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Hello, My husband will be traveling to Amsterdam next month on business. Are there any great vegetarian restaurants there? He may have to entertain a client. Thank you, Lori

I'd be interested to recieve any recommendations for good (1 Star level) restaurants in central Paris with a good selection for vegetarians. Thanks

I've always enjoyed UK-based food publications. I pick up the odd "BBC Good Food" magazine off shelves in Shanghai, and really enjoy the fact that they feature vegetarian mains seriously, and have recipes from a wider range of ethnic magazines than US magazines seem to bother with. BBC Good Food is obviously aimed at casual cooks - the recipes are usually fairly simple, but I've still clipped several, including a vegetable biryani that gets raves every time I cook it. I have a magazine distributor that will order in magazines for me, but I don't know what titles I should be looking for. Help?

First of all, happy holidays for every one. My room mate, a good friend of mine, realized that she wants to be vegetarian, 2 days before Christmas, now I have to come with a menu for our Christmas dinner but don't have a clue where yo start. Any help would be appreciated

Okay, I've never made this but my SIL made something she called Spanakopita, and it inspired me to do better. She used frozen phyllo, and that was the best part of the dish. Her filling was missing the spinach, as far as I could tell, and the cheese tasted sweet. I believe I bit down on some nuts, too. So the filling was pretty awful (like out of some new age vegetarian health food book), but the dough was crispy and flaky right out of the oven, and not greasy. Not critical, but my first stumbling block upon googling recipes was spelling. Spanakopita wins, but spanikopita is popular. Is it phyllo or filo? The frozen package I have says filo. Here are some other questions: Butter or oil to brush the layers? How eggy should it be? Some recipes call for 3-4 eggs. As for cheese, some recipes use a combo of feta and ricotta or feta and myzithra, presumably to cut the saltiness a bit. Adding some ricotta would make a creamier filling, I presume. That sounds reasonable, but is it typical? When I make Greek salads I've taken to using French feta, because it seems less salty than some others. My preference would be heavy on the spinach and not too salty. As for spinach, I'm going to use frozen to start with, since I have some Cascadia organic spinach and I think it's pretty good. Once I get some technique down I'll branch out and try fresh spinach. I have no intention of making my own dough, not just yet that's for sure; I already have some frozen. But rolled or flat? Some recipes make folded triangles, some make a flat casserole. Flat sounds easier to start with. Some recipes suggest scoring the top filo layers before baking. How essential is that? Does anyone have a great traditional recipe? Or other hints? I'm already hip to the fact that you need to keep the filo/phyllo moist and work quickly, and I won't be surprised it there's a steep learning curve there.

I created this for a couple we are friends with who fail to see the appeal of meat or animal products. It was a fun exercise for me and the result was surprisingly tasty with the porcini providing a nice hit of umami. Anti Bourdain Stew for Mel and D. Ingredients: Olive oil (sufficent to saute the veg) 3 Carrots (peeled, chopped, about a cup) 2 Parsnips (peeled, chopped, about a cup) 3-4 stalks Celery (chopped, about a cup) 1 large onion (peeled, chopped, a little over a cup) 4 Cloves Garlic (minced) 1/3 cup flour 1 l water 1/8 cup (dried) porchini mushrooms rehydrated in 1/2 C hot water, minced or pureed in that liquid 3 Bay Leaves Salt (Kosher or sea) to taste Freshly ground black pepper to taste 1/8 tsp or so Cayenne to taste 2 lbs or so potatoes (Yukon Gold or the like not floury ones like Russets) 3 Bay Leaves 1 Tablespoon fresh Rosemary finely chopped 1/4 cup dry sherry 1-2 tbs vinegar Saute carrots in olive oil until they just begin to get color. Add parsnips to the carrots. When the parsnips just start to get color add chopped onion to the pan (carrots should be nicely carmelized by now). Continue to cook the veg. until the onions just start to get golden. Add minced Garlic, give a quick stir then add the flour stirring well to coat all of the veg. Add water while stirring to ensure that the flour does not burn. Add pureed Porcini + their liquid. Add bay leaves, black pepper, Cayenne sherry and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add potatoes (quartered, peeled or just well scrubbed) Add Rosemary, and vinegar to balance. Hold @ a simmer stirring frequently until potatoes are done.

