CookBook Review

This is my first cookbook that I bought a few years back when I first started cooking. Yeah, Cooking!Finding a good vegetarian book can be a challenge in the US. At the time, I was searching for one that has different cuisines and some unique dishes and bumped into this book in a local book store.

Vegetarian the best ever recipe collection By Linda Fraser (Anness Publishing) has a wide range of recipes starting from Soups to appetizers to pastas and one pot meals. The difficulty level ranges from very easy to some what difficult. It also contains some Indian dishes like Chickpea curry, Vegetarian Pilaf, Eggplant Biryani. The recipes are enticing and the pictures beautiful .Most of the dishes are not complex and are not time consuming. The book is divided into 7 segments-Soups, Appetizers, Salads, Side Dishes, Light Lunches, Suppers and Special Occasions. In the beginning of the book, there is a good introduction of the veggies, dairy products, flours and grains and also about the canned products. The recipes are very well detailed. It has a combination of deep fried, baked and steamed dishes.
I have tried many of the recipes and I was happy with the results. For instance, I liked her take on Minestrone soup with the addition of Pesto which is a light soup but with a lot of rich flavor.This is a great book for any body who wants to get a mix of all cuisines!
Now,let me stir your appetite by naming some of the dishes from the book:

Soups: Split Pea and Zucchini Soup; Carrot and Cilantro Soup; Garlic, Chickpea, Spinach Soup..

Salads: Pear and Pecan Salad with Blue Cheese; Spanish Asparagus & Orange Salad; Tomato and Feta Cheese Salad; Fennel, Orange & Arugula Salad..

Appetizers: Eggplant Dip with Crisp Bread; Spring Rolls; Cheese stuffed Pears…

Side Dishes: Baby Vegetables; Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts; Thai Fragrant Rice; Spicy Potatoes &Cauliflower..

Lunches and Suppers:Potato Gnocchi; Vegetable Fajitas; Risotto w/Mushrooms; Eggplant Calzone; Ravioli w/Ricotta &Spinach; Pizza w/fresh Vegetables; Vegetable Korma…

Special Occasions: Greek Phyllo Twists; Spring Vegetable Boxes...

What I like: The instructions with the pictures are very clear and the dishes are relatively easy to make.
Did not like: I wish it had some fruity desserts
Something for you folks to try: I have tried this dish. Infact this is my first dish that I baked. It came out quite well, I thought!
2 Baking potatoes
2 tbsps olive oil
2 garlic cloves,crushed
1 tsp ground all spice/garam masala (I substituted garam masala for all spice
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dip
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
7 ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 fresh red chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus extra to garnish

Preheat the oven to 400F.Wash the potatoes. Cut them in half and then into 8 wedges. Place the potato wedges in a saucepan of cold water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 min, or until potatoes have softened slightly. Drain well and pat dry on paper towels. Mix the oil, garlic, all spice, coriander and paprika in a roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and shake to coat thoroughly. Roast for 20 mts, turning occasionally. Meanwhile, make the chile dip. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic and cook for 5-10 min, until soft and golden. Add the tomatoes with their juice and stir in the chile and vinegar.Cook gently for 10 min, until the mixture has reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cilantro and serve hot, with the potato wedges. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and garnish with cilantro.
If I were to rate this book on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best, I would give it a 7. Its worth the price!
This is my entry to the WYF:Cookbook Reviews hosted by EC.

Have fun!
Shri