• Eat Your Books

  2002 James Beard Award Nominee

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Fennel leek soup

  • wester on September 03, 2010

    There was nothing special about this soup. It wasn't creamy, it didn't have a distinctive flavor, and it looked a bit muddy. When I think of all the other lovely things I could have done with these vegetables, this is not one I'm going to repeat.

• Fennel leek mashed potatoes

  • wester on September 30, 2010

    The fennel adds a nice touch, but not enough to really lift this out of the ordinary.

• Apple pie à la mode drink

  • wester on September 03, 2010

    Nice creamy "apple pie" flavor. Really easy to make. It separates a bit after a while, so it's better to drink immediately after making it. I would also put in a bit more milk to make it creamier, but this way it's great too.

• Autumn smoothie

  • wester on October 09, 2010

    Nice. Sweet. Creamy. And not much more.

• Blueberry and buttermilk falls drink

  • wester on July 03, 2011

    I didn't much care for this. The color is very pretty, but the taste isn't that special and I didn't like the mouth feel much either.

• Cabbage and noodles

  • wester on September 03, 2010

    OK, but not great. Needs some caraway seeds. And maybe a bit more (yes, even more) butter. It needs a lot of stirring to prevent scorching.

  • Nancith on April 07, 2016

    We found this to be pretty delicious. There was not problem w/ scorching as the previous reviewer had, but perhaps my nonstick skillet had something to do with that. I think next time less noodles would be my preference.

• Moroccan roasted vegetables

  • wester on September 03, 2010

    This was a good twist on roasted vegetables. Fragrant but not too hot. Easy to make, but do take care you mix well, and don't underestimate the time that cutting all those vegetables takes. I served this with couscous with raisins and flaked almonds (as suggested in the book) and it was a great combination. I think it does not matter that much which vegetables you use for this. I left out bell peppers and replaced the sweet potato by thinly sliced normal potato, and the result was fine. There is a very large amount of spices here (almost three tablespoons in total) but that worked out fine. I did find it was a bit too salty, though. Next time I'll halve the amount of salt.

  • RandyP on August 02, 2011

    (4 of 5) I agree with Wester, a good twist on roasted vegetables, fragrant but not hot. I added toasted quinoa, for a good vegetarian dinner. This will be added to the normal rotation.

  • krobbins426 on February 19, 2013

    I served over quinoa with currants and topped with toasted pine nuts. I had goat cheese over mine, my husband did not. He thought the seasoning was "too intense," but the goat cheese seemed to help. I suspect it was the salt. I used about 1 1/2 tsp, since I used canned chickpeas, but it was still way too salty.

  • Meags on January 09, 2022

    This was delicious!! I only used 1/2 teaspoon salt. I upped cayenne to 1/2 teaspoon. I didn't have a zucchini, so I used a carrot, some Japanese sweet potatoes and a full eggplant. I am a little leery of eggplant in some dishes. This was wonderful! Since this was a side dish, I omitted the chickpeas. I served over couscous with golden raisins. Can't wait to make it with the chickpeas for a main course!

• Pine nut pasta cavalfiore

  • wester on September 03, 2010

    Very good. Pasta with cauliflower and Sicilian influences: pine nuts, currants, saffron. I prefer using both grated cheese for saltiness and fried bread crumbs for crunch. I don't know what kind of dried tomatoes they are used to, but mine certainly don't mimic anchovies. I actually might put a couple of anchovies in if I make this for non (or demi)vegetarians. And I don't know where they got the 1 1/4 hour cooking time. I took a very leisurely 3/4 hour and I think it can be done in 1/2 hour.

• Summer melon salsa

  • wester on September 03, 2010

    Sweet and spicy, very fragrant. It reminds a bit of Thai food, probably because of the basil&lime&ginger combination. The only problem is I don't really know what to serve it with. The suggested beans mainly reminded me of the beans with pineapple I used to eat as a student, and I'm not sure fish would fare much better, although it would very much depend on which fish. Just some taco chips? A chunk of feta and some nice bread? I'll let you know when I find something.

  • sturlington on July 13, 2014

    Due to the bounty of summer, I added a very ripe avocado and a cucumber to this. Tastes very fresh, like summer in a bowl. I'm planning to serve it with pita chips as an appetizer; also might eat as a side salad for lunch. p381

• Drunken beans

  • sgump on June 17, 2010

    Just lovely. I first made this dish on February 16, 2008, using a 12-oz bottle of New Glarus "Spotted Cow" ale (apparently brought by a visiting friend). Delicious. I enjoyed it atop brown rice; and leftovers were quite nice, too--but I'd definitely recommend doubling the recipe, since a hungry soul could almost consume the lot of it!

