Meatless: More than 200 of the Very Best Vegetarian recipes. From the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living. / Foreword by Martha Stewart. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2013.
“Meatless…” is a very pretty book, all the better to love the effort which turned out fantastic-looking dishes, page after page. It begins with an intriguing cover, featuring three
individual servings of a kale, cherry tomato, goat cheese and flat-noodle dish. In 384 pages you have recipes, suggested pantry lists, recipe variations, and tips on menu creation. Then there are extras to help you make the most of your vegetarian fare: advice for the novice cook who might need to know how to peel tomatoes, toast nuts and seeds, produce a vinaigrette or basic stock for soup, cook dried beans and lentils from scratch; the list of helpful bits is long.
In all aspects of my list of the 10 attributes, this cookbook more than fulfills my quest for a great cookbook for vegetarians. It is tactile and graphically portrays the extant qualities of plant foods in ways that are meaningful in a fast-paced lifestyle in today’s kitchens. And its ability to attract and hold my attention long enough to identify with the tastes being rendered is fascinating.
A score of 9.5, or how Meatless registered with my list of 10 Attributes of a Great Cookbook. The presence of a single attribute from my list nets one point out of ten.
“Artful presentation for the cover” is number one on my list, which I have already mentioned above. “Truthful author biography…” is number two: although her reputation for creativity is well-known, Martha Stewart still reveals the reasons why she is committed to the vegetarian lifestyle, at least in Meatless…
“Lovely, focused color photography…” is number three. With the exception noted below, this facet is more than present. In fact there is only a stylistic detractor.
Number four is “Noted variations… with other possibilities…” because people don’t always have or prefer the exact ingredient version of the dish, Meatless includes the special pages entitled “Versatile Vegetarian” to conclude each of the eight chapters of the book.
Number five, “Recipe biographies, or the back story…”, so important to the experiences in this book and finding your place among the 200 or so recipes. The back stories, then, are helpful and interesting in this book.
Number six, “Index, complete and really thorough.” is well covered; the entries being dotted with keyed symbols for vegan, special diet and gluten-free. Very nice visual reference.
Number seven is “Clarity… simplicity…”. The book is clearly-written, is graphically clean and laid out to minimize confusion in the text. One of the features is that recipes appear alongside ingredients lists wherever possible; steps are numbered.
“Thematic interpretation of the food being featured, focus on types of food… cultures…” is a long number eight. But that’s right because it’s a kind of global view of the taste being portrayed, something slightly intangible, yet a quality to strive for. Between the images and names of dishes, this attribute has strong representation here.
Number nine, “Nutritional information…” is a real plus, and Meatlesss has it handy for you, the reader.
And the last attribute, number ten, “Menus, additional methods…” is represented in a special section, along with “basics” and “flavor boosters”.
“Meatless…” scores very high on my list of 10 attributes for a great vegan or vegetarian cookbook. With a score of 9.5, the book is almost a perfect 10. Why I could just go ahead and give it a 10 but for a half-point reservation for the cookbook’s stylized photography. For beauty and appeal the images are certainly exceptional. It’s just that when compared to the recipe where the picture idealizes the food to ultra-real, then I have cause to wonder at the efficacy of a recipe. Or, perhaps even doubt my ability to create it in my kitchen. I want to see in the photograph that the kale is really wilted (really dark and soft-shaped), not merely dipped in hot water and salt when the recipe calls for sautee. So much for the dialogue I might have between my experience, the recipe and the photograph—i.e., “Can I actually make something look as good as that, or am I kidding myself?” is my reaction.
People will recognize in Meatless, a strikingly sophisticated approach to elegant vegetarian food that sees vegans, special dieters and gluten-free seekers just as welcome at the table as those going meatless for an evening. It is a lively, entertaining book that entices, just waiting for your participation, why not for tonight’s dinner! I do think Meatless is a great cookbook that will be used like a manual to great meals in my kitchen. Thank you, Martha Stewart!
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