natural foods

I've used Sundays at Moosewood so much that it has fallen apart into three pieces, and I need to buy a new one. The book is a good read--all of the authors introduce their regional sections with an essay about the culture and cuisine of, say, the North African highlands (my personal favorite). This is followed by a very satisfying variety of recipes from each area covered. The recipes are good! Dishes from Ethiopia, the Philipines, Japan, South Africa, and even England have become staples in my kitchen. I love this book.

I found this in a used bookstore a few years ago. Recognizing Moosewood as something my mom and oldest sister used, plus loving all kinds of ethnic food, I figured I'd love it. I was right. This book totally changed how and what I cook. While many people focus on one type of cuisine (Italian, Indian, fast food...) I use this book and cook EVERYTHING -- Italian, Indian, Chinese, Jewish, Bulgarian, North African. My favorite and most often used recipes are Shepherd's Pie (British Isles), Moroccan Stew (North Africa), and Vegetable Biryani (India) but I've made a lot of these recipes. I made Chinese last night and it turned out tasting restaurant quality. The recipes are very tasty and the directions are great. It's also wonderful how the book has base ingredients (sauces), appetizers, soups, entrees and deserts for each type of cuisine so you can make complete meals (often there are suggestions in the recipes saying waht goes with what). The ingredient guide is very descriptive and helps you learn a lot about the herbs, vegetables, different tofu prepations. I highly recommend this to anyone who doesn't eat a lots of (or any) meat and wants to be able to cook ethnic food w/o having to worry about meat.

How, exactly, is this book misleading? Nowhere on the cover does it claim to be vegetarian. And where is it inscribed that Moosewood must always and only every time put out vegetarian recipes? Pay more attention next time. This is not a case of a book being misleading, but of readers being too lazy to double check the index.