Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook or Macaroni and Cheese

Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook: 275 Hearty and Healthy Meat-Free Recipes for Burgers, Steaks, Stews, Chilis, Casseroles, Pot Pies, Curries, Pizza, Pasta and Other Stick-to-Your-Ribs Favorites

Author: Robin Robertson

This book will change the way people think about vegetarian food, a cuisine not usually associated with indulgence. Robin Robertson has developed 275 recipes for mouthwatering, soul-satisfying dishes that feed the hunger without the meat.

Publishers Weekly

Robertson is out to seduce unrepentant carnivores with vegetarian dishes that satisfy those essential animal-fat qualities: intense flavor, luxurious texture, and the comforting sensation of a full stomach. She devotes a whole chapter to "steaks" and another to "stews," making abundant use of high-protein products like tempeh, seitan and tofu. She also relies heavily on ingredients high in natural flavor-enhancing glutamates, like mushroom and tomatoes. Robertson is hearteningly forthright about the limitations of vegetarian cuisine: "I won't try to tell you that grilled tofu can taste like filet mignon. It's not going to happen." Still, in general she ratchets taste up a notch higher and a step further away from the steamed, seasoning-free non-cuisine that once was American vegetarianism. Some are based on the classic ginger-garlic-soy sauce building blocks of Chinese cooking (e.g., Shiitake-Stuffed Tofu Steaks with Hoisin Glaze). She freely borrows high-voltage ingredients from Latin cuisine (Chipotle-Avocado Dip) and Southeast Asian (Wheat-Meat Satays with spicy Peanut Sauce). There's an occasional nod to French cuisine ("Fauxscargots") and New American (Balsamic-Glazed Stuffed Mushrooms, Roasted Red Pepper and Potato Napoleons). Attempting to keep things simple, Robertson sometimes overeconomizes on instructions; anyone making homemade seitan should be warned about the soupy, wrong-looking mess you get halfway through the process. But none are irreparable and most deliver the promised punch. Robertson's easygoing attitude readily beats a path to the heart through the taste buds, and even the most stalwart carnivores will likely find themselves enjoying the ride despite themselves. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Go to: Napkins with A Twist or Alcoholica Esoterica

Macaroni and Cheese

Author: Marlena Spieler

From the kitchen that brought us the I-have-never-seen-anything-yummier Grilled Cheese comes the it-just-got-yummier Macaroni & Cheese. The kid-friendly favorite is now being spotted at the trendiest restaurants around town, and this fantastic cookbook has it all. More than 50 classics range from the tried-and-true Yankee Doodle Dandy Baked Macaroni and Cheese and quick to prepare specialties such as the yodel-worthy Alpine Macaroni with Appenzeller and Cr me Fra che to international specialties like Giuvetchi, a Greek dish of orzo in a cinnamon tomato sauce with lamb and kasseri, myzithra, and feta cheeses. There are even a few dessert versions like Falooda, a traditional Indian treat, this one using ricotta and sweet vermicelli, with cherries and a touch of cardamom. Recipes for side salads and soups help round out a balanced meal. Mac & cheese it'll always please.