I love Sunday at the Moosewood, and Moosewood's Lowfat Favorites. Sunday at the Moosewood is wonderful because it has ethnic menus from places all over the world, and each chapter tells a little about the country the recipes came from. The Moosewood Low Fat Favorites has delicious, low fat, easy to prepare recipes, and gives menu suggestions with each one.

I love all of the Moosewood books! There are at least 4 of them. The older two have wonderful hand lettering and art work, to add to the ambiance while I cook. Just makes me feel food to use them!

I have lots of tofu and veggie cookbooks, but I especially like "The Meatless Gourmet, favorite recipes from around the world." My daughter HAD to have one and I've also given one to my niece...both really enjoy their copies.

Oh, Yes! Any of the "Moosewood" cookbooks. In fact, when I first read one, that's when I realized I didn't have to have meat as the main course in a meal! Duh! I've also found any pasta cookbook, or any vegetable cookbook usually has tons of great recipes as well. I'm not loyal to any one author...I will take what I can and adapt it to our needs at home. Diana ;D

Yes, any of the Moosewood Cookbooks are wonderful. I also love Mollie Katzen's (the original Moosewood Cookbook author) Vegetable Heaven. It is wonderful!

All the Moosewood books are great, easy to follow, fun to read. I like them.
The first Vegetarian cook book I ever used was 'The complete Vegetarian Cuisine' by Rose Elliot. I have had that one for over 10 years and I still refer to it often. Great pictures and 'how to's'
I also use and love 'The Greens'. It's the cookbook from that GREAT vegetarian restraunt in San Francisco, by the same name...worth the trip if you ever happen to be in that city.
No vegetarian cook or kitchen should be without
'Diet For A New World' by John Robbins. I call that one, my cookbook with a conscience. If you don't already have it, RUN, don't walk to your local bookstore. It's oh-so-much-more then 'just' a cookbook. It's a MUST READ!
One of my daughters just gave me a new one that I really like a lot. It's 'Claire's Corner Copia Cookbook' by Claire Criscuolo. Claire has an almost world famous vegetarian restraunt in New Haven CT, which is not far from where I live, called 'Claire's Corner Copia'. I've only made some of the soups so far, but they have all been great.

Now and Zen Epicure by Miyoko Nishimoto

Gourmet, extraordinair -- combines japanese and French cuisine to create outstanding and creative dishes....for someone who loves to cook. Egg and Dairy free too.

The Uncheese Cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak

Incredibly creative! Everything cheesey and milkish and rich and luscious and its all totally cholesterol free! Most recipes are pretty quick and easy -- once you learn about a few new ingredients.

The High Road to Health by Lindsay Wagner

Ever wonder how the Bionic Women jumped so high? She's vegan!! Her cookbook is great for beginners. A wide variety of recipes to make "normal" types of foods. Low fat too.

And for you dessert lovers:

Great Good Desserts Naturally by Fran Costigan

Never feel deprived again!! Entirely egg and dairy and refined ingredient free....this stuff is really wholesome -- but you'd never guess and neither will your guests!

I really liked Mollie Katzen's The Enchanted Broccoli Forest - lots of simple, filling food. And although it isn't vegetarian, I like Whole Foods for the Whole Family by La Leche League - it does have a lot of meatless meal ideas. This is the cookbook my mom used the most when I was growing up.

I used the Tassajara Cookbook a lot as a teen, too, since mom refused to cook special meals for my benefit (not that I blame her - who would?).

My very favorite book is "World Food Cafe global vegetarian cooking" by Chris & Carolyn Caldicott. All the other cookbooks I have contain mostly the same stuff, this one is fabulously different!

Vegetarian Express by Nava Atlas
The High Road to Health by Lindsay Wagner
How it all Vegan

Vegetarian Times' "Low Fat and Fast" is THE BEST!
Recipes are easy and yummy, always easy to make with common ingredients, and nutritional information is included with each recipe.

My all time favorite is Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons. The recipes are great and not too weird...it isn't a vegan book though.

Out of all the veggie/natural foods cookbooks I have, I think I use Moosewood the most.

The other I use most frequently isn't veggie - Joy of Cooking.

However - I have quite a collection of recipes in 2 notebooks & I use them more than the others.Do they count as cookbooks? ; J

One of my relatively new favorites is Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. This is particularly strong for suggestions on how to cook vegetables (as opposed to grains or protein sources like tofu, etc.). In addition to full-blown recipes, she does a nice job of giving, for instance, a basic overview of how to cook different greens, or what you can do with squash.

