The Simple Art of Vegetarian Cooking by Martha Rose Shulman

The angle: Accessible, fresh, healthy vegetarian recipes from New York Times columnist Martha Rose Shulman.

Recipes for right now: Japanese-Californian Meal in a Bowl, 4-Egg Frittata with Broccoli Raab and Mushrooms, Asparagus and Herb Lasagna, Eggplant and Tomato Risotto, Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Greens and Red Pepper

Who would enjoy this book? Vegetarians, definitely, but also omnivores who incorporate a lot of seasonal, vegetable-driven recipes into their meals.

• Who wrote it: Martha Rose Shulman

• Who published it: Rodale Books

• Number of recipes: 100

• Other highlights: This book builds gradually from basic building-block recipes to all the major food groups — no not vegetables and proteins, but the food groups we food-lovers recognize: soups, frittatas, pasta, polenta, stir-fries, tacos, and all the rest! There are frequent asides to explore, say, all the different kinds of winter squashes or whether eggplant really needs to be salted. All together, this makes for the kind of cookbook that feels both supportive of learning to cook with new ingredients and also totally inspirational.

Another aspect to this book that I love are the recipe templates and the variations. Shulman first gives the stripped down recipes (for instance, a basic minestrone) and then includes several full-recipe variations that show you how to build on that template and make it your own.

I always look forward to reading Shulman’s columns in the NY Times because I just love seeing what interesting spins and creative riffs she comes up with for using seasonal ingredients. She also has a calm patience about her that makes recipes feel almost meditative. This book is a concentrated dose of everything I like about this food writer, and I heartily recommend picking it up.

Find the book at your local library, independent bookstore, or Amazon: The Simple Art of Vegetarian Cooking by Martha Rose Shulman

This post was requested by Kmox for Reader Request Week 2014.

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