Entertaining Vegetarians

Brooks Brown, Cilia

ISBN: 1552856860

Publisher: Pavilion Books

For some, the idea of eating vegetables and nothing but vegetables is an alien concept. For others, the concept is not so much alien as foreign, and outside the comfort zone. So, when you invite you friend over for dinner only to discover that she have gone from a 'meat and two veg' girl to one that bats for the other side, you ask "What am I going to feed her?' Well, in steps Celia Brooks Brown with her panacea to the vegetarian question, in the form of Entertaining Vegetarians, a cookery book full of wonderful vegetarian recipes.

Years ago, vegetarian food was very much a hit or miss affair. Vegetarian restaurants were serving nut cakes and very heavy root vegetable stews, usually accompanied with rye bread that could sink a battleship. It is this perception that sits in the subconscious of non-vegetarians, after all it is a bit hippie with white socks and sandals for most people. Lucky, styles and food have moved on, partly because white socks and sandals will never catch on, but mainly due to the infusion of ingredients and food ideas from around the world.

Entertaining Vegetarians is a perfect cookery book for anyone wanting to expand their repertoire of vegetarian dishes. The nine chapters are: Canapés & Cocktail Bites, Feed the Masses, Small Courses, Lunch & Dinner, Desserts, At the Last Minute, Fire & Ice, Brunch and When they Eat Fish. There is enough variety to cover any situation, presented in a way that will allow you to prepare the dishes with confidence.

So to tease you a bit, lets list some of the delights within the book. I am going to select one from each chapter to give you a feel for the type of recipes Celia has brought you. They are: Aubergine, Feta and Mint Skewers, Seven Vegetable Tagine with Parsley & Saffron Couscous, Raw Thai Salad in a Poppadom Shell, Ricotta & Herb Dumplings with Vodka & Porcini Butter Sauce, Rhubarb Soup with Ginger-studded Meringues, Kerala-style Egg Curry, Oven Roasted Hot Pot with Mustard garlic bread, Eggs Baked In Tomatoes and Slow-cooked Fennel & Squid with pink peppercorns. A wonderful selection from over eighty dishes.

So, if you want to serve vetetarian food to family and friends, but don't know where to start, then Celia Brooks Brown's book Entertaining Vegetarians will start you out on the right path. Who knows, it could be one of those life changing purchases!