Plenty

A few years ago my family decided to cut back on our consumption of meat. One of the world’s most famous vegetarian chefs, Yotam Ottolenghi, came to my rescue in the form of this cookbook, which has truly expanded my ideas of how vegetables, grains, and other plant-based foods can be prepared. The chapters are organized by ingredient, which is handy if you shop your farmer’s market and need some ideas on how to prepare those gorgeous eggplants or the bumper crop of green beans you’ve brought home. The unexpected combinations and preparations have given me permission to be more… show more.

If you are an experienced cook and looking for new and interesting ways to expand your vegetable horizons and use of ethnic ingredients, try this cookbook by London chef Ottolenghi (he’s not a vegetarian, but a master of preparing vegetables). Recipes have a Mediterranean influence and include dishes like Spicy Moroccan Salad, Sweet Potato Cakes, and Black Pepper Tofu. This book might be for you if you shop at farmers markets (think chard, leeks, pulses, greens) and are comfortable with Mediterranean spices.