OK. I searched under +rice +salad, posts, topics found 42 pages. Help! Does anyone have a rice salad that they like? With not too many esoteric ingredients and for vegetarians. DH made a huge pot of rice for lunch. He likes roasted Ratatouille on rice. I just love roasted Ratatouille. So now I have about 8 cups of cooked Jasmine rice and I could really use a delicious recipe. It will be added to the coming Dog Weekend's fare. (Sorry, I don't really like rice salads, but then I had never tasted a bean salad like Randi's bean salad, so perhaps somewhere out there there may be an equally scrumptious rice salad.) Thanks.

Found this title today: Lick It! Creamy, Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love by Cathe Olson. It appears that I cannot get it through Inter Library Loan and I am loathe to buy cookbooks, sight unseen. Has anyone else tried any of the recipes from this book? Has anyone tried any vegan ice cream recipes with say, coconut cream or rice or nut milk or whatever. And what about using Agave syrup for the sweetener?

Yes, I understand you don't want to go to Ashton to eat. And, yes, I understand particularly not for an Indian vegetarian caff. But, if you're in the area, you really must go and give it a try. Before I retired I worked in Ashton and used to do my south asian food shopping at the ASM supermarket on Oldham Road. Lily's is newish and occupies a corner of the supermarket. It was mentioned on a flyer for ASM so I went to have a look. A very good range of veggie dishes on the menu but I went with the thali for £6.99. I got an onion bhaji. Two curries - one potato and coriander, the other mainly spinach with a good blast of chili. There was a thick daal. And an indeterminate green liquid with bits of tomato and another blast of heat. Carbs came in the form of rice, a pappad and a couple of chappatis. A small dessert - gulab jamun. And a glass of salt lassi. Cracking value. It's mainly South Indian and Gujarati food - so bhel puri and the like amongst the starters and I saw dosas going past that looked like they would rival the offerings at Rusholme's Punjab Tandoori.

I am planning a send off dinner for one of my law school roommates and her boyfriend, who are moving to San Francisco. A few other law school friends will be joining. The boyfriend is a vegetarian and one of the other attendees "doesn't like cheese." I'm a bit at my wits end about what to serve. I was planning to make batali's fresh ricotta and asparagus ravioli as a starter and then do a main course of poussin with a quiche or something for the vegetarian. Since the issue of cheese was introduced, I'm not sure how to adjust the menu, but I'm beginning to think that family style dining might be more suited to a picky group. If possible, I'd like to stay very seasonal and ingredient driven. Since it's a goodbye dinner, I'd also like to make it as special as possible, within the limitations of the group. Ideas?

Orange-Infused Creme Caramele Serves 6 as Dessert. This is fairly light compared to some versions of creme caremele made with large proportions of cream, but what makes it stand out is the fresh orange flavor. You could do the same on a heaver version of course. When I first tried it, I left the normal vanilla out but later reintroduced it in a reduced amount; it compliments the orange nicely. Ingredients 1/2 c granulated sugar (for the caramel) 3/4 c heavy cream 2-1/2 c Whole Milk 4 eggs, whole 2 egg yolks 1/2 c sugar, to taste 1/2 tsp vanilla extract peel of one orange Preheat oven to 325 F. Place a pan of water into the oven that is 2 inches wider than the baking dish you are using. Avoid using too wide a water pan; it traps heat and the water may start boiling and this will make your creme boil as well, curdling it and ruining the texture. Place a folded tea towel in the water to keep the bottom of the dish from contacting the bottom of the water pan. First, heat the 1/2 c sugar in a heavy pan over medium heat; when it begins to melt reduce heat and keep heating, stirring carefully, until it reaches a medium brown. Some add a bit of water but I find it unnecessary; when it evaporates the sugar hardens up and then has to melt dry anyway. When the sugar reaches the desired darkness, pour into the bottom of a glass baking dish. Mix the cream, milk, eggs, yolks, sugar and vanilla, blend well. The orange can be added in two ways: 1) Easiest: Carefully peel the orange cutting the peel into four sections and remove without bending too much. Then hold the peel over the mixture and squeeze the peel double, squeezing the orange oil directly into the mixture. (Think of the orange-oil-into-the-candle trick...) Work down the peel, bending and squeezing. It's a matter of taste as well as the quality of the orange; if the peel is thick and hard, half the peel might be enough. Later in the season you might have to use the whole thing. 2) Late in the season the oranges are very ripe and the peels are soft, the first method doesn't work. In this case I grate the zest off of one or two pieces of peel, mix it with one cup of the pudding mixture, the strain it back in. Either way, the object is to get the orange flavor without bits of zest that will spoil the smooth texture of the dessert. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and place in the water bath in the oven. Cooking time will vary according to the depth of the pan; remove as soon as set and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before serving. If you have used a shallow dish you can cut around the edge and invert it onto a serving plate. Individual custard cups may be used as well. I like to garnish it with a few curls of orange zest. Keywords: Dessert, Vegetarian, Easy, Pudding ( RG2160 )

