I have several vegetarians in my household and some more on my Christmas list. This book should make a great gift for them. The recipes are very good, fun actually and healthy I should hope. Happy cooking to all and to all a good night.

The reason why I continuously return to this cookbook is because it is what I would describe as the cooking equivalent of a paintbox. Yes, you can follow madison's recipes exactly and come up with a delicious final dish, but what this book is truly commendable for is that it is so full of ideas. I have heard someone knock the simplicity of some of these recipes but that is the beauty of this book--it's focus on strong straightforward flavors that will go well together. Whenever I find myself with a bunch of spinach in the fridge or a cabinet empty of anything but a few cans of chickpeas, I flip through this book and inevitably get reminded that with my trusty spice rack, I can whip up something quick and healthy that also has complex flavors. I use the recipes as inspiration or guideline and rarely follow them exactly. As a recent fish convert and a person who inevitably ends up cooking meat for family, I also find that any moderately experienced cook would be able to easily modify these recipes to create carniverous dishes. A must-have cookbook.

I'm a twenty-year-old committed vegetarian, and over the past year or so I've become very interested in cooking as a creative activity, rather than just another task. Deborah Madison's recipies in this cookbook are, on the whole, very simple and filled with flavor. I think of it kind of like a Joy of Cooking, but for vegetarians, because she has so much information on basic cooking how-to's, which is immensely useful if you haven't spent a lot of time in the kitchen yet. Her recipies usually start from basic vegetables you can find at a grocery store or farmer's market, so if you're interested in trying new foods (but don't know where to start), this is perfect for you. There are some illustrations and photos of what the vegetables and dishes look like, plus handy lists of how to buy, store, and prepare various vegetables. I highly recommend this book, and think it should be a staple on any serious vegetarian's bookshelf. Delicious!

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