more!

This is one of the best books for cooking vegetarian that I have found. I gave my copy to a friend in Norway and now I am searching for a new one. The recipes are easy to do and most are ready within 30-40 minutes. There is a lot of variety and even if you are not vegetarian, many of the dishes are excellent as side dishes or can be used for those "bring-a-dish" gatherings. I hope this book comes back into print.

I have seen and read this book at a friends and was very impressed with it's very practical approach to vegetarian cooking. The recipes are easy to prepare and utilize a variety of healthful foods. Both the beginner and veteran vegatarian as well as those people just trying to add more healthy variety to a traditional diet will enjoy these delicious recipes. I do hope the publisher will print more copies soon, as I as well as others would very much like to own Ms. Morses' book.

I received this book as a gift and I am going to try and return it today. Some of the recipes call for chicken broth and others for worcestshire sauce, hardly vegetarian ingredients. Also, these recipes focus so much on eggs, cheese, and butter that many are hardly any healthier than eating meat.
Since the author is a meat-eater, I guess this book would be good for someone who was trying to transition into a vegetarian lifestyle, but, if you are already veggie, there are much better cookbooks on the market