  • krobbins426 on February 16, 2013

    I only had a Bud Light Platinum when making this recipe. We served it alongside some spinach with cumin and garlic and atop tortillas with a little cheese and sour cream. The sour cream truly finished the dish.

• Vegetarian pozole

  • sgump on June 17, 2010

    Quite delicious! I first made this dish on February 14, 2008; I used butternut squash. Yes, it took a while (what with all the vegetable prep work), but it makes quite a large quantity. The finished dish is incredibly colorful--especially if you use a mix of red and green bell peppers--and flavorful. I subsequently made it later for my parents, and my mother (who does not like spicy foods) did not find the chipotle to be too hot.

• Caribbean sweet potato gratin

  • radishseed on April 24, 2020

    This was okay, but the flavors were a little bland (I liked the coconut milk and lime juice, but it needed more in the herb and spice department; then again, some of my ingredients were old and/or previously frozen, so that might account for the mehness), and the cornmeal topping didn't really work. Rather than golden and crispy, it was mostly raw, with a few lumpy crunchy bits. I used medium-grind cornmeal; maybe a finer grind would have been better. And more oil mixed in. It was better the next day.

  • chriscooks on August 01, 2011

    A good one. Needs hot spices. Lite coconut milk works. Chard is OK instead of spinach -- needs more greens than the recipe says. This is a very forgiving recipe and is delicious.

• Portabello reuben

  • radishseed on October 22, 2013

    Yum, I love this sandwich. Sometimes I make this Reuben with Tempeh Strips in a Smoky Molasses Marinade (from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone) instead of mushrooms.

• Roasted vegetables for pasta

  • MMarlean on July 31, 2010

    This was excellent! Served over lemon-pepper spaghetti. Added approx. 2T more olive oil and 2 extra cloves of garlic, and saved some of the oil mixture for over the spaghetti instead of a sauce. Used ground fennel from Penzey's. It really added to the flavor. Added grated parmesan cheese.

• Vegetable rolls

  • RandyP on August 01, 2011

    If not vegetarian, shrimp would be a nice addition.

• Curried lentil dip

  • RandyP on August 01, 2011

    4 star - If served hot, this makes a nice curry soup. Do not skip the raisins they add a nice sweetness.

• Polenta cutlets with olives

  • chriscooks on August 01, 2011

    Pretty good. If you don't use instant grits/polenta, wait till the end to add the tomatoes and olives. Otherwise they will be mush.

• Savory cheddar thyme biscotti

  • chriscooks on August 01, 2011

    Not very cheesy even with extra sharp cheddar. try Romano? Add cayenne. Could make 2 narrower logs.

• Black Forest biscotti

  • chriscooks on August 01, 2011

    If dried cherries are pliable, don't need to soak them, but add 1-2 T H2O to batter. Could make 2 narrower logs

  • michalow on July 29, 2017

    This is a pretty dry biscotti, which some people won't like, but it's perfect for dunking in a cup of coffee. I used white whole wheat for about half of the flour, and subbed slivered almonds for half of the chocolate. Satisfying without being overly sweet. Will make again.

• Apple onion cheese gratin

  • krobbins426 on March 03, 2013

    Nice comfort meal. I left out the walnuts because of my daughter's allergy. I think it would have added an important textural and taste element.

  • macfadden on February 23, 2017

    I couldn't quite decide if I liked this or not, though my test subjects made agreeable comments about it. I used Granny Smith apples for their tartness and firmness, but even so I found the combination of flavors (sort of apple cobbler with onion and cheese) a bit distracting. I did reduce the breadcrumb layer a bit and found about half the cheese was plenty.

• Black bean and sweet potato hash

  • krobbins426 on April 06, 2013

    Used canned mild chiles + 1 chipolte in adobo. Added splash of chicken broth during final simmer with beans. Added scallions and chopped cilantro after cooking. Mashed and used to fill tortillas, fajita style.

  • sturlington on December 10, 2014

    Quick and easy. Liked the addition of orange juice. Omitted the corn as I had none. Served with a fried egg on top.

  • macfadden on September 18, 2016

    The toppings make a big difference here. I thought it was pretty ho-hum until I added the sour cream and cilantro; then it was pretty good.

