Book Review

Shoshoni Cookbook
by Anne Saks and Faith Stone
Review by Jennifer Benson

I have a new favorite vegetable: Swiss Chard. What once seemed an imposing menu item, I now consider delicious. When I purchased the The Shoshoni Cookbook by Anne Saks and Faith Stone, I decided to try the Stuffed Swiss Chard with Carrot Sauce first. It turned out to be incredible. My kids, who shy away from leafy greens, wanted more. Since I had purchased more Swiss Chard than I needed for that recipe, the next night I used up the rest in the Miniature Harvest Pumpkins Filled with Creamed Swiss Chard. Again, we all loved it.

We also devoured the Eggplant Rollatini, which I prepared with my own spaghetti sauce. Another favorite of the whole family was the layered vegetable bake, which has layers of a cornbread mixture, lentils, steamed veggies, and a mashed potato/spinach top crust. I would suggest not trying to fit it into a 9" X 13" baking pan as suggested, however, as my first two layers took up the whole pan, and I had to accomplish some creative surgery to move those layers to two 9" X 9" pans (which worked out great as then I had one to freeze for another day).

I look forward to trying other options from this book, including the Beet Salad with Toasted Walnuts, Mushroom Stroganoff, and the Zucchini-Pine Nut Tamales.

Anne Saks and Faith Stone, the authors, are the two "master cooks" at the Shoshoni Yoga Retreat in Boulder, Colorado. Although the cookbook claims to be totally vegan, I did find a handful of recipes, mainly from the "Bakery" section that contain honey. The selections include recipes for all meals of the day and a menu planning section for special dinners. The authors include many different ethnic options, including Italian, Asian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, and Indian recipes.

While the menus included some of the vegan standards, like hummus, guacamole, and scrambled tofu, there were plenty of fresh ideas. I did not see any ingredients that I would not be able to find at my local grocery store. One note, however, is that many of the dishes require considerable preparation and cooking times, a few are as high as 3 hours. However, I found the time in the kitchen well worth it when I tasted my final creations.

I would definitely recommend this recipe book to any vegan looking for some new menu items.

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