"AlmostMeatless" news and stories

Many moons ago, I worked at a large non-profit here in Philadelphia. It was an organization that supported the work of doctors and scientists. It wasn't really my ideal place of employment, but I was new to the city and freshly out of college, so I was grateful for what I could get. While the job and I never clicked, I did mean some wonderful people during my 18 months there, including the delightful Joy Manning. She wasn't well-suited for her job there either, and not long after I left, headed off in the direction of a food writing career (she's currently the restaurant critic at Philadelphia Magazine, so I'd say she's hitting the mark quite successfully).

In addition to her work with Philly Mag (among other publications), Joy has recently published her first cookbook (which was co-written with Tara Matazara Desmond). Called Almost Meatless, it's the cookbook so that so many of us have been looking for lately. It offers a slew of thoughtful, healthy recipes that don't skimp when it comes to flavor but use minimal amounts of meat, keeping them better for you and the planet.

I've had the book in my hands all of 24 hours now, and I've already market it up with sticky notes and torn pieces of paper. There are a few recipes that are immediately demanding I make them, including the Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie (page 20), the African Peanut Stew (page 35) and the Grits Roulade (page 122).

If you have a few extra dollars earmarked for a new cookbook this month, I highly recommend that you consider this one. I can't stress enough how accessible, thoughtful and delicious it is (and I'm not just saying that because I know Joy). It's official release date is Monday sometime in April, but it's available for pre-order on Amazon right now (for $15.30). Additionally, if you want more terrific recipes from these two authors, make sure to check out their regular column over at Serious Eats, called Meat Lite.