• French-style sandwich

  • krobbins426 on December 30, 2013

    Super easy and light dinner for the kids and myself after a long day. We skipped the arugula because I was out and just used regular sandwich bread. I'd consider roasting the onions longer next time so that they have more color. 15 minutes is plenty for the apples and mushrooms. I didn't have gruyere, but fresh mozzerella was nice and creamy under the veggies and tasted fine with the dill mayo.

• Red and green sopa seca

  • chez_stutters on July 15, 2011

    Replace tortillas with corn chips: bit salty but better than using flour tortillas, which go mushy.

• Pasta with zucchini and mascarpone

  • michalow on July 02, 2017

    This is tasty as a side, but much too rich as a main dish. The lemon is essential.

• Mexican red rice

  • michalow on January 05, 2013

    This is decent, nothing special but fine if served with something spicy and flavorful. I think some minced celery would add a missing note here.

• Yogurt tahini dressing

  • sturlington on February 17, 2015

    This dressing is very thick. That may be due to the brand of yogurt I used. I tried to thin it with a little olive oil and a little milk. I think the milk worked better. This makes a really good dip for crudites.

• Roasted vegetable quesadillas

  • sturlington on October 22, 2014

    Can vary the veggies, making this an adaptable recipe. Goes well with soup. p163

• Hoisin dipping sauce

  • sturlington on January 07, 2014

    Used for a veggie dip. Tasty.

• Sour cream and onion dip

  • sturlington on December 26, 2014

    I made this with all sour cream for a Christmas party "emergency" when someone forgot the traditional Lipton's onion soup mix. Everybody loved it. The whole bowl disappeared. I added a couple of teaspoons of Italian dressing mix (Penzey's) to approximate the soup mix and could have added more. I also think a tablespoon of vinegar would be a nice addition. I will experiment with different ratios of yogurt to sour cream in the future, but this recipe will go into heavy party rotation.

• Apple zucchini muffins

  • sturlington on November 12, 2014

    This was an easy muffin recipe to make that everyone liked. Good for breakfast or on-the-go snacks. Seems healthy because there is no butter or oil. I substituted rolled oats for the oat bran. p28

• Maple nut granola

  • sturlington on January 01, 2015

    I adapted this recipe a great deal, but I liked the results. I cut amounts down to fit on one baking sheet (about 2-1/2 cups oats), adding 1/2 cup nuts and 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, plus coconut and dried fruit (after baking). I used smaller amounts of oil and syrup (subbing blueberry-apple syrup), and I think it can be cut still further to lower the calorie count. An easy recipe that can be made as needed.

• Lemon ricotta pancakes

  • sturlington on June 07, 2015

    These are very rich and filling. Good with strawberry syrup in place of the blueberries.

• Huevos rancheros

  • sturlington on October 13, 2014

    Good and easy. Recipe includes tips for making quick homemade salsa to go with. Especially nice with Skillet Black Beans. p56

• Quick cinnamon biscuits

  • sturlington on February 14, 2014

    Made for valentines day breakfast. A bit too much nutmeg. Everyone enjoyed. p59

• Carolina vegetable soup

  • sturlington on August 10, 2014

    This turned out really great. The barbecue sauce was a nice "secret ingredient" and unexpected. I also added a bit of sherry vinegar at the end, which brightened it up. I took the vegetables list as suggestions rather than requirements, and even though this is a vegetarian soup, I added some bacon because I thought its smokiness would complement the BBQ sauce. Leftovers kept well. I will add this to my regular rotation. p71

• Potato Florentine soup

  • sturlington on January 14, 2015

    I left out all the cheese and garnished with a little grated cheddar instead.

• Green bean and walnut salad

  • sturlington on November 15, 2014

    I thought this was a really great salad. I cut the amount of oil in the dressing but kept proportions the same.

• Zero soup

  • sturlington on February 18, 2015

    This is an easy, adaptable recipe, useful for using up those odd bits of vegetables after preparing a couple of meals. I like the additions of soy sauce and vinegar, which add some brightness and depth to what might otherwise be a boring soup. If I am eating this as a meal, I do need some protein, so I substitute one can of beans for half the tomatoes. Even though this is called "zero" soup, I think it does need some fat, not only for flavor but also because vitamins are absorbed better when eaten with fat. Throwing in some bacon does the trick, or just stir in a pat of butter or a glug of olive oil before serving.

• Sweet potato and zucchini frittata

  • sturlington on January 08, 2015

    Takes over 1 hour to cook.

