Meatless Meals: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

One resource I chose to help me with my quest to eat more meatless meals is Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I have owned his How to Cook Everything for years and have been greatly impressed. I won’t exactly call this a cookbook for dummies, but Bittman explains everything. And I do mean everything, but it’s not insulting. I like it. He also tells you which recipes are vegan and which are vegetarian.

Now, I might as well go ahead and say it, “I love tamales.” If I try a new Mexican restaurant, I always try the tamales first. I’m also quite the tamale snob. So, of course the first recipe I tried in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian was Naked Tamales with Chile Cheese Filling.

I don’t typically like to cook anything other than desserts, but it’s necessary. So, I cut up the onions, the Anaheim peppers, did all that. I cheated and bought already roasted and peeled red bell peppers though. But, if you are just getting accustomed to cooking more often with veggies, I think it’s acceptable to make things a little easier for yourself.

I probably can’t give you the recipe here since Mr. Bittman might get a bit upset with me. In case you’re wondering why the tamales are “naked,” it’s because you don’t have to use corn husks with this version. You bake them in the oven in ramekins, placed inside a baking dish with water. It’s like making creme brulee. No wonder I liked it.

What did I think of this dessert, ur, meal? Sorry. I’m still thinking of the baked cappuccino custard I wanted to make. I bought the espresso beans, but forgot the cream. The tamale pies were so wonderful. Masa, peppers, cheese — how can you go wrong? Not too much cheese though.

One really nifty thing about this cookbook is that it gives you lots of options. You don’t just get a recipe, you get a recipe with choices, depending on what flavors, etc. you are in the mood for. Also, Bittman refers you to other basic recipes within his book. For example, when I made the tamales, I could have also made my own sauce and my own veggie stock. He gave me the page numbers for those recipes.

I also tried the Blue Cheese Apples, but used cheddar and thyme instead of blue cheese and sage. See, these are the options I spoke of. And, you know, I did buy that cream and made the Baked Cappuccino Custard recipe. Oh, yum. Most desserts are already vegetarian, but he gives some good ones anyway. The custard photo didn’t turn out so well, but enjoy the tamale and apple photos.

If you missed them, check out Why Go Meatless More Often and Meatless Mondays. Also, check back on Saturday for Veggie Books for Kids.

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