"Meatless" by Martha Stewart Living

[heidih]

I find the title a bit off-putting with a sort of negative slant, but saw some good reviews. The book is Meatless by Martha Stewart Living. Has anyone checked out the book and have any thoughts? If I were between this and Plenty I think I would go with Plenty.

[rotuts]

do you have

http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Cooking-Everyone-Deborah-Madison/dp/0767927478/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360241608&sr=1-1&keywords=vegetarian+cooking+for+everyone

Im still working my way through it.

[annabelle]

That book is great, rotuts. I've had it for almost 20 years. You really can toss away all the other vegetarian cookbooks out there and keep Deborah's.

[rotuts]

that's my view. ive had it since it came out. Martha's stuff is, well, Martha's stuff.

the other book ( parts of it anyway ) that helped me with Veg. is

http://www.amazon.com/Roasting--Simple-Art-Barbara-Kafka/dp/0688131352/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360273888&sr=1-2&keywords=roasting

then you need an Indian dal type book and you are set!

[annabelle]

I have that book, as well. It is excellent.

Martha is a caterer, not a chef. Her recipes are time-consuming, fussy, call for hard to find ingredients (often used sparingly or for garnish) and aren't as good as other people's versions of the same dishes that are more straight forward and don't try to make you work harder than needed. I am not opposed to doing time-consuming or fussy cooking at all. I just find that Martha calls for way too many steps that a beginning cook would try and then realize at the end that they worked two hours to produce a frittata.

[mukki]

I have that book, as well. It is excellent.

Martha is a caterer, not a chef. Her recipes are time-consuming, fussy, call for hard to find ingredients (often used sparingly or for garnish) and aren't as good as other people's versions of the same dishes that are more straight forward and don't try to make you work harder than needed. I am not opposed to doing time-consuming or fussy cooking at all. I just find that Martha calls for way too many steps that a beginning cook would try and then realize at the end that they worked two hours to produce a frittata.

I don't find this to be true at all. She may have started as a caterer (though I don't know why a caterer's recipes would necessarily be fussier than a chef's), but MSL is a corporation and the recipes are developed by a team. I've found several good ones, none of which are time-consuming or fussy.

[SylviaLovegren]

I still use the first Greens cookbook by Deborah Madison. It has some superb recipes and is really timeless. http://www.amazon.com/Greens-Cookbook-Deborah-Madison/dp/1906502587/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361630594&sr=1-1&keywords=greens+madison

[annabelle]

Mukki, my point remains that if one is looking for a book on vegetarian cookery, Martha isn't the first nor the last place to look.

Deborah Madison is the queen of approachable, tasty vegetarian food.

[Rebecca263]

Isn't that funny? I abhor Deborah Madison's books! So dull to me, the food, the writing. But, in my mind, there is no need for a vegetarian book, when I am cooking vegetarian I just cook, and don't use anything with a face!

[heidih]

Rebecca - she has a new one coming out that only intrigued me because of Heidi Swanson's shout out Vegetable Literacy

[Rebecca263]

Yes, I was intrigued by that, too. DM is just not my kind of writer, I suppose, just not my thing, I'm the colorful type,methinks! I like Martha Stewart's magazines and show(I HAVE seen it, even without having television!) and her book on organization, for reference and riffing off of, as well, her rice pudding recipe is divine. I've made a few things from her magazines, and always had success.

edited to add: I think of DM as what folks say about Martha Stewart, a bit too precious, a bit too snobby. Slow food, indeed, how absolutely PRECIOUS.

Edited February 24, 2013 by Rebecca263 (log)