  • Nancith on May 11, 2018

    Lovely flavor in this dish, mellow but savory. The smoked cheddar really adds to the dish. I added some asparagus that needed to be used & subbed in a leek for part of the onion. Also the 8 oz of cream cheese called for seemed very extravagant, so I cut it back to 4 oz & it worked fine. My version only took the required time of 40 minutes in the oven.

• Dressed-up salmon cakes

  • sturlington on May 29, 2014

    Easy to make and everyone enjoyed, which is not always a given for fish. I have frozen the extra so we'll see how they keep. p266

  • Christinalego on June 02, 2020

    These are great. I made them with canned salmon and Penney spice mix. Comfort food.

• Baked ziti with roasted peppers

  • sturlington on November 12, 2014

    Good and easy. I left out the peppers this time. Also omitted the goat cheese and added in some Parmesan instead. Cut the recipe in half, which made enough to feed my family and leave leftovers for another dinner for all 3 of us. p276

• Chilean bean stew

  • sturlington on October 22, 2014

    A very tasty recipe, especially with cheddar sprinkled on top. Cut back on cayenne as it does get a bit spicy. p304

  • macfadden on April 17, 2014

    This is my favorite stew recipe. I wasn't sure it would be good at first, but I made it because I had all the ingredients on hand. It isn't very photogenic, but it is delicious. I like Trader Joe's frozen sweet corn for this, but fresh corn is traditional for the Chilean dish it's a variation of, porotos granados. I made it without the cayenne the first time for some spice-sensitive eaters, and found I prefer it that way.

• Basic skillet black beans

  • sturlington on October 13, 2014

    Very easy and adaptable as either a side dish, main dish, or tortilla filling. Can use canned beans. Serve on rice, polenta or grits. Top with salsa, cheese or sour cream. Can substitute orange juice or canned tomatoes for the liquid. Add vegetables, or use for soup or taco filling. p317

• Spicy broccoli soba sauté

  • sturlington on October 22, 2014

    I understand this is meant to be a side, but I wanted it to have more heft. Also, I don't like to dirty two pots to make a side, so this one probably won't go into regular rotation.

• Gingered salmon-in-a-packet

  • sturlington on October 22, 2014

    OK, not particularly great.

• Three peppers cabbage slaw

  • Nancith on September 12, 2018

    A bright, flavorful and colorful slaw! The vinaigrette really makes this flavor-wise; the white balsamic and lemon make a nice combination. Slicing the veggies thinly also creates a nice texture. Good for a potluck.

• Pasta with asparagus and lemon

  • Nancith on April 08, 2024

    I was a little leery of this recipe which purees most of the asparagus into a lemony sauce, but actually it was surprisingly good. The sauce had more of a lemon presence than overtly asparagus-y, but the asparagus was still discernible. Simple, but satisfying & delicious!

• Pasta with easy summer sauce

  • Nancith on July 12, 2016

    Really delicious and would be even better with garden tomatoes. I lightly sauteed the red onions & garlic, since raw sometimes is too much for me, and kept the black olives on the side, to please my non-olive-loving family. Definitely a keeper.

• Pumpkin cornmeal biscuits

  • Nancith on December 29, 2018

    Great drop biscuits! The batter seemed too wet, perhaps because my pumpkin puree had been frozen (?), but the biscuits were brown & done with only 2 extra minutes in the oven. They were a little flat, but still tasted very good. The pumpkin flavor is very subtle & with only a little brown sugar, not too sweet. Definitely on the make-again list.

  • ricki on November 14, 2019

    I liked them a lot, and he maybe less so, but he still had a second. No sugar, but added ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and a generous pinch of allspice. My batter was thick, probably because I used pureed baked squash, which wasn't very watery. Yielded 10, done in 22 minutes.

• Scandinavian slaw

  • macfadden on September 12, 2016

    Wasn't a big fan of the fennel here and would leave it out next time, but everything else was fine. Also, I cut the cabbage too thickly and it was kind of a pain to chew. Moral of the story: cut your cabbage as thinly as possible, with a food processor if you have one. And you don't have to bother peeling the apples.

• Israeli za'atar salad

  • macfadden on September 14, 2016

    This salad was fine served inside a pita with chickpeas, as suggested in the description, but there was way too much dressing and there was lots of dressing/juice left in the bottom of the bowl, and not so much clinging to the salad. Maybe de-seeding the tomatoes, salting the cucumbers and letting them sit for a bit, and using less dressing would make it less watery.

  • Meags on July 31, 2022

    We had this just as a side salad. Delicious! We used English cucumber and halved grape tomatoes. I think that helped cut down on the massive amount of dressing/liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

• Italian gratin

  • macfadden on February 10, 2017

    The onions were under-cooked and the layer of breadcrumbs was very thick. Also a bit bland.

