Veggie Blog

Book Description
THE STEP-BY-STEP COOKBOOK THAT: Shows You What Each Dish Should Look Like, Teaches You Exactly What To Do, and Tells You How Long It Will Take.

What can readers expect to find inside?

It says the book shows what each dish should look like, teaches exactly what to do and tells you how long it will take.

What does Perfect Vegetarian cover?

The description calls it a step-by-step cookbook by Anne Willan.

This summary is based on the book description on the Amazon page. The description is short, so check the Amazon page for the full contents.

What basic techniques make a cookbook easier to follow?

Step-by-step cookbooks that show what each dish should look like are useful for building skills. Five basics carry most recipes: read the recipe through before you start, prepare ingredients first, keep knives sharp, taste as you go and clean up as you cook.

Hygiene and cross-contamination belong in that list. The FDA produce-safety advice advises washing hands for at least 20 seconds, washing produce under running water, and using separate cutting boards for produce and raw meat.

Timing is a skill too. Many recipes give times that depend on your pan, hob and the size of the pieces, so use them as guides and check doneness by sight, smell, texture and, where relevant, a thermometer. If you cook for people with allergies, check labels and keep utensils separate.

Equipment matters less than habits. A sharp knife, a large pot, a frying pan, a baking tray, a chopping board and a food thermometer cover most recipes. Measure with spoons and cups until you know how much a handful really is, and note changes you make, such as less salt or a longer roasting time, so the next attempt improves. Most dishes can be rescued with a little acid, salt, herbs or more time on the heat.

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: Perfect Vegeterian by Anne Willan
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Book Description:
If you’re a vegetarian who thought slow cookers were just for met-eaters, Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker will introduce you to the wonders of slow cooking. And if you’re already a slow cooker enthusiast, here’s a while new array of healthy, delicious recipes for a favorite appliance. Slow cookers can be used for a lot more than just tough, inexpensive cuts of meat. They’re perfect for vegetarian and healthy cooking because slow cooking is a foolproof way to make beans, grains, numerous vegetables, and much, much more.

What is inside the book?

According to the description, slow cookers can do more than cook tough cuts of meat and that slow cooking suits beans, grains and many vegetables. It calls slow cooking a “foolproof way” to make them.

What does Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker cover?

The Amazon description says it introduces vegetarians to slow cooking, and offers a new array of healthy recipes for people who already use a slow cooker.

Who is behind Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker?

Robin Robertson is named as the author in the title.

Who is this book written for?

It speaks to vegetarians who thought slow cookers were just for meat-eaters and to slow cooker enthusiasts.

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

How do I use a slow cooker safely for vegetarian meals?

A slow cooker saves time, and the USDA FSIS slow cookers guide covers the points that matter. Start with a clean cooker and utensils, wash your hands and keep perishable ingredients refrigerated until you need them.

Choose dishes with plenty of liquid, such as chilli, soup, stew or sauce, and keep the lid on, removing it only to stir or check. The guide says that if the power goes out while you are away, you should throw the food away even if it looks done.

Afterwards, refrigerate leftovers in shallow covered containers within two hours, and reheat on the stove, in the microwave or oven to 165°F instead of in the slow cooker. Use dry beans only if you know how your cooker handles them, and follow the manufacturer’s directions.

Related on this blog: Antioxidant Foods: Why Colorful Plants Beat Supplements and Eating to Lower Cholesterol: Oats, Fruit, Beans and Healthy Fats

Book: Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson
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Book Description:
An invaluable companion to the Vegetarian Cooking series, Eating Vegetarian is a concise introduction to the many health benefits and enjoyments of a vegetarian diet. Mouthwatering recipes are illustrated with step-by-step sequences to ensure that even the most inexperienced cook can create delicious, beautiful and nutritious meals.

Is it suitable for beginners?

The step-by-step sequences are described as helping even “the most inexperienced cook” make nutritious meals.

Who is behind Eating Vegetarian?

The title credits Gail Duff as the author.

What kind of book is Eating Vegetarian?

The description calls it a companion to the Vegetarian Cooking series and a concise introduction to the health benefits and enjoyments of a vegetarian diet.

Which dishes does the description mention?

The recipes are illustrated with step-by-step sequences.

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

Why does fibre matter, and how much do I need?

Plant-based diets tend to be rich in fibre, which comes only from plants. The WHO fact sheet on healthy diet recommends at least 25 grams a day for people over ten. The Harvard fiber page lists whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables and nuts as sources.

