Vegetables Illustrated

April 1, 2019

If you're a fan of Cook's Illustrated, then you'll be happy with this latest work focusing on vegetables. For those unfamiliar with their methodology, it's as follows--they operate a test kitchen where each recipe is exhaustively prepared until the best possible version is produced. Each recipe here begins with a paragraph describing the dish and why they chose to develop the recipe. Meals are laid out in step-by-step fashion, all details covered. Featured offerings range from artichokes to zucchini, with stops along the way at chilies, rhizomes, and sea vegetables. With more than 700 recipes total (many including multiple variations), there are plenty of options to choose from, no matter what looks good in the produce aisle. Primarily black-and-white photos and line drawings illustrating techniques fill this no-nonsense book, that while not the splashiest looking, is definitely the best researched. VERDICT A great way to eat more vegetables. Highly recommended for all libraries.--Susan Hurst, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 15, 2019
Everyone talks about adding more vegetables to the American diet, but finding accessible, comprehensive vegetable cookbooks presents no small challenge. Vegan and vegetarian approaches restrict alternative vegetable preparations to only those excluding any meat or dairy products whatsoever. The team at Cook's Illustrated magazine and America's Test Kitchen offers a real option for a cook who just wants to learn some new ways to encourage family and friends to explore today's sometimes-daunting vegetable universe. For each of the alphabetically arranged entries, a general information guide precedes dozens of recipes for using vegetables both as side dishes and as main courses. Shopping advice aids the first-time buyer. Up-to-date twenty-first-century entries encompass foraged greens and seaweeds, cutting-edge culinary novelties. Useful tips on avoiding pitfalls such as overcooking broccoli help ensure dinnertime success. This is one of the most valuable vegetable-cooking resources for the home chef since Marian Morash's beloved classic The Victory Garden Cookbook (1982). Includes instructive drawings illustrating vegetable-preparation techniques and color photographs of finished dishes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)