• Instant tamale pie

  • macfadden on February 09, 2017

    DRAIN THE BEANS! The recipe says not to, but including their liquid gives the topping an unfortunate texture. With this slight modification, it is a very convenient and delicious dinner that I make frequently.

• Italian bean and squash soup

  • MargaretM on September 27, 2016

    Red pesto should read red pepper flakes, I think.

• Avocado and shrimp sushi salad

  • amisa on April 30, 2023

    Like a poke bowl! We substituted a spicy mayo sauce instead of the wasabi sauce given with the recipe. Very tasty and easy.

• Basic popcorn

  • rionafaith on December 09, 2018

    p. 216 -- Easy stovetop method. I halved the recipe, using 1/4 C kernels and 1/2 T oil, to make a (large) individual portion. Next time I'll try some of the seasoning variations in the book.

• Wild rice pilaf

  • FoodieNC on August 19, 2021

    Tasty, made as directed, at room temp, so nice dish for summer. Don’t skip the lemon, add more soy sauce if needed. Change up the parsley for different tastes as suggested. Used Lundburg rice blend but pretty similar. Page 147

• Three seed whole wheat rolls

  • FoodieNC on October 26, 2020

    I had to bake longer than 12-15 min in the instructions. More like 20 till they started browning and probably could have used another minute or 2. Pretty easy as far as number of ingredients and tasty.

• Flaxseed banana bread

  • trmarvin on November 15, 2017

    Banana is a great substrate for adding oatmeal flour, WW, and flaxmeal - really not noticeable, and actually the texture is a plus.

  • dmco6863 on May 09, 2020

    Wholemeal spelt flour worked well along with the omission of eggs.

• Bulghur with caramelized onions

  • trmarvin on January 01, 2019

    Easy, but not simple; my hard-to-please crew always like it.

• Big chocolate chip cookies

  • Livmichelle on May 06, 2020

    Love the addition of whole wheat, the baking time was a little off so they were doughy, next time cook for 20 minutes

  • Meags on September 18, 2022

    These were good, but not great

• Basic vegetable stock

  • ricki on January 22, 2021

    I tried the variation with two small-ish sweet potatoes in place of carrots, because I had sweet potatoes to use up. Otherwise as written. I feel like I should've known better -- a weak broth dominated by sweet potato. I'll use it as a base for some strong-flavored soups where the sweetness won't detract, but I won't make this again.

• Pear chocolate almond muffins

  • Babsadon on October 18, 2017

    This recipe is not listed in the index. It is a variation of the Moosewood muffins. See p.27

• Garlic scape pesto

  • Christinalego on June 07, 2021

    Wonderful, perfect! Be sure to cut the scapes while they are still tender.

• Italian stuffed portabellos

  • Christinalego on July 11, 2020

    Easy, and delicious.

• Roasted caramelized balsamic onions

  • Meags on November 06, 2021

    Delicious! Works with regular onions too. We had as a side dish. Chopped up the leftover and tossed into a frittata. Worked great!

• Scallop chowder

  • Meags on April 12, 2024

    Delicious!! I didn't have two potatoes, so I used frozen shredded potatoes - worked great and saved time! I also only pureed 2 c of the veggie mix with the scallop cooking water and half and half. Would totally advise that so you have a decent amount of veggies in your chowder. Will definitely make again!

• Miso lemon marinade

  • Meags on February 17, 2024

    This was great! I used for roasted vegetables - maybe cut sesame by half. Then maybe cut mirin by half and use olive oil for remaining half to cling more to veggies. When serving just a bowl of straight veggies it works as is

• Sicilian eggplant pasta

  • Meags on April 01, 2023

    Delicious!!

• Fish tostadas

  • Meags on May 25, 2021

    Great! I used tilapia instead of catfish. Excellent.

• Caramel layer cake

  • Meags on June 13, 2024

    This was good, but it's a lot of work (and a lot of brown sugar for something that is just good or slightly above good).

• Homespun pot pie

  • sayeater on October 24, 2021

    Well this was darn tasty!!! The biscuit dough topping came out light, fluffy and perfect. My vegetable mixture was fairly thick going into the oven but a bit runny coming out. That may have been my fault for a recipe modification of adding chopped zucchini in with the peas and corn during last steps. Might have added too much water content for that stage. Would add earlier with potatoes, etc next time. Flavor was spot on though. This is definitely a keeper recipe.