I love cookbooks, and I have entirely too many of them. There are cookbooks that are like travelogues, cookbooks that inspire, cookbooks that educate. There are cookbooks full of food porn. I've got all of these and more.Then there are cookbooks I actually use. I only have a few of these.
My favorite is Jeanne Lemlin's classic Quick Vegetarian Pleasures. Bought used more than ten years ago from City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, it was my first cookbook of married, domesticated life. It got wide use not only because of the thrift of its ingredients and the ease with which they're combined. Mostly we used it three or four times a week because just about everything in it turns out delicious.
Our all-time favorite: Vegetable cous-cous. The easiest, tastiest dish you'll ever make for potlucks or easy dinners. The vegetarian lasagna is legendary in my circle. The braised fennel. Grated zucchini saute. It all works. It's all tasty. None of it is complicated.
Published in 1992, this volume was awarded the James Beard Cookbook of the Year award. And little wonder. Lemlin's book is one of those little gems of an everyday cookbook.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-15-2008 @ 3:13PM
Miranda said...
This is the first cookbook I ever bought (over 20 years ago) and I still have it and use it.
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3-15-2008 @ 3:13PM
Fran said...
I acquired a copy of this book from a friend who sent a copy to every person who said they liked a dish made from a recipe in the book. It is referred to in our circle as "the green book" because most of us also have "the orange book" which focuses on entrees (The original softcover printing of "Main Course Vegetarian Pleasures" had an orange cover) and "the yellow book" which is Lemlin's "Simple Vegetarian Pleasures." I highly recommend them all!
I think Marisa would have fun looking at not only where the most splatter-stains are, but where the bindings have broken from so much use! But she won't find MY copies at any used-book sale!
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3-15-2008 @ 11:26PM
Kitty said...
I love this book! I found a new copy at Barnes and Noble a few years ago, and I use it all the time. The blueberry kuchen is amazing (easy and tasty), the penne with chickpeas and spinach in a garlic sauce is quick and impressive for guests and there's a rice dish with cashews that so reminds me of the vegetable biryani from my local Indian restaurant. I highly recommend this book.
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