Veggie Blog

Book Description
Nobu’s restaurants are known the world over for the quality of their ingredients and for the skill and originality with which the food is prepared and presented. Now, in this first cookbook by Nobu to focus on vegetable dishes, the master chef shares his expertise and deep knowledge of Japanese cuisine in sixty recipes that showcase vegetables in all their variety.

Throughout the book, the emphasis is on fine and healthy Japanese dining. Nobu uses a wide range of cooking techniques—from marinating and pickling to steaming, roasting, boiling, frying, grating, etc.—to bring out the full flavors and textures of the vegetables. He also introduces tofu and yuba, both traditional Japanese ingredients made from soybeans, and offers ten recipes for vegetable sweets and fifteen for cocktails.

What kind of book is Nobu’s Vegetarian Cookbook?

The Amazon description says it is the first cookbook by Nobu to focus on vegetable dishes, with sixty recipes that showcase vegetables.

What recipes can I expect?

The emphasis is on fine and healthy Japanese dining. The book also introduces tofu and yuba, and offers ten recipes for vegetable sweets and fifteen for cocktails.

What can readers expect to find inside?

Cooking techniques named in the description include marinating, pickling, steaming, roasting, boiling, frying and grating.

Who is the author?

The title credits Nobu Matsuhisa, who the description calls a master chef as the author.

This summary is based on the book description on the Amazon page.

What does seaweed offer, and what about soy sauce?

Japanese-style vegetable dishes use seaweed, soy and rice. Seaweed is a natural source of iodine. The ODS iodine fact sheet lists seaweed among the foods rich in iodine, which matters for people who eat no fish or dairy.

Seaweed is best enjoyed as part of a varied diet, not in large daily amounts, particularly if you have a thyroid condition. Soy sauce, miso and pickles are very salty, so use them sparingly: the WHO salt-reduction page recommends less than five grams of salt a day for adults.

Fresh ingredients treated with skill are what the restaurant tradition prizes, and at home that means buying carefully, handling gently and keeping things simple. If you have thyroid disease, discuss seaweed intake with your doctor.

Related reading on this blog: Eating to Lower Cholesterol: Oats, Fruit, Beans and Healthy Fats and Diet and Fitness: How Carbs, Fat and Protein Fit Together

Book: Nobu’s Vegetarian Cookbook by Nobu Matsuhisa
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Book Description
When parents choose a vegetarian lifestyle for their child, it can set family fingers wagging in dietary disapproval. It’s no easier on steak-loving parents when Junior announces he’s sworn off meat. With the strategies in Raising Vegetarian Children, parents can ease family tensions and learn to accommodate the nutritional and emotional needs of their vegetarian offspring.

It includes a detailed explanation of the Vegetarian Food Pyramid and its vitamin- and protein-rich foods, allays concerns over dietary gaps, and is packed with recipes that will please any growing vegetarian, from infant to teenager.

What topics does it cover?

The book includes a detailed explanation of the Vegetarian Food Pyramid and its vitamin- and protein-rich foods, and it addresses concerns about dietary gaps. It also has recipes for growing vegetarians from infant to teenager.

Who is it for?

It speaks to parents who choose a vegetarian lifestyle for a child, and to parents of a child who announces he or she has stopped eating meat.

What kind of book is Raising Vegetarian Children?

The description says the book offers strategies for parents to ease family tensions and meet the nutritional and emotional needs of vegetarian children.

Who wrote it?

Joanne Stepaniak is the author listed in the title.

This summary of the book description is not medical advice.

How should vegetarian children’s nutrition be managed?

Children grow quickly, so their diets need enough energy and nutrients. The WHO fact sheet on healthy diet stresses how early nutrition affects growth and development. The MedlinePlus on vegetarian diets lists the nutrients for plant-based eaters to watch, including B12, iron, zinc and calcium.

Practical tips: offer a variety of foods from every group, include iron-rich foods such as beans and fortified cereal with a vitamin C source, and avoid filling small stomachs with low-calorie bulk. Let children help cook and choose meals, which makes them more likely to eat them.

Because family opinions can be strong, a paediatrician or registered dietitian can reassure everyone and check growth. Tell them what your child eats and follow advice about supplements.

More on this blog: Antioxidant Foods: Why Colorful Plants Beat Supplements and Vitamins and Your Health: Do You Need a Supplement?

Book: Raising Vegetarian Children by Joanne Stepaniak
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Book Description
Eating vegetarian doesn’t have to mean giving up the satisfaction of mouthwatering, stick-to-your-ribs comfort foods. The Vegetarian Meat & Potatoes Cookbook recasts classic all-American “meat and potatoes” food in a healthier role, from family-style foods to gourmet specialties to ethnic favorites. It will revolutionize the way you think about vegetarian food.

Who is the author?

Robin Robertson is the author listed in the title.

Which dishes does the description mention?

The range includes family-style foods, gourmet specialties and ethnic favorites.

What is this book about?

The description says the book shows that eating vegetarian does not mean giving up satisfying comfort food. It recasts classic American “meat and potatoes” food in a healthier role.

This summary is based on the book description on the Amazon page.

How can I make comfort food lighter?

Comfort dishes often depend on salt, fat and large portions. A few swaps lighten them without ruining the appeal. Roast potatoes in a little oil rather than deep-frying them, mash with warm milk or stock, and let herbs and mustard do some of the flavouring.

The WHO salt fact sheet says adults should eat less than five grams of salt a day, and that high sodium intake mainly raises blood pressure. The Harvard Nutrition Source page on sodium adds that processed foods supply a large share of sodium, so cooking from scratch gives you control.

