My Favourite Cookbooks (and How to Slim Down to 10)

Rob thinks I can trim my traveling bookcase to less than 20 cookbooks.  I can do it. It is only a year, right? Even though my move is not for a while, I am brainstorming how I would select only 10 cookbooks.

I know cookbooks serve many purposes – to educate about ingredients and how to cook, to share tried-and-true recipes or merely an inspiration for which my own recipes can spring to life. For me, the most important part of the cookbook are the recipes. First and foremost, how do they taste? Next, how hard are the recipes? Are there multiple steps and how long will it take to make them? In addition, what kind of ingredients do I need? Surprisingly, I don’t feel the need for multiple photos. I read cookbooks, instead of glossing through them as picture books. I obviously adjust the recipes to suit my own tastes, and share my adapted recipes on this blog.

With that in mind, I thought I would share my favourite cookbooks and the recipes I have really enjoyed from each (no duds listed here!). Any killer recipes I’ve missed? Not that I need more cookbooks, but what are your must-keep cookbooks?

1. Radiant Health, Inner Wealth by Tess Challis {vegan}

My kitchen was revolutionized when I discovered Tess’ cookbooks. Fresh, flavourful food without too much fuss. Here are the recipes I recommend from her 3 cookbooks.

- Chicky Baby Seasoning (this is the best stock substitute and I use it all the time!)
- Baked Lemon Cilantro Pakoras
- Creamy Low-Fat Hummus
- Edamame Miso Dip
- Indian-Spiced Superseed Porridge
- Lemon Ginger Miso Medicine
- Zucchini Chips to Dry For (recipe elsewhere)
- 15-Minute Zippy Garlic-Basil Marinara with Zucchini Noodles
- Shiitake, Walnut, and Cranberry Salad with Adzuki Beans
- Moroccan Quinoa
- Mediterranean Collard Wrap with Hummus, Artichoke Hearts and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (Fresh Greek Delight, original recipe elsewhere)
- Alethea’s Caribbean Black Beans
- Rosemary White Beans with Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Fat-Free Red Lentils and Spinach with Tamarind
- Tamarind Chutney
- Saag “Paneer”
- Thai Tropical Fruit and Tofu Salad
- Moroccan Barley and Pea Shoot Salad
- Black Bean, Cilantro and Apricot Salad
- Spinach, Orange, and Toasted Almond Salad with a Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Toasted Sesame Orange Teriyaki Vegetable and Quinoa Bowl
- Red Lentil, Spinach and Lemon Soup
- Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Raw Mixed Berry Crisp
- Tropical Mango Pie
- Everything Nice Popcorn (recipe elsewhere)

2. The Two Week Wellness Solution by Tess Challis {vegan}

- Apple Pie Amaranth Oatmeal
- Savory Sage and Red Lentil Soup
- Moroccan French Lentils
- Warm Mediterranean Chickpea and Spinach Salad
- Almost Raw Asian Kale and Edamame Salad
- Symphonic Mixed Bean Salad
- Lime-Spiked Black Bean and Quinoa Kale Wrap
- Garlicky and Lemony Black-Eyed Pea and Kale Salad
- Sexy Saucy Noodles with Thai Skinny Dipping Sauce
- Shiitake-Basil Spring Rolls
- Raw Cinnamon-Raisin Barley Energy Cookies
- Raw Lemon Barley Energy Cookies

3. Radiance 4 Life by Tess Challis  {vegan}

- Maca My Day
- Dark Chocolate Raspberry Shake
- Strawberry Vanilla Milkshake
- Breakfast Quinoa
- Green Velvet Guacamole (aka Edamame Guacamole)
- Supercharged Hummus
- Lemon Asparagus Quinoa Toss
- Asparagus Walnut Sunshine Salad
- 15-Minute White Bean and Kale Soup
- Holy Shiitake Lentil Soup
- Ginger Lime Carrot Soup (recipe elsewhere)
- Roasted Garlic Tofu Salad with Cilantro Rice, Black Beans and  a Mango Salsa
- Smoky One Pot Beans and Rice
- Immune Boon Noodles
- Almost Raw Quinoa Toss
- Hungarian Chickpeas (recipe elsewhere)
- Pineapple Tempeh with Red Rice
- Heavenly Raw Chocolate Sauce
- Raw Mango Paradise Bars
- Maca Chip Raw Energy Balls
- Cacao-Cacao Chip Cookies (recipe elsewhere)
- Dark Chocolate Mint Cookies (recipe elsewhere)
- Gingersnap Nuggets

4. Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz {vegan}

I go through periods where I love this cookbook and then I set it down for a while. Not all recipes have been winners, but these have been my favourites.

