Veggie Blog

Some cookbooks endure because they suggest a way of enjoying food, not simply a collection of instructions. Anna Thomas’s The Vegetarian Epicure is one of those books. First published in 1972, it helped present vegetarian cooking as generous, pleasurable and worthy of a dinner party. The book remains an interesting window into the moment when meatless meals were gaining new visibility in American home kitchens.

Why is The Vegetarian Epicure still remembered?

Rather than portraying vegetables as a sacrifice, Thomas writes for people who love to cook and share meals. According to the current publisher description, it brings together 262 vegetarian dishes as well as suggestions for menus, entertaining and holidays. That combination gives the book a distinct personality: food is meant to be both delicious and sociable.

How does a 1970s vegetarian cookbook fit today?

Its historical perspective is part of its charm. Recipes written decades ago may use eggs, cheese, butter and cream more often than a modern vegan collection. Those ingredients fit a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, but not a vegan one. There is no reason to assume all of its dishes meet today’s individual nutrition needs. You can appreciate a classic while adjusting a recipe to suit your pantry, dietary preferences or occasion.

Ideas for cooking from the book

Approach it as a book to browse slowly. Choose a dish for a weekend meal, think about what other vegetables or grains you want to serve with it, and note which ingredients you would change next time. The NHS recommends variety and attention to nutrients such as iron and vitamin B12 in vegetarian diets. Those are modern general considerations, not claims that this particular cookbook addresses every nutritional requirement.

Original paperback or newer edition?

The Amazon link previously associated with this post refers to the early Vintage paperback, ISBN 0394717848. There is also a 2014 Vintage paperback, ISBN 9780804170543, that Penguin Random House currently offers. This is a newer edition of the same title, not The Vegetarian Epicure Book Two or The New Vegetarian Epicure, both of which are separate works. Check the ISBN so that you order the book you actually want.

Book: The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas

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