Jack Bishop (1)

I bought this book on a friend's recommendation after I joined a CSA and was confronted with a bunch of unfamiliar veggies I had no idea what to do with and a never-ending supply of familiar veggies I wanted to cook in new ways. This alphabetical companion to the vegetable world helped on both accounts. Each vegetable is given an introduction with a description, tips on prep and storage, and some (often rather pointed) opinions from the author. Following the intro, we get a set of show more well-written recipes incorporating the vegetable in question. The ones I've made so far have been approachable and tasty and the tips on storage and prep have come in very handy. More illustrations may help with conveying information on identification and slicing techniques, but may interfere with the charm of this homey volume. show less

I love this cookbook. My brother started using this cookbook about twenty years ago. He would quote the weird ideas that the author has, like you have to pat mushrooms with a paper towel, and you have to sift sand off spinach and then daintily remove each stem. Consequently, at first I thought this cookbook was ridiculous. But I was won over with a series of tremendously delicious pasta sauces. Eventually I drank the Kool Aid and became fully converted to the Jack Bishop way. Usually with a show more cookbook I only make one or two recipes, but I use this one constantly, practically daily. It focuses on fresh, simple Italian pasta dishes. Like the Ballet Cookbook, there are no photos of food. (I prefer that because food photography makes me feel small and inferior.) So it is a real cookbook, not a coffee-table book. I am a vegan and most of these vegetarian recipes are easy to convert. From a literary POV, my favorite part is when he describes going to Paris at the age of twenty and eating an artichoke for the first time. I would go a little easier on the red hot pepper flakes than the proportions called for in this book. show less

If you love to cook and eat, vegetables, this is the book for you. This book does an excellent job of teaching the basics of vegetables, including selecting, cleaning, storing, and preparing. The best way to prepare vegetables is presented, and the recipes are designed to teach the reader how to cook vegetables without having to rely on the book while in the kitchen. I’ve actually taught people how to roast asparagus spears with olive oil and kosher salt based on what I’ve learned in show more this book. The book will also confront some misconceptions about particular vegetables – cucumbers can be cooked! As noted by another reviewer on Library Thing, the vegetables are side dishes, not the centerpiece. But any user will find that the vegetables, well cooked and seasoned, can make a good meal great. show less

I could well imagine being a vegetarian (which I am not) when I read through this book. I love the way there is so much variety in Italian cooking. The best kind of vegetarian food comes from cuisines which have a natural love and culture of eating vegetables like Italians and Indians. This book is very comprehensive and will inspire veg and non-veg alike.