The Cookbook Junkies

Sara Forte is back again with The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon, a second tome devoted to inspired whole food eating. I loved going through this book so much that I went ahead and ordered her first book, The Sprouted Kitchen:  A Tastier Take on Whole Foods.

Over the last few years, I have been expanding the items I make from scratch ricotta, bread, ice cream and more.  I don’t always make everything from scratch but when time permits I do. I want to take this approach to adding more whole grains and foods to our diets.

The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon offers so many wonderful recipes choices:  Seedy Olive Granola, Kale Slaw with Soaked Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts, Lentil Tapenade, Marrakesh Carrots, Spiced Sweet Potato Chips and Creme Fraiche Dip, Ahi Poke Bowls, Curried Sweet Potato Soup with Crispy Black Lentils, Cauliflower Gratin, Chai-Spiced Brown Rice Pudding and Lemon Creams with Blueberries and Gingersnaps are just a few that I am excited to try. I love the Dressings and Sauces chapter — Pantry Peanut Sauce, Maple Balsamic Dressing and Thai Lemongrass Sauce – we love dressings and sauces here!

I’m making Korean Short Ribs on Sunday and will try the peanut sauce to add to some noodles. We haven’t had peanut noodles since we left New York.

Thanks to Blogging for Books for this copy!

 

The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook was originally published in Yiddish in 1938 under the name Vegetarish-Dietisher Kokhbukh: 400 Shpeizn Gemakht Oysshlislekh fun Grinsn (Vegetarian-Dieteti Cookbook: 400 Recipes Made Exclusively from Vegetables) by Fania Lewando.

Fania Lewando was the proprietor of a popular vegetarian restaurant in Vilna, Lithuania and this book chronicles 400 of her recipes. She was an advocate of nutrition and vitality and founded a dietary school that taught Jewish women healthy cooking.  She and her husband fled the Nazi invasion of Vilna in the fall of 1941 and were captured by Soviet soldiers.  They died sometime thereafter and it was feared that all copies of her cookbook were gone. However in 1995, a couple attending a book fair lucked across a copy of Fania’s original book and donated it to the Institute for Jewish Research in New York.  Fast forward to the present,  Eve Jochnowitz and Schocken Books translated Fania’s original version so that we can make these recipes today.

This book isn’t akin to the books of today with stunning photographs of the finished dishes and nicely formatted recipes with the ingredients listed first with instructions following. The recipes are in paragraph form – you need to read the recipe to make your list of ingredients but the recipes are very easy and simple to read and the measurements are in volumes. The illustrations are lovely.

Again, 400 vegetarian recipes — Cabbage Kreplekh, Fried Stuffed Eggs, Shortbread Cake with Farmer Cheese, Potato Cutlets Stuffed with  Mushrooms and more.  Breads, soups, salads, latkes, pierogies, frittatas, desserts, vitamin drinks, juices, glazes and garnishes for cakes, sauces and it goes on and on.

It is a lovely book and a piece of history with recipes that will work in our kitchens today.

Random Number Generator picked #26 and 34 — Lisa Barron and Christine Dutton — Congratulations!

Thanks to Schocken Books, we have two copies of this exceptional work for two winners.  The giveaway is open to US addresses only.  Please leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite vegetarian dish.  Two winners will be drawn by random number generator on June 24th.  Good luck.

 

Indian flavors have always been a favorite of mine. I love the comforting warmth of cardamom, coriander, turmeric and cinnamon along with the chiles and curries that are often found in Indian recipes.  I’d step over your grandma for a samosas — note, over not on, I’m not that heartless.

Recently, Anupy Singla’s newest book, Indian for Everyone came to my attention.   I have many Indian cookbooks that range from beginner to expert in nature but was eager to have this title join my collection.  It will become a go to resource for everyday Indian dishes.  Anupy covers everything you will need to know to start cooking Indian dishes. Samosas, chutneys, paneer, curries, lentils and so much more including desserts.  The recipes for Indian Corn Bread, Lamb Biryani and Drowned Cauliflower look incredible!

 

After learning of this title, I wanted to research her other cookbooks — The Indian Slow Cooker and Vegan Indian Cooking.

The Indian Slow Cooker has some recipes that look great – Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes, Black Lentils with Kidney Beans and Chickpeas and Punjabi Curried Kidney Beans are just a few that can be made in your slow cooker. The kidney beans I’d like to make for a different spin for a barbecue.  I would love an international barbecue with different recipes from different cultures — Korean short ribs, the Punjabi Curried Kidney Beans, an Asian cole slaw and one of the potato dishes from Anupy’s books.  Does that sound great or strange?

Vegan Indian Cooking looks just as wonderful as the other titles.  South Indian Tomato and Tamarind Soup, Spicy Sweet Potato Patties, Baked Samosa Sticks, Lemon Brown Rice and Indo-Chinese Fried Rice — are a few of the stand out recipes.

I’m looking forward to trying many of these recipes!  I highly recommend these books especially if you are new to this type of cuisine.  Easy, straightforward and delicious!

Random Number Generator picked #17 – Dana — an e-mail has been sent! Congratulations!

 

GIVEAWAY:  Thanks to Surrey Books (Agate Publishing) — I have a set of these books for one reader.  The giveaway is open for US addresses only.  Leave one comment here telling me about your favorite Indian dish.  For a second entry, share this giveaway on social media.  Please be sure to leave two separate comments.

Good luck.  A random winner will be chosen on June 23rd!