If your current intake is low, increase it gradually and drink enough water, as a sudden jump can cause gas, bloating or cramps. Spreading fibre across the day, and across different foods, helps your gut adjust.

Concise introductions to vegetarian eating often pair recipes with an outline of benefits; judge any claim by whether it names an independent source. If you have bowel disease or take regular medicines, ask your doctor about changing your fibre intake. Add a glass of water with each increase.

Good everyday sources include oats, lentils, chickpeas, raspberries, pears, broccoli, almonds and whole-wheat bread. Swapping white rice or pasta for brown or whole-wheat versions is one of the simpler changes, and leaving the skin on washed apples, pears and potatoes adds a little more.

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

Book: Eating Vegetarian by Gail Duff
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Book Description:
Introducing a new voice in vegetarian cooking. Packed with 1,000 recipes that are seductive, sexy, and utterly delicious, Passionate Vegetarian covers all the bases of meatless cooking, from east (Stir Fry of Asparagus with Black Bean-Ginger Sauce), west (Talk of the Town Barbecued Tofu), from the Mediterranean (Swiss Chard with Raisins, Onions & Olives) to the American South (Black-Eyed Pea Ragovt). You’ll find lush lasagnas; plump pierogies; bountiful burgers, beans, and breads; pleasing pasta and pies. You’ll spoon up soups and stews, and delight in desserts from simple to swoonworthy.

Written by longtime vegetarian Crescent Dragonwagon, author of Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread Cookbook, Passionate Vegetarian employs innovative methods (try “Ri-sort-ofs,” in which risotto technique is used to create splendid, richly flavored grain dishes built around not just rice but also barley, buckwheat, spelt, and even toasted oats with an array of seasonings) and introduces lesser-known ingredients (get to know and love not just tofu and tempeh but a whole new generation of soyfoods, as well as “Quick Fixes” like instant bean flakes). Opinionated, passionate, and deeply personal, Ms. Dragonwagon’s tantalizing headnotes will have readers rushing to the kitchen to start cooking. (Can her over-the-top Garlic Spaghetti really be that good? It is.)

Whether you’re a committed vegetarian, a dedicated vegan (most recipes offer low-fat and vegan options), or a food-loving omnivore in search of something new and wonderful, this is not just vegetarian cooking–but cooking, period–at its most creative, inspiring, and exuberant.

Book: Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon
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Book Description:
Part memoir, nutritional primer, and political manifesto, this controversial examination exposes the destructive history of agriculture—causing the devastation of prairies and forests, driving countless species extinct, altering the climate, and destroying the topsoil—and asserts that, in order to save the planet, food must come from within living communities. In order for this to happen, the argument champions eating locally and sustainably and encourages those with the resources to grow their own food. Further examining the question of what to eat from the perspective of both human and environmental health, the account goes beyond health choices and discusses potential moral issues from eating—or not eating—animals. Through the deeply personal narrative of someone who practiced veganism for 20 years, this unique exploration also discusses alternatives to industrial farming, reveals the risks of a vegan diet, and explains why animals belong on ecologically sound farms.

What does The Vegetarian Myth cover?

The description calls it a controversial book that is part memoir, part nutritional primer and part political manifesto. It examines the history of agriculture and argues that food should come from living communities.

What does the author argue?

According to the description, the book argues for eating locally and sustainably and encourages those with the resources to grow their own food. It also discusses moral issues around eating or not eating animals. The description says it reveals the risks of a vegan diet and explains why animals belong on ecologically sound farms. Those are the author’s arguments as the description states them, not claims made here.

Whose story does it tell?

According to the description, the book is told through the personal narrative of someone who practiced veganism for 20 years.

Who wrote it?

According to the title, the book is by Lierre Keith.

This summary of the book description is not medical advice.

How should I read a book that challenges vegetarianism?

A book can argue that agriculture, ethics or nutrition makes a vegetarian diet a poor choice. Read it as an argument and compare its claims against independent sources. For nutrition, check what health agencies say about nutrient needs on a plant-based diet: the MedlinePlus vegetarian diet page encourages people who avoid animal foods to pay attention to B12, zinc, iron and calcium, which shows that planning matters.

People thrive on many dietary patterns, and individual needs vary with age, health, pregnancy and cultural background.

Do not stop prescribed medicines or make big dietary changes based on a single book. A doctor or registered dietitian can look at your blood tests and history and discuss which pattern suits you.

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 Myth by Lierre Keith
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)