Cookbook - "Vegetable Love"

Over the last couple of weeks, I tested two recipes from another one of my cookbooks. I received Vegetable Love by Barbara Kaka as a wedding gift (thanks, Hope and Lizzie!), but had yet to use it until now. The Black Bean Soup was the best I've ever had, and super easy to make. I also made a delicious and hearty Barley Risotto with Broccoli di Raab (also known as Rapini).

The author of this book is a vegetable lover (she loves "the sweet seductive perfume of slowly sauteing onions," among other cooking sensations), but she is not a vegetarian or a vegan, so some of her recipes include meat, fish, and dairy.

One of the book's best features is the Cook's Guide. Located in the back of the cookbook, the Guide includes "descriptions of vegetables, buying and storing information, modes of cooking along with timings, and even some gardening tips." This resource is incredibly helpful for the newly converted vegetarian/conscious eater who is seeking new veggie sources and new ways to prepare them.

Interestingly, the recipes are divided into regions of the world: vegetables of the new world; vegetables of the Mediterranean basin, Europe and the Arab world; and vegetables of Asia and Africa. So using this cookbook becomes an education in a variety of disciplines, history included! It is a cookbook to which I will surely return.