Diet for a Small Pl~net is the classic that lays out the case against·a meat-centered diet for environmental reasons. Frances Moore Lappe talks about all the energy an·d valuable protein consumed by beef. More importantly, she provides alternatives for combining vegetable proteins into as good, if not more usable protein. There are fairly simple charts, as well as recipes and menu suggestions that make it aJl clear. I've never found the l"ecipes themselves that great, ·but they do give a clear idea of what different foods work together to give you what you need. Once you get the idea there are severi3-l books that can give you more exciting ideas for cooking. The Tassajara books are a good place to start. Ed Brown is the Zen monk who made the Tassajara retreat center in California famous for its fine vegetarian fare. Both the Breadbook ' and Tassajara Cooking give clear b~sic directions with lots of possible variation~. They're really good for freeing up the fledgling cook by noting such things as "you can skimp on the eggs or double the milk" and indicating what the probable results will be. A good friend of m'ine says that the challenge of cooking lies in mak}ng a good soup out of a seemingly empty refrigerator. In a very nice zen way these books make . the case for using every scrap possible and making feasts with what you:ve got.on hand .. . "If you don't have lentils, try black beans" or "Zucchini would be just as good as broccoli in this soup." The Vegetarian Epicure i~ one of my favorites-it's really a gourmet cookbook with everything from crepes with white wine sauce to on.ions monegasque. It includes French, Greek, Italian, Indian and German foods (there's an outstanding linzertorte) and lots of good idea~ for spices and sauces. Some recipes are fairly complicated, using lots-of pans (the opposite of the zen bo_oks which emphasize one-pot meals); others, like the curries, are quite simple. The author talks about serving meals to people who say they can·'t stand vegetarian meals and then gustily consume what she puts in front of them. .The point is, very few people dislike good food ... and if you give them just that, chances are they won't even notice they. haven't consumed their usual portion of meat." RAIN Page S Speaking of curries, Indian food is a natural for good vegetarian cooking. I found out from.one cookbook that there is no such word as "curry" in the Indian languages, so it must have been thought up by the English to describe a certain kind of spicy food. In truth, there are many combinations of spices that make up what we think of as curry-including coriander, cumin~cayenne, turmeric, saffron, mustard, cinnall)on and ginger. I got a hint of the possibilities in th,e Vegetarian Epicure but am still looking for a good, simple book with lots of ideas and not too many exotic ingredients. .Fobd definitely doesn't have to be vegetarian to be appropriate to living lightly! Chinese cooking is a perfect ex~mple of energy-conserving food. Vegetables and meat are cut mto small pieces _arid cooked 9uickly over a high flame-generally in a •• wok, which makes 1t easy to toss food from the red hot bottom to the cooler sides. Meat is thus used almost as a flavoring, and a little can·go a long way:-I spent $1.49 last night" on 1/2 lb. of pork tenderloin which fed five-including Lee. The Re· gional Cooking of China is my latest find (actually it was given to me for Christmas). It's really excellent: easy-to-follow recipes with ; asy-to-find ingredients. They are basically stirfrys and. thus common Chinese food as opposed to the fancy I exotica in most books. I've long been looking for a book that gives an undeFstanding of the sauces and flavoring that you • get in a good Chinese restaurant. I've only tried two recipes so far, but I think this is it-all I need is a little practice in timing. . The Complete Yogurt Cookbook is a go9d book for getting out of any ruts you might be in. My copy is spattered with sauces, which is the mark of a well-loved source of good food. The recipes in this book include dressings and sauces, soups, vegetables, meat dishes and desserts. They range from Roast Lamb with Macedonia Sauce to Spin•ach Soup Tanya. Central to many dishes from Balkan countries and the Middle East, yogurt is definitely good for you. I find that it can often be substituted for sour.cream for a lighter (less fattening) dish. There ar~ several good kinds of yogurt-my favorite is Continental, but it'·s expensive, so I usually use Nancy's, which comes out of Ken Kesey's creamery in Springfield. It's also good to make your own, but·I don't know of any fo_olproof recipes. • • ~ - 1.. L.deM. ~ Leeks with Cheese Sauce 1 lb. leeks 1-1/2 cups yogurt 1 egg yolk 112 cup dry crumbs 1 T. minced onion 1/2 cup butter ... 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese 1 T. ler:non juice • cayenne and garlic salt Clean leeks and discard outer leaves. Cut into 2-inch-pieces and place in saucepan with small amount of water. Add salt and lemon juice; cook about 15 minutes. Rtmove from heat; drain. Melt butter in skillet; Saute leeks for 2_minutes, adding onion the last min:ute. Arrange leeks in a shallow baking dish/sprinkle with garlic salt and cayenne. Beat yogu~t and egg yolk; pour over leeks. Sprinkle with br~ad crumbs, then top with grated cheese. Cook under broiler until _cheese is evenly browned. Serves 4. From The Complete Yogurt Cookbook
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