Verdura: Vegetables Italian Style by Viana La Place is another favorite. I have gotten some really wonderful recipes from there. Lots of pasta recipes, not surprisingly. Also, some really interesting soups (including one for red lentils, fennel, and winter squash).

I tend to take a little from here and a little from there and not rely on any one particular cookbook. Often the same cookbook will have really disappointing recipes and really amazing recipes. The High Road to Good Health has some pretty ho-hum tempeh and tofu recipes, in my opinion, but I tried a mushroom gravy recipe from that book that was just delicious. So, like a lot of other cookbooks, it's worth having for the good recipes.

I have just gotten some wonderful reviews on new books I need. This is GREAT !!! Although I have a ton of cookbooks, I always "need" just one more. Thanks guys, for the info.....wow, I love reading this stuff

My favorite, my only, veg. cookbook is "1,000 Vegetarian Recipes" by Carol Gelles. (almost 600 pgs.) It has Carribbean-Spanish-African, Chinese, Eastern European, French, Greek, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Mexican & Southwest, and Middle eastern Cuisine. I love variety and this book certainly has that. It also explains Vegetarianism. The different degrees of vegetarianism. What staples to stock in your pantry, etc... Great for the beginner. Check it out!

Regards,
Shan

"Cooking From An Italian Garden" by Paola Scaravelli and Jon Cohen (ISBN 0-15-622592-1) has tons of incredible, mouth-watering recipes!!!

I also like "Low-Fat Ways To Cook Vegetarian" by Susan M. McIntosh ((ISBN 0-8487-2206-X) for a variety of ideas.

A favorite cookbook of mine for the winter months is by Janice Cook Migliaccio. It is called: Follow Your Heart's Vegetarian Soup Cookbook. Her Tomato Lentil soup recipe is my all time favorite soup recipe. Whenever I make it, I practically inhale it and can't seem to get enough of it. The flavors are just wonderful to me. And an added bonus: I always lose weight when I eat it. I guess because of the fiber from lentils? Anyway, her soups are great.

One of my favorites is "Laurel's Kitchen". Mostly I like it for all the stuff that is not recipes! Lots of nutritional info, good info about what happens to food on its way to the grocery store, etc.

I like "The Farm" vegetarian (it's really vegan) cookbook. It's from the 70's I think and it was written by a bunch of folks who lived on a farm in a commune setting. They have some really good vegan recipes in there.

The Vegetarian Epicure. Every recipe that I ever followed in that book was excellent...no doubt, I have not tried them all. It has the best pancake recipe I've ever had...Simple Breakfast Pancakes they're called. SSooo good!

The most beneficial books I have are Ten Talents and Guilt Free Gourmet. I have Moosewood, Vegetarian Times, etc but I needed more basic throw it all together type cooking. I come from a long line of country cookin fat people and so vegan cooking was a challenge! But thanks to my Ten Talents and Guilt Free Gourmet I've been vegan and loving every bite for almost 2 years!

For entertaining large crowds, I have "Fabulous Food for Family and Friends" by Cheryl Thomas Caviness, DTR. It has variations for both ovo-lacto veggies and vegans. All the recipes are grouped by meal, such as Tailgate, Patio Brunch, Italian at its Best, etc.

I first got into vegetarian cooking through two cookbooks, Laurel's Kitchen which is a great primer for all cooks, great basics and wonderful info. My most used cook book and for those who like lots of flavor and spice and who dine out in foreign restaurants over American restaurants is Madhur Jaffrey's World-Of-The-East Vegetarian Cookbook. She has many cooks books, several of them, but not all are vegetarian. If you are adventurous, and into trying new ingredients to give your cooking some variety I really recommend her books!

Here is a link that might be useful: Madhur Jaffrey

For baking: The El Molino Cookbook : Copyright 1976

For other stuff: The Enchanted Broccoli Forest

PS- One can never have too many cookbooks :>

Vegetarian Epicure (Anna Thomas)
Vegetarian Epicure II (Anna Thomas)
The Savory Way (Deborah Madison)
Ecological Cooking (Lorna Sass)

Nava Atlas also has another wonderful cookbook that I absolutely love. It's called "The Vegetarian 5 Ingredient Gourmet" All the recipes have no more than five ingredients and can be made in about a half an hour. I've never tasted a bad recipe from that book, it's the one I use most often. Another one that I really like, which was my very first vegetarian cookbook is "Regina's Vegetarian Table" by Regina Campbell.

New Vegetarian Cuisine (Prevention magazine)
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (Deborah Madison)
Italian Vegetarian Cooing (Gavin) - best stuffed zukes
Wholesome Harvest (Gelles)

Susan, oh you have brought back a fond memory for me. I used to live in CT, and boy do I miss Claire's Corner Copia!
There is a wonderful vege restauarant I love here in Atlanta called "Cafe Sunflower", but I don't think it can top Claire's!

