I have a rather shocking confession to make. No really, I do!
Despite the fact that I was a vegetarian for a good four years of my adult life (pregnancy killed that plan, Briton really liked meat, even in utero) I had never ever picked up a single Moosewood Cookbook. I know! Crazy! It wasn't like I hadn't heard of them, I knew, even ten years ago, that they were akin to the bible of vegetarian recipes. But somehow I just never tried them. Well, actually, I think I flipped through the pages of one at a friends house, but I guess it didn't jump out at me. What a shame. All these wasted years!
So as you may guess, I'm now in possession of one, from the library, but still, it's sitting on my kitchen island, reporting for duty. And I love it. I mean really, what was I thinking? And no, I'm not planning on turning us all into vegetarians, my poor, Texas born husband probably couldn't take that again. But I have been trying to incorporate more and more vegetarian meals into our weekly menu. For one thing, it saves money. And for another, well, I guess vegetarian food isn't just inherently healthier, but as I pay more attention to things like sodium and cholesterol (gee when did I get so old!) vegetarian options seem to offer good alternatives to our normal fare.
OK, it also has to do with the fact that our favorite dishes at our favorite restaurant in town are pretty much all vegetarian. Which just got me thinking. Although fried Szechuan eggplant is not really that good for you. Still, I'm telling you, it's pretty darn awesome.
Over the past month or so I've been sneaking in more and more vegetarian dishes, and since I don't know many kid friendly, or for that matter, creative, vegetarian dishes, I went to the library for a Moosewood, this one to be precise. Because we've had a topsy turvy few weeks, I haven't gotten to cook too much from it, but so far, so good, and just stilling on the couch reading it makes me want to cook more and more.
I did get a chance to try out a ginger plum sauce that was perfect since I had oodles of plums from an ill-timed food order (what was I thinking ordering a farm share basket when I was in town for only two more days?) which is very yummy over yogurt. This week's menu is peppered with Moosewood recipes to try as well.
So if any of you out there in blogo land have a Moosewood recipe, vegetarian recipe or even a vegetarian cookbook that you simply LOVE and think my children, or at least the one who doesn't eat only beige foods, will eat, send them my way.