Product Description

The ultimate one-stop vegetarian cookbook-from the author of the classic How to Cook Everything

Hailed as "a more hip Joy of Cooking" by the Washington Post, Mark Bittman's award-winning book How to Cook Everything has become the bible for a new generation of home cooks, and the series has more than 1 million copies in print. Now, with How to Cook Everything: Vegetarian, Bittman has written the definitive guide to meatless meals-a book that will appeal to everyone who wants to cook simple but delicious meatless dishes, from health-conscious omnivores to passionate vegetarians.

How to Cook Everything: Vegetarian includes more than 2,000 recipes and variations-far more than any other vegetarian cookbook. As always, Bittman's recipes are refreshingly straightforward, resolutely unfussy, and unfailingly delicious-producing dishes that home cooks can prepare with ease and serve with confidence. The book covers the whole spectrum of meatless cooking-including salads, soups, eggs and dairy, vegetables and fruit, pasta, grains, legumes, tofu and other meat substitutes, breads, condiments, desserts, and beverages. Special icons identify recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less and in advance, as well as those that are vegan. Illustrated throughout with handsome line illustrations and brimming with Bittman's lucid, opinionated advice on everything from selecting vegetables to preparing pad Thai, How to Cook Everything: Vegetarian truly makes meatless cooking more accessible than ever.

Praise for How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

"Mark Bittman's category lock on definitive, massive food tomes continues with this well-thought-out ode to the garden and beyond. Combining deep research, tasty information, and delicious easy-to-cook recipes is Mark's forte and everything I want to cook is in here, from chickpea fries to cheese soufflés."
—Mario Batali, chef, author, and entrepreneur

"How do you make an avid meat eater (like me) fall in love with vegetarian cooking? Make Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian part of your culinary library."
—Bobby Flay, chef/owner of Mesa Grill and Bar Americain and author of the Mesa Grill Cookbook

"Recipes that taste this good aren't supposed to be so healthy. Mark Bittman makes being a vegetarian fun."
—Dr. Mehmet Oz, Professor of Surgery, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia Medical Center and coauthor of You: The Owner's Manual

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #530 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1008 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Marking how mainstream vegetarian cooking has become, the next must-have for the vegetarian cook's shelf comes from New York Times Minimalist chef Bittman, an avowed meat eater. And that ensures one of this massive compendium's many attractions: a wealth of recipes that don't scream vegetarian and plentiful guidelines to make cooking vegetarian as intuitive as cooking with meat. Like his now classic How to Cook Everything, this book opens with terrifically useful, straightforward discussions of essential ingredients, appliances and techniques, which Bittman builds on throughout in to-the-point sidebars and illustrated boxes. The recipes flow thick and fast in his theme-and-variations style: Green Tea with Udon Noodles is followed by concise instructions for making it 17 different ways, while Coconut Rice gets five additional takes and Kidney Beans with Apples and Sherry four; other lists (six Great Spreads for Bruschetta or Crostini, 10 Garnishes for Pozole with Mole) abound and inspire. New vegetarians and vegetarians cooking for omnivores will appreciate Bittman's avoidance of faux meat products in favor of flavorful high-protein dishes like Braised Tofu in Caramel Sauce and Bechamel Burgers with Nuts. Even owners of the original book will find much new to savor while benefiting from Bittman's remarkable ability to teach foundational skills and encourage innovation with them, which will help even longtime vegetarians freshen their repertory. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"Today a good general vegetarian cookbook ought to be de rigueur in any kitchen.... Mr. Bittman works hard to concentrate on accessible, nonesoteric cooking while introducing a big though nonprogrammatic range of international possibilities". (Online New York Times Book Review, December 12, 2007)

Marking how mainstream vegetarian cooking has become, the next must-have for the vegetarian cook’s shelf comes from New York Times "Minimalist" chef Bittman, an avowed meat eater. And that ensures one of this massive compendium’s many attractions: a wealth of recipes that don’t scream "vegetarian" and plentiful guidelines to make cooking vegetarian as intuitive as cooking with meat. Like his now classic How to Cook Everything, this book opens with terrifically useful, straightforward discussions of essential ingredients, appliances and techniques, which Bittman builds on throughout in to-the-point sidebars and illustrated boxes. The recipes flow thick and fast in his theme-and-variations style: Green Tea with Udon Noodles is followed by concise instructions for making it 17 different ways, while Coconut Rice gets five additional takes and Kidney Beans with Apples and Sherry four; other lists (six Great Spreads for Bruschetta or Crostini, 10 Garnishes for Pozole with Mole) abound and inspire. New vegetarians and vegetarians cooking for omnivores will appreciate Bittman’s avoidance of faux meat products in favor of flavorful high-protein dishes like Braised Tofu in Caramel Sauce and Bechamel Burgers with Nuts. Even owners of the original book will find much new to savor while benefiting from Bittman’s remarkable ability to teach foundational skills and encourage innovation with them, which will help even longtime vegetarians freshen their repertory. (Oct.)(Publishers Weekly, June 18, 2007)

