It doesn't have to be meat to be a treat (The Cranks Bible: A Timeless Collection of Vegetarian Recipes - Nadine Abensur)

Member Name: Neenawneenaw

Product:	The Cranks Bible: A Timeless Collection of Vegetarian Recipes - Nadine Abensur
Date:	12/05/09 (17 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great recipes clearly written in a relaxed style; some interesting flavours & ingredients

Disadvantages: A few more pics of recipes would be nice

Some people think vegetarian food is dull, worthy and generally second best to something (anything!) with meat or fish. Others are completely vegetarian, whether on principle, for health reasons or just because they prefer it. I'm somewhere in the middle. I certainly enjoy meat, fish and the like, but reasonably often will choose to cook and eat something veggie.

The thing I love about this book is, the author - as well as being an imaginative and inspired cook - is very confident about her vegetarianism. So she doesn't feel the need to try to make poor imitations of non-veggie dishes, or justify anyone's principles. She just gets on with providing a delicious array of meat-free recipes. together with several little chapter odes to ingredients she particularly loves.

There is a fabulous variety of recipes, ranging from delicious versions of simple classics (asparagus with hollandaise sauce) to full-on dinner party stunners. There are fairly strong Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences, which feature in some of my favourites from this book, e.g. a Persian-style biriyani - fabulously layered dish of vegetable curry with coconut milk covered with rice with nuts and dried fruit and topped with yoghurt and finally baked in the oven. This is an example of the more time-consuming kind of recipe, but I remember four of us eating enough for eight because it tasted so good.

You can also mix and match things quite easily. For example I often make a simpler curry using the base of the above recipe. And the author is very good at giving quick alternatives to make a change (such as different vegetables to cook in a farinata - a bit like a kind of baked tortilla made with chick pea flour.

And Abensur is also a mean hand at tasty desserts. Chocolate tart with crystallised ginger anyone? Other chapters include spring vegetables, autumn & winter veg, pasta & grains, pulses, chocolate. I can't think of a single thing I've cooked from here that hasn't been really tasty!

Summary: Great veggie recipe book without a chip on its shoulder - a joy to read and eat from!