Vegetarian Planet
- Book Review,
by Didi Emmons
From Library Journal
Emmons's trendy Boston restaurant, the Delux Cafe, is not vegetarian, but she herself eats meat only occasionally, and her cookbook presents 350 recipes for the vegetarian food she likes best. She's a personable writer and a knowledgeable, accomplished cook. Although she shies away from "fusion cuisine," she likes to put her own spin on dishes from many different cuisines: Green Grape and Tomatillo Gazpacho, Caesar Revamped, Gruyere Potato Rosti. Emmons's friendly style and tasty recipes should make this popular with vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike. Recommended. Claessens isn't anti-tofu, but she knows that the idea of tofu burgers and cheesecake turns off many would-be vegetarians, so she concentrates on easily prepared recipes using familiar ingredients: Garlic-Lover's Vegetable Soup, Pasta with Vegetable Cheese Sauce. The recipes are okay but not always particularly exciting, and they will probably have more appeal to those who are already vegetarian rather than to potential "converts." Diana Shaw's Almost Vegetarian (LJ 9/15/94) is better suited to those thinking about embracing a vegetarian diet, and Sarah Fritschner's Vegetarian Express Lane Cookbook (LJ 6/15/96) is more helpful for those looking for quick vegetarian meals that will appeal to the whole family.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
With virtually every eater eager to reduce the amount of cholesterol and other saturated fats in everyday diets, vegetarian cooking is gaining new adherents. Emmons' vegetarian cookbook distinguishes itself from other similar current offerings by presenting recipes for complex creations that make vegetarianism more attractive than cooking found in customary tofu-and-tamari tomes. Emmons delights in variations on lasagna, and she has plenty of Mexican-inspired items to attract pepper lovers. Thoughtful attention to spices and herbs will help win converts to vegetarianism from meat-centered diners. An entire chapter on "burgers" aims to woo the younger set, but long ingredient lists and time-consuming techniques make these burgers more complicated for the time-pressed cook than their fast-food cousins. Experienced home chefs looking for alternatives to meat-based cuisine will find plenty here to delight vegetarian family members and dinner guests. Mark Knoblauch
Midwest Book Review
Over 300 recipes compiled from ethnic traditions around the world feature vegetarian main courses and side dishes which are a gourmet's delight. The heart of any solid vegetarian cookbook lies not in its dessert or bread section, but in its main dishes: with such fare as Wild Mushroom Stew with Herbed Dumplings, Nutty Enchiladas with Spicy Chile Sauce or a grilled Green Apple and Brie Sandwiches with Quick Onion Chutney, this is loaded with unusual appeal.
From Independent Publisher
Just skimming through this imaginative volume of vegetarian cuisine - fresh ingredients, creative recipes, interesting menus - whetted my appetite. As chef, Didi Emmons put the non-vegetarian Delux Cafe on Boston's restaurant map with a reputation for honest, worldly cooking that she reaffirms in this book. Her recipes for some of the cafe's popular vegetarian dishes and condiments - Shiitake Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce, quesadillas, rice cakes, chutneys - are included here. Hearty "global" entrees are emphasized: Africa Potato Stew, Lambless Shepherd's Pie, White Pizzas, Malay Rice Salad, Planet Moussaka, Gruyere Potato Rosti. Many are meal-in-one dishes that can be quickly prepared when time is limited. My only caution is to remember the golden rule of cooking: always read the recipe through thoroughly before beginning. Otherwise you could end up with an extra tablespoon of olive oil, not enough chopped peanuts or unsure of what to do with that optional cilantro you opted for but can't find the instructions. Emmons introduces each recipe and includes useful information throughout. Illustrations by Melissa Sweet provide garnish and 26 menus are suggested for every occasion and season. All in all, this book has the potential to become a respected tome in vegetarian cookery.
Asbury Park Press
You will want to be cooking her food, too. Healthy without trying hard, easy because Emmonss cuisine relies on bold-tasting ingredients, not advanced culinary skills to provide flavor, and engaging, thanks to the authors inherent good humor and buoyant spirit, the recipes in this book can put you on the right dietary course with minimal effort. Its what world-class cuisine should be about.
Austin Chronicle
Whether tofu turns you on or not, Emmonss Vegetarian Planet is bursting with appealing, original ideas for meat-free meals, one for almost every day of the year.
Booklist
experienced home chefs looking for alternatives to meat-based cuisine will find plenty here to delight vegetarian family members and dinner guests.
Boston Herald
Its a 350-recipe volume that entices even the entrenched carnivores to experiment with meatless meals.
Chicago Tribune
Emmons dazzles the reader with her ability to find synergies among ethnic ingredients not usually combined. Bland is not in her vocabulary. Her food is strongly flavored and intense.
Charleston Post & Courier
Emmons writes for the cook who already has an understanding of vegetarian guidelines. Her converts, however, will come for the sheer enjoyment of her food; with dishes like Oat-Corn Pancakes and Spinach and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, she makes it painless. I think this books a give-away.
Detroit News
Whether youre a full time vegetarian or just want to be, youll like the unrestrained approach of Didi Emmons, who uses ingredients from all around the world instead of tying herself to the stereotypical brown rice, natural sweeteners, and tofu.
