Nonfiction

Vegetarian Cookbooks Even Carnivores Will Love

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Molly Wetta

Staff Writer

Molly Wetta is a feminist Gemini vegetarian librarian. She is employed by a public library in a liberal Midwestern college town selecting young adult literature, media, and graphic novels while also managing the library's Twitter and Tumblr, which is fortunate, as her aspirations of being a professor of Buffy Studies didn't pan out. When not working, she is most likely reading existential Russian novels, regency romances, comics, queer YA, or cereal boxes. Sometimes she finds time to volunteer at her local domestic violence shelter or watch CW shows on Netflix with her cats: Spike, Angel, and Furiosa. Challenge her to a game of Candyland or Risk at your own peril, as she is a very competitive player of board games. Blog: wrappedupinbooks.org Twitter: @molly_wetta

I’ve been a vegetarian since I was a teenager, and have always aspired to be mostly vegan. Exploring new recipes has always been the key to making this diet work.

Moving to California and away from all my favorite restaurants back home has made it so much easier, especially with the abundance of produce available at farmer’s markets year round. The variety of seasonal fruits and veggies has pushed me out of my culinary comfort zone. These three cookbooks have inspired me to expand my foodie horizons, and I’m eating healthier—and tastier—meals than I ever before.

As much as I love reading cooking blogs (and these are all cookbooks from food bloggers), there’s something about flipping through the pages of a cookbook (and not splattering sauce on your laptop) that appeals to me. My personal cookbook library is small; the only ones that survived the move are The Joy of Cooking and America’s Test Kitchen Vegetarian Cookbook (I’ve memorized or copied onto index cards all my favorites  from Moosewood Cookbooks). But after checking these out from the library, I’m really tempted to buy them all because I didn’t get the chance to make everything I wanted in the three weeks I had them. Even carnivores would approve of the recipes in these vegetarian cookbooks.

minimalist baker's everyday cooking

Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking by Dana Schulz

Don’t let the “baker” in the title fool you—this isn’t all cupcakes and cornbread. In fact, it’s mostly simple, quick main courses that can be made on weeknights. Favorites have been the greek kale salad with a new twist on tahini dressing, and masala chickpea curry, which is perfect for those days when your fridge is nearly empty. But the real show stoppers are the veggie burgers—my favorites were the cocoa black bean burgers and the Thai peanut burgers, which have replaced my favorite go-to veggie burgers from restaurants back home.

the first mess cookbook

The First Mess Cookbook by Laura Wright

I actually wasn’t familiar with this blog until I discovered the cookbook, but I’m definitely glad I did. It started when my partner went looking for a new empanada recipe, and discovered these tempeh empanadas. We both immediately put the cookbook on hold before they’d even cooled from the oven. Since, we’ve tried the chipotle lentil dip, which is a nice twist on hummus, and so many of the salad dressings.

 

love real food

Love Real Food by Kathryne Taylor

Three-fourths of the meals I’ve prepared for the last five years have probably come from Cookie + Kate. It’s always my go-to for new recipes, so when Kathryne’s first cookbook finally came out, I knew it wouldn’t disappoint. It’s a gorgeous book and it’s full of even more salads for me to try. The seasonal, fresh approach and the myriad of suggestions for customization and adaptions for various diets make this cookbook practical, accessible, and delicious.

Even if you’re a dedicated omnivore and don’t plan to fully eliminate animal products from your diet, these vegan and vegetarian cookbooks are full of recipes for healthy, satisfying meals.