Yesterday I had a delicious piece of strawberry pie at a vegetarian restaurant. the crust was made with coconut and finely chopped nuts. The fresh strawberries were crushed and in a solid type filling. It did not taste like gelatin. I made the crust and it seems fine. I am trying to figure out how to attempt the filling. Has anyone prepared such a pie. When you put your fork into it to take a bite, the filling was solid and held together, but all you really could taste was the delicious strawberry flavor...so fresh and natural. I am considering just trying to gently cook the strawberries with some sugar and cornstarch. But I am wondering if I should incorporate some unflavored gelatin in it. any ideas?

I have just been asked to prepare tea sandwiches for a reception on Sunday -- 100 or more people. The sandwiches will have to be packed by 9 AM for an ordination service that begins at 3 PM, and no refrigeration will be available, though I do have insulated cooler bags. Someone else is planning to do tuna salad; I am making the vegetarian ones. I would like them to be colorful, tasty, and of reasonable cost as they are a donation! Ideas that I'm considering: Cranberry-orange-walnut bread with cream cheese Dark rye or pumpernickel with cream cheese and olives Whole wheat bread with shredded carrot salad More ideas and any tips would be very welcome; sandwiches are not my specialty!

Okara or soy pulp is a white or yellowish pulp consisting of insoluble parts of the soybean which remain in the filter sack when pureed soybeans are filtered in the production of soy milk. It is part of the traditional cuisines of Japan, Korea, and China, and since the 20th century has also been used in the vegetarian cuisines of Western nations. Okara is low in fat, high in fiber, and also contains protein, calcium, iron, and riboflavin. It contains 76 to 80% moisture, 20 to 24% solids and 3.5 to 4.0% protein. On a dry weight basis okara contains 24% protein, 8 to 15% fats,and 12 to 14.5% crude fiber. It contains 17% of the protein from the original soybeans.

A close friend's daughter just went vegetarian on them. My friend is kind of at her wits end, trying to think of meals for her as well as the rest of the family. She's a great home cook, but her family isn't very adventerous. The daugher is interested in tofu, and my friend has never prepared it before. I gave her some ideas, but I'm seeing them again, Thursday, and would like to have some more recipes and ideas. Can you guys give me your favorite, family friendly tofu recipes? Stuff that's not too complicated, that might appeal to kids, and meat/starch types?

Hi, a friend needs help with a Seder Recipe, any clue what shes looking for here? Later she added Any help is appreciated... TYVM