- Cool Slaw (recipe elsewhere)
- Roasted Beet, Orange and Brown Rice Salad with an Orange Sesame Vinaigrette
- Sushi Roll Edamame Collard Wrap with Green Onion-Miso Vinaigrette
- Smoky Split Pea Soup (I preferred this soup)
- Hottie Black Eyed Peas and Greens (recipe elsewhere)
- Sauteed Kasha and Mushrooms with Dill
- Chickpea Piccata
- Red Lentil and Root Veggie Dal
- White Bean, Quinoa and Kale Stew with Fennel
- Braised Cabbage with Chorizo Seitan Sausage
- Forty Clove Chickpeas and Broccoli
- Mango BBQ Beans
- Smoky Tempeh and Chard Stew
- Yam and Black Bean Stew with Orange and Cilantro
- Lettuce Wraps with Mustard-Hoisin Tofu Salad (recipe elsewhere, I preferred this tofu recipe)
- Grilled Portobello Burgers (recipe elsewhere, but I preferred this recipe)
- Caribbean Curry Black-Eyed Peas with Plantains (recipe elsewhere)
- Tamarind BBQ Tempeh and Sweet Potatoes

5. Love Soup by Anna Thomas {vegetarian}

It is no secret that I love soup and I love Love Soup by Anna Thomas. All of the soups have been real gems, flavourful and healthy. However, one draw-back is that the recipes are usually pretty long and dirty a lot of dishes.

- Green Soup with Ginger
- Pickle Soup
- Finnish Double Pea Stew with Apples
- Caramelized Cabbage Soup (recipe elsewhere)
- Roasted Carrot and Lentil Soup with Harissa and Mint
- Spicy Indonesian Yam and Peanut Soup
- Pureed Soup of Carrot and Yam with Citrus and Spices (recipe elsewhere)
- Warm Lentil and Swiss Chard Salad

6. For the Love of Food by Denis Cotter {vegetarian}

I peruse this cookbook more than I cook from it because while all the recipes are mouth-watering, they typically include multiple steps for one dish. When I do bust them out, though, the recipes have been nice.

- Borlotti Bean, Zucchini and Roasted Red Pepper Soup
- Black Bean Soup with Chocolate and Chillies with an Avocado Salsa (recipe elsewhere)
- Wild Rice Bowl with Ginger-Braised Leeks and a Sweet Pepper, Chilli and Caper Sauce (recipe elsewhere)
- Pan-Seared King Oyster Mushrooms and Baby Bok Choy in a Coconut Tamarind Sauce with a Caramelized Leek and Wasabi Millet Mash
- New Potato, Cauliflower, Chickpea and Green Bean Thai Curry with a Cucumber and Coriander Salsa
- Roast Pumpkin Soup with Chickpeas, Leeks & Spiced Croutons (recipe elsewhere)

7. Olive Trees and Honey by Gil Marks {vegetarian}

This is a collection of Jewish recipes from around the world. What I love about this vegetarian cookbook is that there are plenty of variations with each recipe. Swapping a single spice will transfer a dish from an Indian version to a Syrian delicacy.

- Middle Eastern Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions (Mujaddara, Mengedarrah)
- Sephardic Green Beans and Carrots with Tomatoes (Fassoulia)
- Ethiopian Split Pea Puree (Yemesir Aleetcha)

8. 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyers {meat dishes included but lots of veg*n}

This is one daunting of a cookbook but when we tackle it, the results have been great. It is also one reason we have a large collection of spices and beans.

- Sesame-Flavoured Blend with Peanuts and Coconut (Maharashtrian Garam Masala)
- Avocado Chutney
- Roulade of Collard Leaves with a Tomato-Mustard Sauce
- Cumin-Scented Pigeon Peas with Mango
- Plantains and Cabbage with Pigeon Peas
- Toasted Split Green Lentils with Spinach
- Tempeh Tikka Masala
- Mutter Paneer

9. Rebar by Audrey Alsterburg and Wanda Urbanowicz {vegetarian}

This cookbook has phenomenal soups and salads. Every time I pick it up there is another recipe I bookmark. The long ingredient lists can be daunting but definitely worthwhile.

