Book Review

The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without
By Mollie Katzen
Reviewed by Tammie Ortlieb

One word sprang from my mouth when I unwrapped Mollie Katzen's The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without. Yay!! This is a fun book with a cover full of color and veggies, just a tease of the good times to come. The recipes are in alphabetical order according to vegetable so right away I flipped to the B's. B for broccoli. I would throw myself in front of the proverbial bus for broccoli. Let's see... Broccoli Dipped in Wonderful Peanut Sauce; Broccoli with Garlic, Dried Tomatoes, and Lemon; or Broccoli, Apples, & Red Onion in Honey-Mustard Marinade? Mmmm, where to begin?

In true Katzen fashion, the book follows a chatty style and includes plenty of hand drawings. I especially appreciated the sketches of veggies I'm not too familiar with. Good to know, for example, what an endive looks like before I stuff it full of cranberries (page 56 under Grilled, Filled Endive with Cranberry-Speckled Green Rice just in case you were wondering). I was thankful, too, for the tips on working in some extra vegetables to the day's fare (just throw a bit of leftovers into hollowed out baked potatoes). Hey, I may be a vegetarian but that doesn't mean I eat ALL of my veggies.

While the recipes are tasty and utilize ingredients you could most likely grab from your fridge or pantry, I doubt the youngest members of the family will enjoy more than a handful. The dishes, in my opinion, are more to a grown up's liking. Even precocious little vegans who can pronounce veggies most of their peers have never even heard of may not care for the likes of Very Green Rice (an acquired taste) or Nut-Crusted Portabello Fritters. My teens and tweener, however, did confess to wishing I would make the Oven Ratatouille and Vanilla Maple Sweet Potatoes again some time. Who knows? I may even surprise them with the Oven-"fried" Sweet Potatoes.

As far as my own veggie ventures, I can say that I am now a proud lover of brussel sprouts thanks to Katzen's Crispy-Edged Brussels Sprouts. Did I say yum? Give me a second, though, to adjust to the idea of actually liking these green goodies before I work up the gumption to try Braised Brussels Sprouts in Maple Mustard Sauce or Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Hazelnuts.

With easy to follow steps and manageable numbers of ingredients, these recipes could easily fit into a busy mom's dinner plan. While not strictly vegan, most recipes lend themselves easily to altering. And if you're a by the book type of cook, no worries, there are plenty of non ovo-lacto choices as well. Grab your car keys and take along some money for a green tea soy latte. This is one cookbook you will enjoy poring over in the bookstore before plunking down a little hard earned cash.

Try these recipes from The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without:
Potato, Turnip, & Carrot Gratin with Garlic-Herb Béchamel Sauce
Eggplant, Green Beans, Pumpkin, and Basil in Coconut-Tomato Curry

Buy It Now!

Tammie Ortlieb is a freelance writer with a Masters Degree in Developmental Psychology. Her work has appeared in VegNews, Veggie Life, Vegetarian Baby and Child Online Magazine, and Mothering.com. She resides in southwest Michigan with her omnivorous husband, three terrific teenagers- two veg, one wannabe-, and a you-tell-em-like-it-is-sister future green revolutionist fabulous fourth grader.

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