[.ca] Occasional Vegetarian (ISBN 0446674524)

great ideas, results not so great:
This book is very appealing to read through and the recipes look great -- but I just didn't get good results with it. One of my particular peeves is that her dressings are too sharp and sour, because she cuts the oil to keep the fat down. But you can't just remove oil without compensating in some way -- you have to replace it with fruit juice, broth, corn syrup or something else and balance the dressing carefully to make sure it still tastes good. It's definitely possible to make good-tasting low-fat food -- but not necessarily with this book!

Vegetarian with Asian and Mediterrean influences:
Why the "Occasional" in the title? The author herself is not vegetarian, but she appreciates meatless dinners for both health and flavor reasons. She set about writing a cookbook that would introduce meat-eaters to more healthy alternatives and to provide satisfying recipes for vegetarians. This book is not meant to address the specific dietary needs of strict vegetarians, but then, most vegetarians already know how to eat healthfully. In any case, vegetarian and non-vegetarians alike will find much to satisfy their hunger within these pages. Some of these recipes are exceedingly simple, while others require more preparation time. Very few recipes take up more than a page of fairly large-font text. I love Fiery Black-Eyed Pea Salad, Pasta with Marsala and Wild Mushrooms, Curried Couscous with Vegetables and Chickpeas, and "Cream" of Carrot Soup, a dish with no dairy products but with a creamy texture. You'll find recipes for bruschetta, stuffed cherry tomatoes, and baked acorn squash - the type of foods you find in many a cookbook but never really consider their vegetarian nature. Some dishes I tried were too bland, but most turned out well. Desserts, of course, are easily vegetarian - who would think of putting meat in trifle as seen in an episode of "Friends? - but Lee has selected most of her desserts for their lower fat counts. Of course, calories are calories. Vegans will find several recipes that suit their needs, or which they can modify, but all in all might be disappointed with the limited number of recipes they can use. Other vegetarians and people who wish to limit their meat consumption should find this cookbook a real treat.

This is the number one cookbook in my house!:
I love this cookbook! Every single recipe is great and tasty. Although some are not the quickest to prepare, nor use ingredients you'd 'usually' have in the pantry, Lee has given me a new outlook on produce and preparation methods. While every dish is delicious, you can be assured that it is healthy, too. My favorites include: stir fried rice and ginger cookies.

I wish the authors would write another!:
It's amazing that such simple recipes could produce such delicious food. I go mostly for the side dishes, due to a husband who does not believe a meal is complete unless there is a dead animal on his plate. The artichoke vinaigrette is indeed delicious. Other recipes that I turn to over and over are the green beans (or haricot verts) with slivered almonds and the shiitake mushrooms and snow peas (which takes about 10 seconds to make). I will definitely try the dishes recommended by the other readers as well.

Great introductory cookbook for vegetarians and non-:
I purchased this book a few years ago at the insistence of my sister, who owned it. Now my parents and my sisters own it, as well as numerous friends -- and I'm the only vegetarian in the bunch. In fact, whenever someone expresses interest in vegetarian cooking (or frustration with figuring out how to handle family meals with a new vegetarian in the family), I suggest this cookbook. I also suggest it to people who want to try interesting recipes or make cooking a fun, creative experience. The food itself is good, and her recipes are thorough (nothing worse than trying to figure out exactly what the author means me to do next). In fact, it wasn't until I read her explanation for including the Drop Dead Chocolate Cake recipe that I discovered this was a low-fat cookbook. I wouldn't be as bold as some of the other reviewers in saying that all of the ingredients are ones I keep on-hand. It probably depends on how you cook and your access to produce (but most are readily acquired at a good health food store). In fact, this cookbook probably introduced me to 'fancier' cooking -- e.g., roasting my cumin seeds then grinding them as needed, portabello mushrooms, reggiano parmesan, risotto. As one reviewer mentioned, she has great tips about cleaning mushrooms, buying parmesan, etc. And when the recipe calls for roasted red bell peppers, she refers the user to a recipe for roasting bell peppers (or cumin seeds, for that matter) in the Basics section of the cookbook. I have found that her preparation times aren't exactly accurate and, beyond that, certainly don't account for the time of, e.g., roasting bell peppers if she calls for them in the ingredients. And this isn't exactly a meal-in-a-minute cookbook. Several of my favorite recipes only take 20 minutes, but that is not her general aim, I don't think. She also provides menu suggestions which include meat options (e.g., serve as a side dish with chicken) for people who do eat meat (or for 'mixed' meals/families who want to provide both options). I strongly recommend this cookbook. It's the one most often used in my house and the homes of many of my family.