Deep Fried Kimchee Basically a deep fried pickle with an exotic twist. The preparation of the dish greatly reduces the pungency of the kimchee making it a tasty way to introduce this Korean staple to reluctant adults or children alike. Easy to make by following the directions below, or check out the video <a href=" To Deep Fry Kimchee</a><br> 1 qt peanut oil* 2 c kimchee (most common variety - spicy<i> baechu</i>, or Napa cabbage) 1/2 c all-purpose flour (for <i>pre- egg wash</i>) Egg Wash 2 eggs 1/2 c milk 1/4 c buttermilk 1/4 c kimchee juice** 1 tsp cayenne pepper Breading Mixture 1/2 c seasoned bread crumbs*** 1/4 c corn meal 1/4 c all purpose flour 2 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp lemon pepper 1 tsp Korean red pepper Kimchee Ranch Dressing 3/4 c Ranch dressing 3 T kimchee juice 1 tsp Korean red pepper * Can substitute Canola or other oil. Amount may vary depending upon size of pot used. **Kimchee juice is the excess liquid in the kimchee jar ***Seasoned Bread Crumbs - Use store bought or make from scratch by blending following ingredients until fine: 4 ounces Italian bread, cubed and baked at 400°F for 12 minutes, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dried parsley flakes, 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese. <br> 1. Heat oil to 375°F in pot or deepfryer 2. Remove thin, leafy green parts of kimchee and cut firmer white portions into approximately 1 inch squares 3. Combine 3 tbsp kimchee juice and Korean red pepper with Ranch Dressing. Refrigerate. 4. Beat eggs and combine ingredients for <i>Egg Wash</i> in bowl 5. Combine ingredients for <i>Breading Mixture</i> in bowl. 6. Bread each kimchee square: <p style=" text-indent:15px; ">a. first coat in <i>pre- egg wash</i> flour</p> <p style=" text-indent:15px; ">b. dip in <i>Egg Wash</i></p> <p style=" text-indent:15px; ">c. coat with <i>Breading Mixture</i> thoroughly</p> <p style=" text-indent:15px; ">d. set aside each breaded kimchee square on a wax paper covered dish 7. Carefully add kimchee squares to hot oil in batches of 4-6 pieces. 8. Remove when golden brown - approximately 25-35 seconds. Place on paper towel lined plate. Lightly season with a touch of salt. 9. Allow to cool approximately one minute. 10. Garnish with Korean red pepper and serve with Kimchee Ranch Dressing Keywords: Appetizer, Vegetables, Korean, American, Vegetarian, Deep Fryer, Easy ( RG2155 )

I think we'll be having another couple over for board games this week. Having recollected the Top Chef poker players episode, I'm thinking about finger food. There are some dietary restrictions (kinda veggie with some liberality). I'm thinking about soup and a variety of sammies. Any suggestions for vegetarian finger sandwiches? TIA

In my city's Chinatown, a couple of restaurants serve what they call BBC. It's broad beans (or soy beans), bean curd and pickles/chutney. It's quite salty but is delicious! I think it's vegetarian and has no meat. Is anyone familiar with how to prepare this dish or its history? It's one of my favourites!

We are having dinner at a friend's house and are cooking "together" The men decided on the menu and chose fondue. We are providing the cheese and dessert. They are providing the dippers and appetizer/salad. Here's the problem. The husband does not drink any alcohol due to past issues. I didn't think about that when they decided on fondue, thinking in my mind I would do a classic Emmenthaler/Gruyere one. Can I substitute some other liquid for the wine? Is there another way to go? edited to add the wife is a vegetarian.

Good evening! I have a couple of questions for everyone regarding their cookbook collections. What are the hidden treasures and all stars in your collection? The hidden treasures are the small books nobody has ever heard about, but are simply amazing. All stars are the favorites and game changers that have opened your eyes to new possibilities. For Me Hidden Treasure: Three Bowls: Its an interesting book written at a Zen Buddhist monastery. The recipes are an eclectic mix of Japanese and American cuisines. It also has stories and lessons about Zen Buddhism and their philosophy on food. All Stars Any book by Denis Cotter of Cafe Paradiso. My wife and I came across Cafe Paradiso by happy accident during a bike trip through Ireland. Denis Cotter shows that vegetarian food does not have to be ruffage and boring. His recipes are sophisticated with layers of flavor and complexity. I always cook from these books when we have company over and always get rave reviews. King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking. This is the book that opened my eyes to the possibilities of using variety grains when I bake. For example, I use a small amount of oat flour whenever I make cookies, scones, and cakes. What is on your list? Dan

