The Gate Vegetarian Cookbook: Where Asia meets the Mediterranean

At the age of seventeen, Adrian Daniel decided to become vegetarian - a curious choice for one who had never really enjoyed vegetables. So he set about developing his own cuisine that manages to bring out the quintessential taste of every plant, root, tuber, leaf and stalk, and combines them into exquisite dishes that are diverse, palatable and exciting.

In 1990, Adrian and his brother Michael opened The Gate Restaurant in an airy church hall just off London's busy Hammersmith roundabout. This haven of 'cheerfully refined, unfussy, lip-smacking hedonism" has rapidly become a Mecca not only for local vegetarians, but for discerning diners of all tastes.

The restaurant's eclectic repertoire is influenced by Mediterranean, Pacific Rim and international ethnic cooking, but none more so than the Indo-Iragi Jewish tradition of the brothers' own grandmother. This unique and rich vein is apparent in their menus, and in the content of the book. Southern European dishes such as risotto, tortilla and courgette flowers with grilled
vegetables take their place on the menu alongside Falia Bargi, a dry green bean "curry", as well as Asian classics such as Pad Thai and shiitake wonton; pestos and tapenades sit alongside schoog, harissa, Thai red curry paste and Indian chutneys. Many of the recipes are deceptively simple, but the combination of herbs, spices and aromatics makes the finished dishes wonderfully complex in taste and texture. As well as being a must for every vegetarian, The Gate Vegetarian Cookbook will be invaluable for all who love good flavoursome food.

About the
Adrian and Michael Daniel opened The Gate restaurant in Hammersmith, West London, in 1990. The Gate rapidly become a mecca not only for local vegetarians, but for diners of all tastes. It received a Time Out award for the Best Vegetarian Meal in 1993 and was nominated for a Carlton Restaurant Award in 1998. The Daniel brothers went on to open a juice bar in Triyoga in Primrose Hill, West London, in 2006.

Adrian and Michael Daniel, who together run and cook at The Gate, opened The Gate in Hammersmith, London, in 1989 to great critical acclaim, and in 1993 the restaurant won the Time Out Best Vegetarian Meal Award. They opened a second restaurant under the same name in Belsize Park in 2000.