Anna Thomas (1) (1948–)

I do not have the first volume of this series, but I love “Book Two” and consider it a basic collection of good vegetarian recipes. But they aren’t recipes that will appeal only to vegetarians. So many of the recipes are for foods anyone and everyone will love, especially the soups. The Spiced Lentil Soup, Cream of Carrot Soup, Creamed Fresh Pea Soup, for example, are all irresistible and have become family favorites.

My favorite section is for pastas, and here again, there is much for show more everyone to love, from Spinach and Cheese Gnocchi to Spaghetti Alla Carbonara (without the bacon, meaning it tastes a lot like the wonderful Cacio e Pepe so ubiquitous in Italy). There is a whole chapter devoted to Mexican dishes and one just for Indian foods - both have delicious recipes you will come back to again and again.

The dessert chapter is so interesting, as it focuses on international treats.

My very favorite recipe in this book, making it worth the price of the whole book, is the Cheese and Tomato Pie. The author writes, “Call it either a quiche or a pizza, it is one of the most delicious pies around.” I call it the best deep dish pizza recipe I have found anywhere, and I make it again and again!

Suggested menus in the front of the book will help you plan meals. show less

Anna Thomas hasn’t written a vegan cook book but there are so many bold upper case “V”s against recipes in the index that she almost has. Not surprisingly, perhaps, given the book’s title is Love Soup, this is a cook book primarily of soup recipes. A significant proportion of which are vegan. It’s the non-soup recipes that are primarily non-vegan, that is, they’re vegetarian (see Chapter 17 “A few easy sweets”). Apparently, her two sons are vegan and she “shouts-out” to show more them in a brief “Vegan-Friendly” foreword.

I like cook books that can be read. Yes, colour photographs in a cook book are always interesting to study. Often, though, they don’t always they make the dishes look appealing. Love Soup doesn’t have colour photographs (there are some cheery two-colour illustrations by Annika Huett) and it’s none the worse for it. This is because it’s cook book to read, browse and savour. Anna Thomas’s writing style is friendly and straightforward. “Cooking was always fun,” she writes. “I never cooked professionally, so I always cooked only what I felt like cooking, for the people I loved.” This sentiment is clearly apparent throughout the book.

The recipes are a mixture of traditional (e.g., “Old-fashioned split pea soup”) and adventurous (e.g., Spicy Indonesian Yam and Peanut Soup). There are also recipes for “Big soups and stews” and “Hummus and company.” I haven’t made any of the recipes. I cannot write about whether they work and what the food tastes like. But I can say that looking through this book I’m inspired. It is one of those rare cook books. I may not ever cook any of the recipes. But I can honestly say that this book will inspire me to make even better soups just by thumbing through the pages and savouring what it has to share. show less

A more than decent cookbook, but the end of the intro made me raise my eyebrows.

"This two-hours-later course is especially recommended if grass is smoked socially at your house. If you have passed a joint around before dinner to sharpen gustatory perceptions, you most likely will pass another one after dinner, and everyone knows what that will do — the blind munchies can strike at any time."

Suggested menus lead off & have enough variety that one does NOT say "uhhgg, bland!" Lots of Mediterranean style and just "style" Easily prepared, readable index. Brown print in a mid-size font on ivory shaded paper annoys an older cook I know, but worth squinting at!