So a few friends and I were sitting around last night and we got to talking about how we all want to expand our cooking horizons. I suggested we take a map, point randomly to country, and then we would each cook a meal based on the local cusine of the country we picked. We pulled out two relatively easy counties, Russia and New Zealand. But we also got The Maldives, and Zambia. I happily got Zambia, as I was hoping for something unquie like that. After much searching, I really couldn't find much on Zambian cuisine. I will do Nshima, which is a really thick (basically dough) maize flour porridge used for picking up and dipping in food. (It also seems to be the un-offical national dish). With the Nshima, I was to do a vegetarian and meat based stew/sauce (which they call Ndiwo). I found a recipe for Ifishashi which is basically greens in peanut sauce. But I am having troubles finding something very 'Zambian' or atleast central african that is a meat based dish. I don't have a huge preference to what the meat is: beef, chicken, goat, lamb. I would rather not do fish, as red meats are a bit more forgiving when cooking. If anyone can help me with some recipes and ideas it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Here's a picture of Nshima in the top right, and a few different relishes/stews that would be traditionally be served. Thanks to Wikipedia!

I have been on a sformato binge lately. I have done all the usual, like artichoke, asparagus, fennel, carrot, cardoon, red pepper, spinach etc. but on Christmas Eve we are invited to go to some friend's house and I must bring something vegetarian along for a pot-luck dinner so I am looking around for some unusual combinations. If you come up with something really interesting and I will make it, photograph it and post it here... (If you don't already know: a sformato is basically just a savory flan)

Hi All, We are having three friends over for dinner on Saturday. We have some food restrictions in the group and right now I'm feeling a little uninspired on what to make. I'm hoping some egulleters will help with that. We have some food restrictions to worry about. Friend A - vegetarian, but will eat fish and most shellfish Friend B - meat eater, but is allergic to fish. Which puts us to shellfish or a vegetarian meal maybe pasta. Except... Friend C - is lactose intolerant, sugar free, and moderately gluten free (could eat pasta, bread, but not in large quantities). She will eat meat (restrictions there also), but it's a non-issue since I have a vegetarian in the group. I would rather not make a whole lot of different dishes. Generally, we are up for the challenge, but like I said I'm just not feeling it right now. Pre-Dinner Appetizers - I'm thinking: - shrimp cocktail - roasted eggplant and red pepper dip (will buy some gluten free bread/crackers) - cheese plate with some fruit Dinner - Roasted Tomato Soup - Salad - winter salad of fennel/citrus/watercress Dessert - poached pears I haven't really gotten much into the entree. Does anyone have any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

After many years of thinking about it, I have started a discussion group with five members. To get this group off the ground, I enticed the group members over with dinner. I asked the seemingly innocuous question, "Does anyone have any dietary concerns?" Well, crap. There's a vegetarian. No meat, no fish. There's one with acid reflux. Nothing spicy, no tomatoes, no citrus. There's one that just plain skeeves at mayo and something I don't remember. There's one person, bless her heart, who hasn't voiced a need. My first dinner began with olives, dried apricots, almonds and white wine. We had lemon sole, spanikopita, Moroccan spicy carrots and more white wine. Dessert was chocolate mousse with whipped cream and espresso. Everyone loved it, although no one touched the apps. It set me back $200. We are about to meet again, and I need to serve some sort of dinner at the ungodly hour of 6:30, since that was decided the best time to meet. That gives me almost no time for food prep after work. I've already decided on brownies with cherry sauce for dessert. I've already decided on red wine, since I have three bottles on hand. During a freak out last night at Costco, I got mashed avocados, a huge bag of multigrain chips, hummus and a hunk of cheese. I'm thinking I'll do a nice guacamole with chips/hummus with chips to start. That leaves the middle thing. Since I'm planning on us being able to graze, to eat sitting on the couch, etc., I want food that can move comfortably. I'm thinking a casserole of some sort -- maybe wild rice, broccoli, cauliflower and cheese. Does anyone have any ideas for that casserole thing or a substitute? Does anyone have any ideas for how to deal with this challenge? I'd like to offer food and drink and make it nice and homey, but I can't do this time-wise and money-wise. I was going to do pizza, but then my acid reflux person reminded me about the tomatoes. Argh. Help.