The New Vegetarian Epicure: Menus--with 325 all-new recipes--for family and friends - Hardcover

Thomas, Anna

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0679427147 ISBN 13: 9780679427148

Publisher: Knopf, 1996

Synopsis

Anna Thomas, author of the best-selling The Vegetarian Epicure, which became the bible of vegetarian cooks in the seventies and remains a classic, now returns with an exuberant new cookbook that reflects the way we live and eat today. The 66 menus are geared to busy, health-conscious families who are drawn to good fresh foods and lighter fare, filled with the pungent ethnic flavors that Anna Thomas loves.

Here are more than 325 recipes for every occasion, from seasonal family meals and little dinner parties to picnics and holiday feasts. For example:

A Simple Autumn Dinner Party that includes a freshly made Focaccia, Lima Bean Soup, Torta di Polenta with a Roasted Tomato Sauce, and Parfaits of Fruit and Mascarpone

A family meal of a Salad of Bitter Greens with Gorgonzola Cheese and Walnuts, Oyster Mushroom Chowder, Fast Buttermilk Rolls, and an Apple and Pear Crumble

A celebratory Cinco de Mayo Dinner of Nopalito Salad, Tamales with Zucchini and Cilantro Filling, Chile Ancho Salsa, Garlic and Cumin Rice, and Flan with Caramel and Pineapple

There are easy Salad Lunches, Soup Suppers, Pasta Dinners, Dinner in a Bowl, and A Casserole Supper--all foods that children love. And there are salad lunches for hot days, mezze (hearty little Middle Eastern dishes) for a crowd, a variety of teas, brunches, and a wine-tasting.

Freshness is all-important to Anna Thomas, and she offers great tips about growing tomatoes, gathering wild mushrooms, and understanding chiles, as well as suggesting strategies for getting children to eat well.

The captivating voice of Anna Thomas, which inspired a whole generation, is now even more irresistible as she persuades her contemporaries, pressured by all the demands of the day, to carve out a little time to prepare delicious, healthy meals and to experience the joy of sharing with family and friends the pleasure of the table.

About this title

Review:

Anna Thomas, author of the '70s classic The Vegetarian Epicure, is back with a cookbook for the '90s. The New Vegetarian Epicure is another of the noteworthy titles in this summer's spate of cookbooks centered on vegetables and vegetarian cuisine (Fresh From the Garden: Cooking and Gardening Throughout the Year by Perla Meyers and Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters are two others). There are more than 300 recipes--everything from a Relaxed Summer Dinner Party of Tapenade, Cold Melon Soup, and Risotto with Zucchini Flowers to A Rustic Autumn Dinner of Roasted Vegetables, Rice Pilaf, and Plum and Walnut Galette. Thomas' approach is healthy and light, with a distinctive Mediterranean touch based on the use of olive oil, if oil is called for at all.

About the Author:

Anna Thomas wrote her first cookbook, The Vegetarian Epicure, while she was a film student at UCLA, and followed it a few years later with The Vegetarian Epicure, Book Two. When she is not cooking, she writes screenplays and produces films. Her screen credits include My Family, Mi Familia and El Norte, both of which were nominated for an Academy Award. She lives in Ojai, California, with her husband, Gregory Nava, and their two sons.

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0679427147
• ISBN 13: 9780679427148
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 449