- Bombay Hummus
- Tomato Tarragon Soup
- Smoky Split Pea Soup with Roasted Garlic and Sage
- Christmas Eve Borscht (or Barszcz)
- Lime-Cilantro Quinoa Corn Salad
- Lemon Miso Tofu and Eggplant
- Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Allspice

10. Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi {vegetarian}

Master of combining new ingredients, this is a great way to try something you have likely never thought of before. A lot of his recipes have been previously published through his column at The Guardian.

- Mixed Beans with Many Spices and Lovage (recipe elsewhere)
- Pomegranate, Snap Pea and Barley Salad with Dill and Allspice
- Roasted Celeriac and Lentils with Hazelnuts and Mint
- Sea Weeds and Greens Salad (aka Kelp Noodles with Wakame and Radish Sprouts)
- Grilled Eggplant and Mango Noodle Salad with a Sweet Chili Dressing
- Cabbage and Kohlrabi Salad
- Ultimate Winter Couscous
- Socca Pissaladière

11. World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey {vegetarian}

While she may be the Queen of Indian cooking, I like this cookbook more for the way it introduces each vegetable rather than the recipes. The lushness from the recipes may be lacking since I typically cut down the oil.

- Chickpeas and Chana dal Cooked Together in a Tamarind-Mint Sauce
- Trinidadian Black-Eyed Pea Stew
- Nigerian Red Kidney Bean Stew with a Peanut Sauce (recipe elsewhere)
- Red Lentil Dal with Zucchini (recipe elsewhere)

When I originally made my list, I mis-numbered the titles, so I had a bonus cookbook. Oops!  Other cookbooks still in the running:

The Joy of Cooking because I like the intro to all the vegetables. Although I have made one recipe:

- Spaetzle

Big Vegan because it is a comprehensive cookbook and all the recipes have been nice so far:

- Creamy Spinach and White Bean Dip
- Sunshine Carrot Tofu Scramble with Spinach
- Rasta Pasta
- Jamaican Tofu Chowder with Collards
- Japanese Okonomiyaki Veggie Pancake
- Seitan Burgundy Stew with Parsnips

Terry’s new cookbook, Vegan Eats World, because most of the (tester) recipes have been great and I have made a lot:

- Pressed Baked Tofu
- Five Spice Seitan
- Smoked Hazelnut Spice Dip with Jicama (Dukka)
- Mexican Pumpkin Seed Pate (Sikil Pak)
- Venezuelan-Style Tofu Sofrito Scramble
- Fluffy Scrambled Chickpea “Eggs” with Shallots (Ethiopian But’techa)
- Luscious White Bean and Celery Root Puree
- Ninja Miso Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Sweet Autumn Toasted Pita and Kale Salad
- Smoky Sauerkraut Mushroom Soup (Shchi)
- Pumpkin Black Bean Posole Stew
- Freekeh and Millet Pilaf
- Sesame Wow Greens, a spin on oshitashi
- Fastlane Kimchi
- Double Mushroom Glass Noodles with Baby Bok Choy (Jap Chae)
- Fresh Noodle Soup in Sesame Miso Broth
- Curry Noodle Soup with Oyster Mushrooms (Curry Laksa)
- Rice Paper Rolls with Kale and Pear and Peanut Coconut Sauce
- Coconut Black Eye Bean Curry (Lobia)
- Island Coconut Brown Rice and Peas
- Pumpkin Coconut Curry
- Flying Massaman Curry
- Pineapple Curry
- Kimchi Tofu Eggplant Stew (Jigae)
- Lentils in Berbere Sauce (Yemiser W’et)
- The Great Big Vegetable Couscous
- White Bean Farro Soup with Chickpea Parmigiano
- Yellow Split Peas with Chard and Tomatoes
- Eggplant Shakshuka with Tahini Sauce
- White Lima Bean Soup with Tomatoes and Thyme (did not like this one, though)

How to decide what to bring?  What’s more high yield? The cookbooks that I haven’t cooked much out of? I also garner a lot of inspiration from other bloggers, and have a lot of bookmarked recipes. Therefore, even if I leave a few good cookbooks at home, there are still plenty of recipes to keep me inspired. I just can’t curl up with my laptop before bedtime. In any case, I have amalgamated a fabulous table of contents for me to refer to when I crave some tried-and-true recipes from my favourite authors. I probably should make an index for my entire site, too!