Book Description
A culinary adventure in 350 soul-satisfying recipes. The vegetarian bible for a new generation.
From the Back Cover
All the best flavors from all the Earth come to life in a soulful celebration of tasty and inventive food. From Didi Emmons, a terrific young cook who combines a passion for culinary adventure with a love for the honest pleasures of home cooking, these 350 recipes-with more than 150 main dishes-spell an end to boring and bland meatless meals. Full of farm-fresh produce ripe for the eating, hearty grains that warm the soul, and a whole world of new spices and flavors, they promise boundless pleasures for the everyday table. Didi Emmons is a bold new talent! Vegetarian Planet is one of the most exciting cookbooks to cross my desk in ages-chick full of hip, imaginative, explosively flavorful recipes that are easy to make and fun to eat. A must read for vegetarians, nonvegetarians, and anyone interested in cool food from a hot chef who speaks for a new culinary generation. -Steven Raichlen, author of High-Flavor, Low-Fat Vegetarian Cooking and Miami Spice Lately we Americans have been remembering that there are an incredible number of awesome vegetables and grains in the world, and a whole lot of delicious ways to prepare them. In Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons works her magic to create a whole flotilla of good-tasting, healthful dishes. It sure takes the sting out of meatless eating. -Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby, authors of The Thrill of the Grill and Lettuce in Your Kitchen Didi Emmons Vegetarian Planet will take you places you never dreamed of going, but once there are glad you did. This book is definitely on the cutting edge of the one-globe cooking of the century to come. -Betty Fussell, author of Crazy for Corn and Home Bistro It takes some mighty tasty food to make card-carrying carnivores like us enjoy a meatless meal, but Vegetarian Planet does the trick. Didi Emmons makes a great case for enlightened eating, and she does it with high style and a sense of humor. - Jane and Michael Stern, authors of Roadfood and Goodfood Vegetarian Planet is utterly appealing, full of exuberant spirit and enticing recipes. Didi Emmons so clearly revels in the flavors and textures of the vegetarian palate that any food lover, vegetarian or not, will want to own this book. -Michele Anna Jordan, author of The Good Cooks Book of Tomatoes and Polenta
About the Author
Didi Emmons was the chef at The DeLux Cafe, "the hippest eatery in Boston" (Boston Globe) and "the perfect 5-star, not-a-false-note postmodern cafe" (Boston Phoenix). Her new restaurant, Pho Republique, blends a Vietnamese noodle house with a graceful touch of French cuisine. A graduate of La Varenne and a veteran of Hamersley's Bistro in Boston and The Blue Room in Cambridge, she lives in Boston.
Excerpted from Vegetarian Planet : 350 Big-Flavor Recipes for Out-Of-This-World Food Every Day by Didi Emmons. Copyright © 1997. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
Roasted Fennel with Green Apples serves 4 Many years ago, my mom used to nibble on raw fennel instead of carrot sticks or crackers. My sisters and I thought perhaps she was part witch, ritually chewing on this strange vegetable. Now fennel is the darling of chefs and home cooks nationwide, and I, at least, acknowledge my dear mother as the daring, unappreciated pioneer she has been for all these years. 1 large or 2 smaller fennel bulbs 6 shallots, peeled and sliced 1 large green apple, peeled, cored, and sliced thin. Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the outer layers of the fennel bulbs if they seem old or tough. Cut the bulbs in half, and cut them crosswise into 1/4-inch slices crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Put them into a large casserole dish 2. Add the shallots and apple to the casserole dish, and toss them with the fennel. Salt and pepper the mixture then drizzle in the olive oil. Roast the dish, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until the fennel is very tender. Serve right away Variation: This dish can be made into a gratin by adding 4 ounces of grated cheese 5 minutes before the end of baking time. Penne with Red Pepper Sauce and Broccoli serves 4-6 In this quick and easy recipe, sauted red bell peppers and onions are pured with almonds, for texture, and balsamic vinegar, which brings out the sweetness of the peppers. Theres no need to roast and peel the peppers, since the skins also contribute to the pleasing texture of the sauce. r 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 cups chopped onions 2 large garlic cloves, minced 2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped 1/4 cup almonds whole 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt, or a bit more to taste Fresh ground black pepper to taste 1 or 2 pinches of cayenne 4 cups broccoli florets 1 pound dried penne pasta 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup basil leaves cut into this strips 1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions, and saut them for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften. Lower the heat a bit, and add the garlic and red pepper. Continue to cook the vegetables, stirring often, for 15 minutes. 2. In a food processor or blender, chop the almonds fine. Add the pepper-onion mixture, the vinegar, and the remaining olive oil, and blend all to a pure. Add the salt, black pepper, and cayenne, and blend briefly to incorporate them. 3. Arrange a vegetable steamer over water in a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, and add the broccoli. Cover the pan, and cook the broccoli over medium heat for 5 minutes or a bit longer, until it is as tender as you like. Keep it warm. 4. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until it is just tender. Drain the pasta, and return it to the pot. Add the red pepper sauce, the Parmesan cheese, the broccoli, and the basil. Heat the contents over medium heat until the pasta is very hot, and add more salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. Serve the pasta immediately.
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