100 Best
Vegetarian Recipes

(A Wiley hardback)ss

By Carol Gelles

A review by Marty Martindale

A few years back Carol Gelles wrote her highly acclaimed 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes. The cookbook won both the Julia Child and James Beard awards. Now Gelles brings you her top favorites in a more concise, handy-sized book.

On one handy page she defines the different degrees of vegetarianism – pesco-lacto-ovo, lacto-ovo, ovo and vegan or strict vegetarian. In another section she lines out menus and classifies them for the experiences they are. Probably, most helpful of all are her thoughtful headnotes. These can share a memory she has of the food, a tip for easier preparation or some variations you might wish to try.  

Here is a summary of the summary recipes:  

CREAMY MUSHROOM PATE:
Calls for butter, shallots, wild mushrooms, parsley, savory or thyme, cream cheese and heavy cream 

POTATO SALAD:
Cooked potatoes, mayonnaise, yogurt, cider vinegar, onion and spice brown mustard 

BUTTERMILK BROCCOLI SOUP:
Oil, leeks, broth, broccoli, fresh dill, white rice, buttermilk and fresh ground red pepper 

FOUR-IN-ONE TOMATO SOUP:
Oil, onion, tart apples, curry powder, coriander, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, tomatoes, broth and brown sugar 

LENTIL SPINACH SOUP:
Lentils, carrots, celery, onion, celery leaves, bay leaf, spinach, fresh basil, celery salt, garlic, poultry seasoning and vegetable bouillon powder 

CURRIED CHICKPEAS AND KALE:
Ghee, onions, garlic, cumin, kale, curry powder, ginger, coriander, broth, chickpeas and chopped tomatoes 

MACARONI AND THREE CHEESES:
Elbow macaroni, butter, flour, milk Cheddar cheese, Gouda, mozzarella, Worcestershire sauce (anchovy-free) and dry bread crumbs 

PASTA PUTTANESCA:
Olive oil, onion, garlic, canned whole tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, crushed red pepper, pitted black olives, parsley, capers and thin pasta 

RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE:
Broth, Marsala, saffron, butter, onion, Arborio rice and Parmesan cheese 

NOODLES WITH PEANUT SAUCE:
Lo Mein noodles, peanut butter, soy sauce, mirin, apple cider vinegar, sugar, chili oil, garlic and scallions 

ASPARAGUS WITH WALNUTS AND BROWNED BUTTER:
Walnuts, asparagus, butter and lemon zest 

LIME SAUTEED JICAMA WITH GRAPES:
Butter, jicama, lime juice, seedless grapes, cilantro,  and lime zest

AUTUMN BROWN RICE:
Rice, butternut squash, chopped walnuts or pecans, dried cranberries and honey 

At the back of Gelles book, she offers brush-up advice of cooking vegetables, potato basics, the variations found when cooking grains, rice and beans.

Marty Martindale’s food site is:  FOOD SITE OF THE DAY.