Totally Vegetarian: Easy, Fast, Comforting Cooking for Every Kind of Vegetarian

by Toni Fiore

Each day brings new findings about the myriad health benefits of a plant-based diet, but for many, the art of easily preparing vegetarian food as delicious and nourishing as the foods they’re accustomed to has remained a mystery—until now. Toni Fiore, the host and creator of Delicious TV’s Totally Vegetarian —the innovative vegetarian cooking show on public television, now seen by nearly 100 million viewers—is fast becoming one of the most trusted, reliable guides to delicious meatless cuisine. In this, her first-ever cookbook, Fiore has created an essential, all-in-one guide to vegetarian cooking. To begin, Fiore—herself a vegetarian cook for over twenty years—advises how best to stock your kitchen (with the right knives, appliances, cookware and bakeware, and other truly essential equipment) and pantry (organized from A to Z, covering the beans and legumes, grains, pastas, oils, and other staple ingredients and condiments you’ll want to have on hand). What follows are nearly 200 of Fiore’s very best recipes—including dozens of her most popular—for every meal and every time of day. The recipes are thoughtfully organized into sections that reflect how you really eat and cook—including Light Bites (covering appetizers, dips, and spreads); Salads and Dressings; Soups and Stews; Breads and Pizza; Tempeh and Seitan; Pasta; Burgers and Sandwiches; Vegetables; Potatoes, Grains, and Beans; Good Mornings; and Sweet Finishes. Fiore has a particular knack for creating great-tasting vegetarian adaptations of popular culinary classics (dishes like Tempeh Fajitas, Celebration Potstickers, Eggplant Meatballs, and Mock Maryland Crab Cakes) that will especially satisfy those who may have only recently adopted a plant-based diet. And her many inventive and unusual recipes (like Edamame and Apple Salad, Malaysian Curried Tempeh, Black-Eyed Burgers, Sesame-Ginger Green Beans, Walnut Cake with Lemon Icing) will enrich the culinary repertoire of longer-term vegetarians and vegans. Many recipes are suitable (or readily adaptable) for vegans and easy enough to prepare in half an hour. Whether you are a longtime vegetarian, already vegan, seeking to eat less meat, or just beginning to explore plant-based cooking, this is delectable and nutritious vegetarian fare that you—and those you eat with each day—will enjoy preparing and savor eating.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Food and Drink

288 pages, Hardcover

First published July 22, 2008

Reviews

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I flipped through the pages of this cookbook and found a few recipes I wouldn't mind trying, but... meh. It had some pictures in the center of choice recipes, but the recipes themselves were picture-less and I enjoy cookbooks that show what the outcome should be like. I'd give it a skim if you are looking for vegetarian recipes, but I think there are others out there with more options.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't forget to rate it- I give it zero stars.
Poorly desriptive, unclear directions.
Plus each recipe I tried was AWFUL!

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a sanctimonious piece of cooking advice. I could really not deal with the author's passive-aggressive "hints" and opinions about everything in a person's home - from the clutter of non-cooking essentials in the kitchen to which pots and pans are acceptable for use. I picked this up from the library because I want to make vegetables and grains more a part of my diet, moving them from side dishes to main events. I did not need a lecture on the morals of animal-based diets or farming. And for someone who insists that her love of cooking made her unsuitable to go to cooking school or become a chef, the author sounds like any other foodie when she harps on only using fresh herbs or a thousand ingredients for her dishes.



The author has a cooking show on public broadcasting television, and you can feel the NPR/PBS-smugness coming off in waves during the introduction sections of the book, which included her background, what kitchen tools and supplies are needed, and what to stock your pantry with (hope your budget can take all her "good" suggestions). What the book lacks in pictures or descriptions of techniques, it makes up for with trying to complicate dishes such as tomato bruschetta or mashed potatoes. The fifteen pictures found in the middle of the book were of the aforementioned bruschetta and asparagus spears dressed in lime juice....nothing from the more complex dishes. There is an abundant reliance on tofu, tempeh, and TVP based dishes, none of which interested me. The very small desert section featured either fruit with honey/maple syrup or some kind of tofu pie. She mentions all the different grains in the stocking the pantry section, then uses pasta for almost every dish in the entrée sections. Bulgar and quinoa each gets one recipe.





I will say the one dessert I liked was a Basmati Rice Pudding (made without dairy or eggs). The recipes I want to try come from the salad and appetizer sections, along with eggplant meatballs (so I can make a vegetarian version of Italian Wedding Soup). Nothing new or original, no pictures, plus condescending tone equals a lackluster effort.

[Annie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to watch the author's podcasts years ago and enjoyed them very much. When I saw the book on Kindle I just had to get it, and I wasn't disappointed. I enjoy the book even more! I particularly appreciate the author's very helpful descriptions and information of products like tempeh and seitan. I've already made several recipes, and even my husband liked them. I'm looking forward to one of the recipes she's most famous for (throughout the digital vegetarian world/blogdom), tofu meatballs. I read some other reviews, and for those who think the recipes might not be their cup of tea, I might suggest watching her videos and seeing how beautiful and appetizing her food is when prepared. She's on totallyvegitarian.com, and has a new cooking show with others called Vegan Mashup (on PBS and a new Iphone app). Try some of the recipes. I think you'll like them. No....I don't work for her or her publisher. I'm just a fan of hers and was thrilled to get the book on my Kindle

[Rukshana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really try enough recipes in this book to judge it properly - that's my disclaimer. I did try a few recipes which were yum - the beet burgers and one of the potato dishes. The lentil soup recipe was very basic and good enough, but I think there are better recipes out there.

A lot of the salad dressing recipes did not appeal to me because they used mayonnaise. Yuck!

This is a maybe to check out again and try more recipes.

[Czarina]

Another keeper. She's not a chef, but has amazingly easy recipes with accessible ingredients, perfect for someone just trying to go the vegetarian route. The book starts with a wonderful primer on cooking vegan/vegetarian followed by many recipes organized by type of meal. She ends it with a section that recommends recipes to try if you like certain ingredients. (For example, if you like chicken, try vegetarian pot pie.) Her bruschetta and vegan lasagnas recipes are excellent. Enjoy!

[Sara Q]

I didn't have enough time with this one. There were a few insert pages of color photos, and the table of contents was really well done. The instructions were in big chunks of text, which I don't like, but there were some promising recipes so I'm hoping to check this one out again sometime.

[LemontreeLime · Rating 3 out of 5]

you know, i really wanted to like this book. great photos, nice write ups.... but the things she making were things id never try. The radish/rye sandwiches are totally great, though...

[Bill Rakowski]

Liked

[Nicole Cox avramenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family friendly recipes with ample variety to choose from.