THE ESSENTIAL VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK; Your Guide to the Best Foods on Earth, What to Eat, Where to Get It, How to Prepare It

As more people decide to become vegetarians--or nearly so--the scope of vegetarian meals is growing, too. No longer defined by the absence of meat, vegetarian cooking is an expansive, healthful, and delicious cuisine. No cookbook makes this more evident than The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook by Diana Shaw, author of Almost Vegetarian (Clarkson Potter, 1994; 175,000 copies sold).

Filled with irresistible recipes and useful, accessible information, The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook will be the authoritative guide for everyone who wants to eat vegetarian and needs to know how. Comprehensive, witty, and instructive, the book offers more than 600 (low-fat!) dishes and features mini-cooking lessons called "Make It Your Own," which teach cooks how to adapt recipes to their own tastes. And the recipes themselves will satisfy all appetites in all kinds of ways, from luscious muffins to creamy calzones to savory stews to spicy curries to a devilishly tempting chocolate soufflé cake. . . that happens to be low fat.  

The spirited, substantial introduction covers the basics of vegetarian meal planning and includes everyday and festive menus as well as menus for those with dietary concerns. An extensive appendix offers information about vegetarian cooking, such as: guides to beans, vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, flours, grains, and dairy and soy products; a list of favorite brands; mail-order information; a kitchen utensils guide; a glossary of cooking terms; and kitchen strategies, such as how to work in a small kitchen, entertain last-minute guests, and customize convenience foods.

Throughout the book, upbeat informational sidebars provide tips on many topics, including how to choose the best ingredients and how to repair a recipe gone awry. And all of the recipes are accompanied by do-ahead tips, preparation times, storage advice, and nutritional information.        

Engaging, encouraging, and contagiously enthusiastic, Diana Shaw's The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook is more than a rich collection of recipes; it's a pleasure to read. Inspiring and instructional, this book will be savored by everyone who loves food of all kinds.

Diana Shaw is the author of four vegetarian cookbooks. She has contributed to a number of magazines, including Cook's Illustrated, Metropolitan Home, and Vegetarian Times.