Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates: Festive Meals for Holidays and Special Occasions - Softcover

Moosewood Collective

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0609808117 ISBN 13: 9780609808115

Publisher: Clarkson Potter, 2003

Synopsis

For three decades, the famed Moosewood Collective has prepared innovative meatless meals that have left vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike clamoring for more. Now, just in time for the thirtieth anniversary of their internationally acclaimed Ithaca restaurant, The Moosewood Collective presents their first-ever collection of menus for memorable occasions, with vegetarian specialties for every season.

Holidays and celebratory gatherings can present a challenge for vegetarian cooks who want to serve festive meals that will satisfy all of their guests. The Moosewood Collective has met this challenge brilliantly, with more than thirty-five ingenious menus that can transform even casual get-togethers into a party. Covering a diverse array of holidays and occasions both traditional and spur-of-the-moment, Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates provides the perfect excuse to get to-gether with friends and family more often. You’ll find inspiring food ideas for all these and more:

· Traditional holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Ramadan, Kwanza, Passover, Diwali, and Christmas
· Family gatherings, from a casual Rainy Day Picnic on the Porch to an outdoor Labor Day Get-Together to a fully orchestrated Wedding or Commitment Celebration
· Just-for-fun events, perfect any time of year, including a Tapas Party, a Birthday Breakfast in Bed, and a Sports Night Supper

There is even an additional section on versatile party nibbles and celebration cakes to choose from, plus a chapter of delectable foods you can make to give (or mail) as gifts.

Filled with practical advice on preparing holiday feasts with the minimum amount of fuss, and incorporating the rich flavors and ethnic influences that the Collective is renowned for, Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates is an indispensable assortment of lively vegetarian menus spanning a dazzling array of cultures and occasions.

About this title

About the Author:

Moosewood Restaurant opened more than 25 years ago and was recently named by Bon Appétit magazine as one of the 13 most influential and revolutionary restaurants of the twentieth century. The Moosewood Collective has received three prestigious James Beard awards and is now marketing prepared foods starting with a line of all-natural salad dressings.
From the Hardcover edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

ROASTED SQUASH WITH CORN & BEANS

For centuries, native cultures in the Western Hemisphere survived on the interdependent cultivation of corn and beans. In the Iroquois tradition of upstate New York, corn, beans, and squash—known as the "three sisters"—were the staple source of food. Grown together, the beans wound their vines around the sturdy corn stalks and the squash leaves shaded the ground, keeping it cool, moist, and free of weeds.

At Cornell University, the department of crop and soil sciences has been cultivating a demonstration garden of corn, beans, and squash to illustrate the caloric and protein advantage of the "three sisters" compared to crops of corn, beans, or squash alone. This garden is open to schools and visitors curious to learn about indigenous cropping systems.

Serves 8
Total time: about 1 hour

5 to 6 cups butternut squash (bite-sized chunks)
2 cups coarsely chopped red onions
2 tablespoons minced or pressed garlic
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive or other vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme (2 tablespoons fresh)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 1/2 cups frozen lima beans*
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (optional)

*canned lima beans, rinsed and drained, are also fine.

Preheat the oven to 450°.

In a large bowl, combine the squash, red onions, garlic, and salt. Evenly coat the vegetables with 2 tablespoons of the oil and spread them on a large baking tray. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but crisp around the edges.

When the squash has baked for about 1/2 hour, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Add the sage and thyme and simmer for just 4 to 5 seconds. Stir in the corn and lima beans and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes, until tender. Cover and set aside.

In a large serving bowl, toss together the roasted squash and red onions with the seasoned corn and beans. Add parsley, if desired, and serve immediately. This dish is fine to make ahead of time. Store it in a covered container in the refrigerator; then reheat just before serving.
From the Hardcover edition.

About this edition

• Publisher: Clarkson Potter
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0609808117
• ISBN 13: 9780609808115
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 416