Replace the meat with beans, lentils, mushrooms or tofu to keep the satisfying texture. If you have high blood pressure, kidney disease or heart failure, ask your doctor how much salt and fluid is right for you. Taste before adding salt at the table.

Baking, grilling and air-frying use less oil than frying, and thickening a sauce with puréed beans or vegetables gives body without cream. Keep the portion you love but serve it with a salad or steamed greens so that the plate is balanced.

More on this blog: Diet and Fitness: How Carbs, Fat and Protein Fit Together and Antioxidant Foods: Why Colorful Plants Beat Supplements

Book: The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook (Non) by Robin Robertson
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Book Description
The author of New Indian Home Cooking presents a fresh take on Indian recipes for vegans, vegetarians, and anyone who loves Southeast Asian cuisine.

Renowned nutritionist and cooking instructor Madhu Gadia delivers a wonderful new recipe collection that is perfect for vegans looking for fresh ideas, as well as anyone who savors healthy, light recipes that don?t compromise on authenticity. Unlike most Indian vegetarian cookbooks, this unique collection avoids dairy and eggs, highlighting vegetables, and making use of soy products and other simple substitutions. It also offers nutritional analyses, as well as notes on serving, history, and variations.

What kind of book is The Indian Vegan Kitchen?

According to the description, it presents a fresh take on Indian recipes for vegans, vegetarians and anyone who loves Southeast Asian cuisine.

Who is the author?

Madhu Gadia, who the description calls a nutritionist and cooking instructor and the author of New Indian Home Cooking is the author listed in the title.

Who is this book written for?

It names vegans looking for fresh ideas and anyone who likes healthy, light recipes that do not compromise on authenticity.

What is inside the book?

Unlike most Indian vegetarian cookbooks, the description says this collection avoids dairy and eggs, highlights vegetables and uses soy products and other simple substitutions. It also offers nutritional analyses and notes on serving, history and variations.

Everything above comes from the book description on its Amazon page.

How can vegans get enough calcium and B12?

Dairy is the main calcium source for many people, so vegans need alternatives. The ODS fact sheet on calcium names kale, broccoli, bok choy and calcium-fortified products such as soy and almond drinks and some brands of tofu. It warns that you should check the label to see if calcium has been added.

Ingredients that fit include tofu, sesame seeds, leafy greens and legumes. B12 is the larger challenge, since only animal foods have it naturally. Fortified foods or a supplement are the usual route, and a doctor can test your level.

A cookbook can give you flavour and variety but not a nutrient plan, so consult a registered dietitian if you follow a vegan diet long term, are pregnant or are raising children.

Related reading on this blog: Eating to Lower Cholesterol: Oats, Fruit, Beans and Healthy Fats and Diet and Fitness: How Carbs, Fat and Protein Fit Together

Book: The Indian Vegan Kitchen by Madhu Gadia
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Book Description
Finally back in print–the definitive volume on Indian vegetarian cooking. Created by a noted author and lecturer, Lord Krishna’s Cuisine features more than 500 recipes, filled with fresh produce and herbs, delicate spices, hot curries, and homemade dairy products. All recipes are based on readily available ingredients and have been scrupulously adapted for American kitchens. The recipes are enlivened by the author’s anecdotes and personal reminiscences of her years in India, including stories of gathering recipes from royal families and temple cooks, which had been jealously guarded for centuries. Hailed by Gourmet as “definitive,” and as “a marvelous source for vegetarians” by Bon Appetit, Devi has created the landmark work on the world’s most sophisticated vegetarian cuisine. Repackaged and evocatively illustrated, Lord Krishna’s Cuisine unlocks the mysteries of the most healthful and delicious recipes of the world.

What is Lord Krishna’s Cuisine about?

The description calls it the “definitive volume on Indian vegetarian cooking”, created by a noted author and lecturer, and says it is back in print.

What else is in the book besides recipes?

The recipes are accompanied by the author’s anecdotes and personal memories of her years in India, including stories of gathering recipes from royal families and temple cooks.

What kinds of recipes does it include?

It has more than 500 recipes using fresh produce and herbs, delicate spices, hot curries and homemade dairy products. All are described as based on readily available ingredients and adapted for American kitchens.

Who wrote it?

The author named in the title is Yamuna Devi. The description says Gourmet called the book “definitive” and Bon Appetit called it “a marvelous source for vegetarians”.

This summary is based on the book description on the Amazon page.

What does lacto-vegetarian mean?

Indian vegetarian cooking is often lacto-vegetarian, which means plant foods plus dairy. The MedlinePlus entry on vegetarian diets defines it that way, and says that eggs and dairy provide the most vitamin B12, which is an advantage over strict vegan diets.

Milk, yoghurt, paneer and ghee feature in many dishes, along with legumes, vegetables, spices and grains. Dairy is a convenient source of calcium and protein, though it also contains saturated fat, so low-fat versions may suit some people.

Large recipe collections can be heavy on cream, ghee and fried foods, so balance them with simpler dishes. People with lactose intolerance or a milk allergy should check ingredients. If you have high cholesterol or diabetes, ask your doctor or dietitian how much dairy suits you.

Related reading on this blog: Eating to Lower Cholesterol: Oats, Fruit, Beans and Healthy Fats and Diet and Fitness: How Carbs, Fat and Protein Fit Together

Book: Lord Krishna’s Cuisine by Yamuna Devi
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)