From the Inside Flap

Known for simple recipes, great-tasting food, and straight-shooting advice, Mark Bittman has inspired a whole new generation of cooks. Now, with How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, he delivers the ultimate guide to meatless meals. Like his bestselling, award-winning How to Cook Everything, this masterwork is comprehensive, authoritative, contemporary, and approachable—a book that sets a new standard and finally makes vegetarian food accessible to every home cook. Written not only for vegetarians but for those who—like Bittman himself—are omnivores striving for a more health-conscious, planet-friendly diet, it provides everything you need to build meals around delicious meatless recipes.

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian is packed with more than 2,000 recipes and variations—an unprecedented number of ways for you to enjoy satisfying meals without missing the meat. To name just a few of the great dishes you'll find inside: Cherry Tomato Salad with Soy Sauce, Rich Zucchini Soup, Pan-Grilled Corn with Chile, Eggplant-Tofu Stir-Fry, Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Lentils and Potatoes with Curry, and Breakfast Polenta "Pizza." And because Bittman is a self-taught home cook, not a restaurant chef, his recipes are refreshingly straightforward, resolutely unfussy, and unfailingly delicious—dishes that you can prepare with ease and serve with confidence.

The book covers the whole spectrum of meatless cooking: salads, soups, eggs and dairy, vegetables and fruit, pasta, grains, legumes, tofu, breads, condiments, and desserts. To make choosing recipes easier, special icons identify those recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less, those that can be made in advance, and those that are vegan. And throughout the book, handy, creative charts, sidebars, and lists give you brilliant ideas and tips for everything from spicing up tomato sauce to grilling vegetables. Illustrated with 250 how-to illustrations and brimming with Bittman's familiar, no-nonsense advice on everything from cooking an omelet to preparing pad Thai, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian is the first vegetarian cookbook that everybody will want.

Customer Reviews

I LOVE MARK BITTMAN!
His column is called The Minimalist, and he is just that! I've used countless recipes both from his books and his column in the NY Times, all will great success. I think I would still use this book just as often even if I was not a vegetarian. Easy to follow, healthy, and delicious. This is a great book, also check out his other book, How To Cook Everything.

Food encyclopedia
Great reference on how to select, cut, and cook absolutely everything in every way - no meat but does cover cooking eggs and dairy. Recipes are presented first in the most basic form, followed by additions and variations. Organized by type of food (grains, salads, fuit) and then by specific item (e.g., types of rice). Index at the back makes it easy to find description and recipes for a particular ingredient. There're also some great summary tables and side-bars. Have some rutabages lying around that you don't know what to do with? Just look up rutabages in this incredible book!

A Kitchen Necessity
This book is excellent. I really recommend you buy it! If you have never cooked a thing in your life this book will give you all the basics and yet has enough advanced techniques to make it worthwhile to an experienced cook as well. Illustrated diagrams demonstrate neat, effective and time saving cooking techniques, some of which I had never imagined and am glad I now know them. Even if you are not a vegetarian this book is a great addition to your cook book library.

Keep in mind however that this book, though not unhealthy by any means, is assembled with more priority set on great taste than using the smallest amounts of fats and carbs. Butter is used somewhat liberally throughout the recipes in this book though by no means too much. Also if you like to cook using pre-processed or mainly store bought foods you probably wouldn't want to buy this book. It really encourages making all your meals from scratch with the freshest ingredients possible. Like I said before... this book operates predominately on the basis of taste.

The recipes in this book are easy to follow and include some tried and true favorites as well as some real novelties. All the recipes I have tried have turned out great. Another neat thing about this book is that it really offers and encourages variations. It really encourages you to experiment and become a better chef/cook or whatever although by no means pressing the issue. The dishes turn out great if you strictly follow the instructions and ingredient measurements provided but I know that I've always loved being able to experiment and so that part of the book has really appealed to me. This book has some great ideas for those who like that sort of thing.

Altogether, you really honestly need this book. It has become the backbone of my kitchen and I use or refer to it all the time. It's a wealth of cooking knowledge and innovation, you won't be sorry if you buy it.