SIMPLE GREEN SUPPERS (Roost Books, 2017, 250 pages, ISBN 978-1-611-80-336-5 $24.95 USD paperbound) is by cook/farmer/writer Susie Middleton, former chief editor for Fine Cooking magazine. She now lives year round on Martha's Vineyard and contributes free-lance articles and award winning cookbooks. Here she promotes a fresh strategy for one-dish vegetarian meals. It's arranged by meatless add-on, so there are separate chapters for "veggies + noodles", +grains +beans +toast +tortillas +eggs and +broth. Nice deal. The strategy is sort of like a bowl, with the food being prepared around 30 minutes, plus or minus. Some of the fundamental techniques here means that some food is prepared, such as pre-cooked veggies and pre-made (by you) salad dressing. This gets the food on the table quickly. So a larder/pantry is necessary, as is the make-aheads of cooked grains, cooked chickpeas, toasted nuts, sauces, and roasted veggies. About 200 recipes with variations and pantry. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: vegetarians and even meat-lovers for that hearty veggie plate.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: little greens quesadillas; plum-tomato with fresh ginger salsa; spicy lime chili oil; spiced lentil and sweet potato soup; savoury french toast with spinach and strawberry-maple balsamic sauce.
The downside to this book: no metric
The upside to this book: good concept for one dish meals
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
4.GREEN KITCHEN AT HOME (Hardie Grant Books, 2017, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-78488-084-2, $35 USD hardbound) is by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl, authors of three other veggie books for Hardie Grant. Their award-winning blog is "Green Kitchen Stories", complemented by two best selling apps for iPhone and iPad. The family currently lives in Stockholm; he does graphic design, such as the food photography for this book, while she is a nutritional therapist. The 100 vegetarian preps here stress family dining at home, from breakfasts through diners to elaborate entertaining. Much of it is easy to make by the whole family having hands in it, and some of it is gluten-free. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: vegetarians or those seeking healthy family food.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: baked fennel, watermelon and goat's cheese summer salad; strawberry and pesto pasta salad; banana and spinach pancakes; Middle Eastern cauliflower and lentil salad; cauli fish and chips; farinata with roasted grapes and ricotta; raspberry mousse and chia parfait; no recipe curry.
The downside to this book: a few too many photo shots of the family.
The upside to this book: there are sections on larders and prepping for fridge storage.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
5.VEGETARIAN ANY DAY (Penguin Books, 2017, 216 pages, ISBN 978-0-14-319049-3 $24 USD paperbound) is by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming, both sisters who wrote the stunning Quinoa 365 a few years back. They return with seven more quinoa recipes plus about 100 other healthy meatless preps. It's arranged by topic, from small plates and sides through soups and stews and salads, sandwiches, pizza, baked casseroles and one-pots, and pasta. And nice to see some Canadian log rollers too with their endorsements.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: new cooks, vegetarians and good food lovers.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chipotle sweet potato tacos with grilled pineapple salsa; warm cauliflower and chickpea mixed green salad with white balsamic vinaigrette; watercress, lentil and beet salad with pomegranate molasses; oyster mushroom and rosemary ragu on polenta; creamy curry, chickpea, broccoli and red pepper salad.
The downside to this book: I wanted more.
The upside to this book: excellent selection of preps, complete with bibliography.
Quality/Price Rating: 90.
6.THE VEGETARIAN ATHLETE'S COOKBOOK (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-63286-643-1 $20 USD paperbound) is by Anita Bean, registered nutritionist and health journalist with some bestselling cookbooks in the sports field. Her book "The Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition" is now in its eighth edition. Here she gives us 100 or more recipes for active living. All of it is fast and easy, and quite appealing to vegetarians and vegans. The preps are divided by topic: breakfasts, soups, salads, mains, desserts, sweet and savoury snacks, smoothies and shakes. There is an extensive section on source references and websites. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: vegetarians, vegans
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: avocado toast; carrot soup with quinoa; butternut squash with cannellini beans; apricot and almond cookies; walnut burgers; "ultimate" veggie soup; spicy chickpea and spinach stew; rainbow salad with goat's cheese.
The downside to this book: I was expecting more recipes
The upside to this book: there is an extensive section on source references and websites.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
7.EAT MORE GREENS (Quadrille Publishing, 2016, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-916-3, $24.99 USD hardbound) is by Zita Steyn, founder of UK's Food Fights and consults on incorporating healthy food into everyday life. She wants us all to eat more greens. So she's created a pile of recipes that will be tasty and beyond greenness. There are new ways to incorporating greens into the daily food; creative ways to encourage children to eat more greens; and some suggestions for plant-based diets in general (often leading to veganism). The 90 preps here concern leafy greens, green veggies and herbs, scattered among soups, mains, dips, salads, and dessert cakes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: vegetarians
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: oat and kale breakfast biscuits; Belgian endive and shallot tarte Tatin; chard and feta savoury muffins; collard greens and pumpkin seed rye sourdough; raw lemon and lime curd tartlets; sweet potato and nettle coconut loaf.
The downside to this book: I was hoping for a tourte de blettes (sweet dessert with Swiss chard, from Provence) but there was not even a mention here.
The upside to this book: good concept, baking section is best.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
8.FERMENT FOR GOOD (Hardie Grant, 2017, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1243792094, $29.99 USD hardbound) is by Sharon Flynn, who now has an Australian business called The Fermentary which makes and sells unpasteurized fermented foods and drink to the land of Oz. Fermented food has been characterized as being the slowest and oldest fast food. This is a good handbook,loaded with references and help from others. She's got a basic primer and a recommended reading list, as well as descriptions and techniques. The book is in four sections: vegetables, milk and dairy, drinks, and Japan (which explores that country's lifestyle in fermenting). This is ancient food for the modern gut. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those looking for fermented foods
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: carrot, turmeric and ginger kraut; continuous brew kombucha or jun; fermented honey and garlic; kefir dough; maple syrup shrub; gateway mead; yogurt from chili stems; kefir pancakes; assorted brine ferments.
The downside to this book: very small type for the index, which makes it hard to see because of the light inking on the mauve paper. Lots of text to wade through but it is very productive.
The upside to this book: very handy bookmark ribbon for cross-referencing.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
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