Sundays at Moosewood by The Moosewood Collective
This is a compilation of many recipes from all over the world - perfected by Moosewood, master chefs!

World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey
Madhur is a wizard at combining the flavors from different nationalities to make delicious new recipes. She can even make collard greens taste delicious!

The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Yamuna Devi
This is the Indian Joy of Cooking - full of recipes and lots of detailed instructions for beginners.

The Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown
This is a wonderful introduction to making bread by hand. Making good-tasting, nice-textured bread is easy after you've read the secrets of this book.

Without a doubt, my favorite is the Millennium cookbook, from the Millennium restaurant in San Francisco (also my favorite veggie restaurant!!!) Fabulous gourmet vegan dishes, low in fat but delicious and lovely!

A progression:
Start with "Diet for a Small Planet" - good, simple, everyday recipes and the most compelling rationale for a plant-based diet. There's also "Recipes for a Small Planet"
Next, "Laurel's Kitchen" - easy, economical, wholesome recipes, and an introduction to the vegetarian lifestyle
Now you've mastered the basics and want to impress the gang, so any of the Moosewood cookbooks. I wore out "Enchanted Broccoli Forest" and am in the process of wearing out the Soup and Salad one. Every veggie I know has a dog-eared copy of one of the Moosewood cookbooks
Now you're really hooked so you have to subscribe to "Vegetarian Times." Do that for a few years, save the old issues, and you have so many recipes you'll never have time to try them all.
I also like the Tassajara book and the Farm cookbook--oldies but goodies, look for them in used bookstores
Nava Atlas is a great cook.

The Vegetarian Epicure books (or, as we fondly refer to them: Veggie-Epie One and Veggie-Epie Two) were my bibles in the 1970's, along with Moosewood and Laurel's Kitchen.

Ah, those were the days!

I can't imagine what I'd be eating today if it hadn't been for Laurel's Kitchen when I first changed to a veggie years ago. That book eased me through the changeover so smoothly. Plus it provided one of the two basic flavor secrets in my kitchen. Green Broth (under Golden in the index) is what I use for recipes calling for chicken broth and it's also what I poach TVP or Veat bits in before using them in recipes. Couldn't cook without it.

Teri

A couple of books I picked up at a used book store are by Jeanne Lemlin called, "Quick Vegetarian Pleasures" and "Main Course Vegetarian Pleasures." They also refer to one by her called "Vegetarian Pleasures." Her recipies are easy to follow and quite tasty. My daughter, a budding gourmet cook, loves these books. I tend to just throw things together, and rarely use cookbooks. I'm not organised enough to plan ahead and make sure I have the ingredients. I guess meals would be a lot more interesting if I did start using cookbooks. I wouldn't be using the same stuff over and over again if I did. I'll have to try to find some of the books y'all have recommended.

Sally

I love the Moosewood cookbooks! Other fav's are Fields of Greens, Vegetarian Times and The Dean and Deluca Cookbook.
I'm not a vegetarian but I'm always looking for recipes that incorporate veggies as the star of the meal and not an afterthought.

The Compassionate Cook is a good cookbook, available from PETA. There are some great recipes in there, and some of them are from people like Paul & Linda McCartney, and other compassionate celebs. It's also a pretty interesting read.

Since my husband doesn't eat any red meat, my cooking revolves around poultry, seafood, & vegetarian dishes. Although I have quite a few vegetarian cookbooks, my favorites by far are the three "Vegetarian Epicure" books - I, II, & her latest. I find the recipes simple, fresh, well-seasoned & great tasting.

For other vegetarian dishes I always seem to turn to regular ethnic cookbooks. Indian, Asian, etc. They utilize more vegetarian principles in their cuisines that can be easily adapted to every day cooking.

Hi everyone ~ My first post in Vegeville! Great post. My favorite has to be Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. Fav recipe is Vegetable Stifado, page 218. Highly recommened it!!! Anything with eggplant, right?

Michele ~ Love, love, love Cafe Sunflower in Atlanta. Have to have their dumplings as soon as I roll into Atlanta, everytime. Probably shouldn't admit this on a vegetarian site, but Houston's right next door has the best vege- burger in the entire world. If anyone has that recipe, please advise immediately!!!!

Thanks everyone for all the great cookbook reviews above. Looks like my book collection will be multiplying. :)

I agree, the Moosewood series and Anna Thomas cookbooks are amazing. I also like Greens Cookbook, and a Canadian one called Rebar, which incorporates both vegetarian (dairy and eggs) and vegan recipes. Bon appetit!