I am curious, do any of you use e-cookbooks?

The City Farmer and My First Tomato! (Book Review)

I first met Lorraine Johnson during a Jane’s Walk last year where she, along with Nancy Chater, led a small group through the ET Seton Park in Toronto to discuss space, water, history as well as to show us the edible weeds in the Don Valley. Interspersed around Tremco, the largest employer in the Don Valley, Lorraine showed us burdock and its tasty root; garlic mustard, an invasive plant that is good in salad and pesto; dandelions, where the young green leaves can be used in salads; and lastly sumac, a shrub with edible flowers. She had prepared sumac lemonade and garlic mustard bruschetta for us to try! I preferred the bruschetta to the lemonade, but it was exciting to think of what you could forage from a Toronto park.

When I saw Lorraine had written a book, City Farmer, about gardening in the city, I was excited to see what perspective she would bring to the table. Sadly, this wasn’t a ‘how-to’ book about creating your own garden, as I’d love one of those, rather it was an equally awesome empowering read wherein Lorraine shares her passion for gardening. Her tales of procuring gardens in odd and far off places, dilemmas between community gardeners, and her own foils with raising chickens in her Toronto backyard are amusing and engaging. During our walk, she retold her story about making dandelion wine and how it exploded in her basement which is also recounted in the book.

In addition to personal anecdotes, she highlights the importance of local food, with figures showing sometimes local, small-scale operations may not be more environmentally friendly. Obviously the best, most locally grown food is from your own backyard. The other benefits of backyard gardening include people tend to eat more vegetables as well!  Schools in the US have started to replace gym classes with gardening classes, as you get exercise with gardening as well as the skills to become a lifelong gardener. What I loved about the book is Lorraine that dispelled my own myth that you need a backyard to have a prolific garden. She highlighted groups within and outside Toronto that encourage community gardening with limited resources. She also features creative ways of gardening, including Marco Pagliarulo‘s balcony pot that houses both a compost and plants in one.

She describes guerilla gardening, where rogue gardeners plant in public places. With a lone tomato plant within a flowerbed, would you stop and ponder its existence? Would you be tempted to pick the ripe tomato? While the public is content with flowering plants, why is it so odd to have edible plants on public property? Why is it so uncommon for people to have vegetables in their front yard? Harvesting fruits and vegetables is typically done with privacy. There is a prolific mulberry tree near the bus stop where I used to work and it always brought a smile to my face when I would see someone pick the berries to snack on as they waited for the bus. There were also a lot more mulberries that landed on the ground, though, recolouring the sidewalk purple.

It wasn’t that long ago, that I said I would not be gardening this year: I had plants on my balcony three years ago, but they would quickly dry out and my red pepper never grew big enough to be picked. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to water my plants often enough, with the hot sticky Toronto summer that has recently dawned upon us. My mom assured me that with a deep-dish planter with moisture-retaining soil, I would have a greater chance of success, so my parents gave me a planter filled with mint, basil, and garlic chives for my birthday.

Consider myself converted to balcony gardener. While I was reading the book, filled with stories of guerilla gardeners planting tomato plants in potholes, I was offered my choice of heirloom tomato plants from Vicki’s Veggies, leftover from their seedling sale. I jumped at the opportunity to snag a few neglected plants that may not otherwise be planted, and precariously balanced 12 tomato plants on my way home on my bike. I was in a tizzy as I read the names of the tomato plants: amazon chocolate, negro azteca, lemon drop, green zebra, indian stripe, ivory pear, tangella cherry, ruby pearl, canabec, green grape cherry, purple cherry… They were initially a bit parched and a bit droopy, and I lost 2 growing tomatoes en route home, but I figured any tomato from the lot would be a bonus. And, I am happy to report I ate my first lemon drop cherry tomato today and it was delicious! No recipe needed, just pluck and plop in your mouth! I look forward to a tomato-, basil-  and mint-filled summer.