Almost Vegetarian: A Primer for Cooks Who Are Eating Vegetarian Most of the Time, Chicken & Fish Some of the Time, & Altogether Well All of the Time (Paperback)

~ (Author) "A Fresh Fruit Directory with a Taster's Tour of Recipes That Call for Them starts at the beginning of the Dessert chapter, on page 210..." (more)
Key Phrases: crisper section, pressed tofu, pinch powdered saffron, Chicken Roasted, Sweet Mustard Glaze, Winter Greens (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Shaw (Vegetarian Entertaining) targets a wide audience with this collection of 170-plus recipes featuring ingredients that are mostly vegetarian and low in fat. Picking up on a major motivation for the population's move away from red meat, the author focuses on dishes that offer flavor without a high fat content, emphasizing salads enlivened by a liberal use of herbs, soups and casseroles whose taste and richness are deepened by long, slow cooking. Nutritional counts per serving are included. While many of the vegetable dishes, which can be main courses or side dishes, highlight produce associated with Mediterranean-style cooking, dishes built around such winter vegetables as hard squashes and potatoes are particularly interesting. A chapter on pastas and risottos and one on desserts merit special mention. Shaw's prose is breezy and personal, occasionally becoming verbose, bordering on arch. The page design, with boxes, tips and other asides, is attractive, though busy and sometimes distracting. Lengthy introductory material includes brief descriptions of cooking methods, a directory of fresh vegetables, legumes, seasonings and flavorings; a bibliography and list of mail-order sources are also provided. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

"Almost vegetarian" is a good description of the way more and more people are not quite giving up meat but no longer eating it every day, and this book should have broad appeal. Shaw, author of Grilling from the Garden (LJ 8/93) and two other strictly vegetarian cookbooks, does not include red meat in her latest book, but there are fish and poultry entrees and other dishes this time around. Most are low-fat and high-fiber. The recipes are an eclectic collection, though not, perhaps, quite as interesting as those in Grilling, with lots of variations and boxes on tips and techniques. A few quibbles aside (e.g., how many cooks will be able to find baby artichokes with 4-inch stems for soup?), this is recommended for most collections.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 3rd Pntg. edition (October 25, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 051788206X
• ISBN-13: 978-0517882061
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #65,938 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars VEGGIES AREN'T SO BAD!, July 25, 2000

By	Bonita L. Davis (Decatur, Georgia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Remember when growing up as a child you abhored vegetables? Moms across the nation have spent vast hours in cajoling their little darlings into eating those "things" that were good for them. Now as an adult we're told that we need to eat more vegetable if we care about our health. Sigh. We reluctantly acquiese but still we hate those green (or not so green) things.

Hate no more as I have done in coming across this delightful cookbook. If you still love meat but need more veggies in your diet please explore this text. Inside you will come across mouth watering recipes that are easy to make. And the vegetable dishes taste fantastic. You don't have to commit to vegetarianism in order to enjoy the varied meals presented which also include chicken and fish.

Almost Vegetarians isn't preachy like Mom in trying to convince you to eat vegetables. It is a sensible guide which offers a variety of ways in which those things can be made delicious for our palets. It also contains advice on purchasing the proper cookware, buying mail order and a great bibliography. If you weren't sold on vegetables before, you will be with this book. Have a great meal!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There's some good eatin' in this book!, August 13, 1997

By A Customer

I have tried several of the recipes in this book and found all of them to be delicious. Most selections are relatively low fat with lots of flavor. It's perfect for individuals who eat meat occasionally. All recipes that call for poultry or fish also have suggestions for keeping it vegetarian. Sorry, this doesn't have many vegan recipes, although the vegans I know are pretty clever enough to make substitutions

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Slimming with Italian flair, October 29, 2003

By	Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Shaw's cookbook has a sumptuous Italian flair, given that it was tested and written while the author was living in Milan. She balances the Old World savor of herbed asparagus torta, risotto with mussels, potato frittata, rice stuffing with pine nuts and dried cherries, and braised chicken breasts tapenade, with American innovations like sweet potato pancakes (cut with plain potatoes and ricotta cheese) and chilled corn chowder, and international touches such as chickpea curry, couscous with vegetables and fish, and tea steamed chicken or bean curd.

Each recipe is accompanied by preparation and cooking times and nutritional information. Many also include serving suggestions and variations.

The book opens with a cooking primer describing basic techniques and a buying and storing guide for vegetables. In addition cooking tips, such as how to clean various shellfish, or press tofu, or microwave vegetables, or even clean lettuce, are scattered throughout the book.

Shaw's emphasis is on fresh, naturally low-fat foods. Most recipes are simple to prepare if not always quick and will appeal to cooks of any level. Especially useful for those trying to sneak a few meatless meals into the dinner routine.