Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes for Any Day

This is one of my key weekly-used cookbooks. The recipes are quick, inexpensive, healthy, and easy to modify to suit your tastes, or add meat. There are lots of recipes in here that I don't think warrent a recipe (like basic salad), but at least it is complete and can be used by a complete kitchen novice.

I love the Moosewood cookbooks. I own almost all of them and cook from them at least two or three times a week. The cookbooks have been published over the years by the Moosewood Collective, a raggly-taggly, international bunch of cooks who run the Moosewood restaurant in Ithaca, NY. The earlier books were 100% vegetarian; the more recent cookbooks include a short seafood section. I cook vegetarian (closer to vegan)at home--the one exception being the Shrimp Bisque in this cookbook. I serve it as the first course of our Chritmas dinner, and it's a family favorite.

The Moosewood Collective dedicated Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home to "hardworking parents, who somehow find the time." The recipes here are simple and tasty--what they call show more "workweek cuisine." We want heathful cuisine, and we want it quickly. Doesn't always happen, but this book helps.

My family's favories include Corn Scones, Not Your Mother's Green Beans, Couscous with Artichoke Hearts and Walnuts, Coconut Basmati Rice, Risotto with Carrots and Feta, Tangy Limas with Squash and Tomatoes, Penne with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Capers, African Pineapple Peanut Stew (kids love), and Sweet Potato Quesadillas.

The book includes a Guide to Ingredients and a very helpful Preparation and Techniques section (how to cook grains and dried beans, cutting techniques, how to prepare vegetables and fruits, etc.) Also includes Menu Planning and lists of non-dairy and vegan recipes. show less

I really want to like this cookbook, but, well, I don't. I'm keeping it because I think if I don't some day I'll regret it. The recipes are fussy and not at all the kind of food we eat. It is the kind of food we *should* eat, but I doubt that will ever happen.

This is one of the cornerstones of the cooking my extended family does: my mom, sister and I all own it and regularly cook out of it. As a vegetarian, I have no problem finding delicious and easy recipes, although there are meat recipes too. Ingredients tend to be things I have around and most recipes are quick and delicious. Highly recommended.

“At Home” is a nice well rounded cookbook with great variety and attention to simplicity. Total preparation time is included for each recipe (although I always find I'm a bit slower than they expect). Most times are in the 20-30 minute range.

This could be a foundation cookbook for a collection.

Some random favorites: Ginger Greens and Tofu, Sweet Potato Quesadillas, Bruschetta and Crostini.

I have come to realize that my favorite cookbooks are the ones with a lot of the author(s)' character in them. It’s probably why I like Molly Katzen’s (former moosewood member) books more. “At Home” is written by a group, so there's not a single personality, which would have been fine. But I'd love to have seen a lot more from the show more individuals’ personal backgrounds, opinions or experiences. One of the more personal notes (for Bulghur Burgers): "Inspired by a recipe from former Moosewood Collective member Allan Warshawskey's first years in Ithaca, these hearty, nutty burgers are crunchy on the outside but moist and creamy inside." That’s it. Most of the comments are very short descriptions of the food or alternative preparations. I think “The New Moosewood Cookbook” has more of the personal in it than this one does (still written by the collective). I’m left with a little less “soul” than “book”. show less

So far, every recipe we've tried from this cookbook has been great enough to add to our Family Favorites collection.

Caribbean Yellow Rice & Peas - very good.

Dilly Beans - excellent.

Carrot & Parsley Salad - delicious.

This was a good book; I cooked from it a lot in grad school. Manageable and affordable, and a little less heavy than the Katzen Moosewood books.