"Fabulous Food for Family and Friends" by Cheryl Thomas Caviness, is also one of my favorites. I have several more of her books,"Choices", "More Choices", and another one I can't remember the name of:-) Other favorites are "Best Gournet Recipes from the chefs at Five Loaves Deli & Bakery" and "Country Life Vegetarian Cookbook" from Country Life restaurants. They have the restaurants all over the US and in some other countries. I've only eaten at the one in chattanooga, TN but I LOVE it. They have an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for under $7.00 (or at least it was 2 years ago). Dessert is extra. It is SO neat to be able to walk into a place and know you can eat ANYTHING on the buffet and it's good for you!!! "Fix-It-Fast Vegetarian Cookbook by Heather Houck Reseck, R.D. is another great cookbook. She has good recipes and lots of tips for cooking ahead, making mixes, meal planning, stocking your kitchen, etc. There are three volumes of "Cooking with the Benton Sisters" that are billed as "teen-tested recipes". All three are very good. Vol 3 even has vegan wedding cakes (with very detailed info) that the sisters made for their own weddings.

Well, those are some of my personal favorites and ones that I use most often. I have many others too:-)
VG

newest moosewood "simple suppers" cookbook is getting quite a workout my house - very simple, yummy recipes.

I have the Vegetarian 5 Ingredient book by Neva Atlas and adore it. The lasagna recipe in there was an instant hit the first time I tried it, and I haven't been disappointed with anything else I've tried. I'm also a fan of Rachel Ray's Vegetarian 30 Minute Meals book. It's definitely not for the vegans, but everything is definitely quick and easy. I also adore my Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow-Cooker book. The French Onion Soup recipe in there is to die for, and it's one of the easiest things ever to make.

Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson. I've also gotten some good recipes from Vegetarian Times magazine.

Mine are:
Vegetarian Epicure books
and
Encyclopedia of Vegetables and Vegetarian Cooking
The first ones because they were the first veggie cookbooks I was introduced to and I have been enjoying the recipes since I was a kid!
The second because it has full colour photos of the recipes and everything I've tried is delicious.
What a great link!

I am not a vegetarian, but love vegetables, grains and legumes and am as happy eating vegetarian dishes as meat dishes.

I love the two cookbooks produced by the owners of Greens restaurant in San Francisco, titled, "The Greens Cookbook" and "Fields of Greens". They are wonderful books full of recipes delicious to long time vegetarians as well as dabblers or outright omnivores. They are written with a true appreciation for variety and balance, using ingredients that almost everyone would be familiar with.

A few years ago, I began to teach myself how to cook the foods of India, and found a wonderful book called, "Dakshin..Vegetarian Cuisine From South India" which is a wonderful introduction to a cuisine and method of eating that is vastly different from what most of us are accustomed to, but quite delicious and satisfying. Be warned that if you are unaccustomed to eating spicy hot food, as in food prepared with chili peppers, you should probably cut down the amounts that are listed in the recipes. Also, you will be using many spices that you might be unfamiliar with and might be hard to find if you don't have a local Indian grocery store. However, there are many sources on line.
The cuisine also makes ample use of Curry Leaves, which are an herb that really has nothing to do with what we think of as curry. They are a pungent, strongly flavored tree-leaf that nothing can really substitute for. In fact, the first time I bought some, I thought they smelled like a mix of B.O. and old socks. But cooked into food, they lend a wonderful depth of flavor. Most cookbooks will tell you to use cilantro instead, which is a completely different flavor, but compatible to most recipes that call for Curry Leaves. Again, you can find them in Indian grocery stores. They last quite a long time in the refrigerator, and I have had some success freezing them. Dried Curry Leaves aren't worth the bother.

I love Jack Bishop's "Vegetables Every Day" and his "The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook." Also love Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian." Like "The Vegetarian Epicure" but am not that keen on the organizing of it. There is only one thing I've tried in the Moosewood that I have that I even like, so can't say that it's a favorite.

I love all the Jeanne Lemlin Cookbooks ( Vegetarian Classic, SImple Vegetarian Pleasures, Quick Vegetarian Pleasures, Main Course Vegetarian Pleasures),
The Whole Foods Cookbook- mostly vegetarian, some vegan, a few poultry recipes.

I bought the Mark Bittman book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and I would have to say it is now my favorite. He makes the simplest things sound so good and they are. I am actually making my own veggie stock now. Something, I did not do in the past, because it seemed daunting, but it's really easy and doesn't take long.