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Today's Topics:

1. Vegetarian cooking, minus the crunchy persona (Jamie R)


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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2009 15:29:46 -0700
From: Jamie R <craftncook@...>
Subject: [Soups-N-Stews] Vegetarian cooking, minus the crunchy persona
To: Clipping-Cooking@...,
Vegetarian-For-All@...,
Cookbook-Cookery@..., Soups-N-Stews@...
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Baxter Bulletin

Vegetarian cooking, minus the crunchy persona

MICHELE KAYAL For The Associated Press July 1, 2009

Vegetarian cooking outgrew its Birkenstocks long ago, but as
Americans combat obesity and even financial strain, meatless meals
are becoming mainstream. Several excellent new cookbooks explore the
complexities of vegetarian cuisine in ways that will tempt even the
most devout carnivores.

Chef Maria Elia's "The Modern Vegetarian" (Kyle Books, 2009) is the
book for home cooks who remain unmoved by cauliflower soup and lentil
loaf. Lush photography in saturated hues - jewel-like tomatoes in
gold, green and red; a nearly emerald watermelon set against
aquamarine - offers a vision of vegetarian cooking that is rich,
silky and deeply textured. And the recipes deliver.

Indian, Asian and Middle Eastern flavors inspire many of the guide's
more than 120 recipes, but each is distinct and highly original.
Dukkah-rolled soft-boiled eggs riff on an Egyptian seasoning of
chopped nuts, seeds and spices for an appetizer or light meal layered
with intensity. Coconut-braised Chinese cabbage leaves offer a
creamy, ginger-spiked alternative to your average stir-fry. And the
Capri lemon pasta with peas, fava beans and asparagus remains bright,
lemony and beautiful to look at, even when edamame are substituted
for the fava beans.

Which points to the book's greatest strength: flexibility. Elia, a
staple of food television in Britain, eagerly encourages
substitutions and flavor exploration. Her recipes are decidedly short
on strict directives and on health-food store ingredients. Instead,
she aims to make ordinary cooks comfortable with the power of
meatless dishes, and with their own ability to coax them to their
full potential.

Incomplete instructions hamper a few of the recipes. But Elia cheers
her readers so passionately toward improvisation that winging it
should be a breeze.

Also worth considering:

# "Short-Cut Vegan" by Lorna Sass (William Morrow, 2009)

This straightforward book skips the diatribes and mushy dissertations
of many vegan cookbooks and goes right to the stove. What the
workaday recipes sometimes lack in inventiveness, they make up for
with ease of preparation, an excellent tutorial on healthful
shortcuts and tips for a properly stocked pantry.

# "Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American
Cuisine" by Bryant Terry (Da Capo, 2009)

With 150 catchy and creative recipes for dishes like succotash, zesty
collards and fried green tomatoes, author Bryant Terry almost makes
you believe it can be done without the bacon grease.

# "Babycakes" by Erin McKenna (Clarkson Potter, 2009)

A new Bible for vegan dessert lovers from the bakery that won New
York Magazine's "Best Cupcake" award. The book requires commitment:
You'll have to track down coconut oil, evaporated cane juice, xanthan
gum, special flours, agave nectar and other exotic ingredients. But
the sweet payoff - muffins, cakes, brownies and, of course, cupcakes
- will benefit vegans and people who struggle with food allergies.


Chilled Tomato, Peach and Ginger Soup
Start to finish: 2 1/2 hours (1 hour active)
Servings: 4

1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2/3 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 4 medium)
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely siced
2 1/4 pounds plum tomatoes
8 peaches
4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 red chili, halved lengthwise and seeded
Pinch sugar
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup water
8 basil leaves (Thai is best), torn

In a large saucepan over medium, heat the olive oil. Reduce the heat
to medium-low, then add the shallots and ginger and cook until sticky
and softened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cut a shallow X
in the bottom of each tomato, then cut out the cores. Carefully add
the tomatoes to the water. After 30 seconds, use a slotted spoon to
remove them and set aside.

Repeat this process with the peaches, but let them sit in the hot
water for 1 minute, or until the skins begin to loosen. Remove and
discard the skins from the tomatoes and peaches, then set aside one
of each to use as garnish.

Add the garlic and chili to the shallots, then cook for another 5 minutes.

Roughly chop the tomatoes, reserving any juice, and peaches, then add
them and the juices to the shallots. Add the sugar, salt, pepper and
water, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30
minutes.

While the soup simmers, remove the seeds from the reserved tomato
(adding them to the soup), then finely dice the tomato. Repeat with
the peach, then refrigerate both.

Remove and discard the chili from the soup. Transfer the soup, in
batches if needed, to a blender and puree until smooth. Add water if
the soup is too thick. Adjust seasonings. Cool, then cover and
refrigerate until chilled.

Serve garnished with diced tomato and peach, basil leaves and a
drizzle of olive oil.

(Recipe adapted from Maria Elia's "The Modern Vegetarian," Kyle Books, 2009)


Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest
whole number): 357 calories; 170 calories from fat; 19 g fat (3 g
saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrate; 7 g
protein; 8 g fiber; 305 mg sodium.



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End of Soups-N-Stews Digest, Vol 8, Issue 171
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