By Justina Walls

It is seldom that we see a prestigious cooking award bestowed upon a vegetarian cookbook or chef! (Ron Pickarski is the last that comes to mind for me.) The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen by Peter Berley (ReganBooks, 2000), received the IACP Cookbook Award as well as the James Beard Foundation Award for Excellence. For those who follow the great vegetarian restaurants, Peter Berley is a former executive chef of the famed Angelica Kitchen, a vegan restaurant in New York City. In addition to being a chef and caterer, he also teaches cooking in New York City. Berley is a founding member of Chef Collaborative, a group of chefs working to promote sustainable methods of food cultivation and production, as well as maintain traditions in cuisine.

Berley’s book is not vegan, although it is, as he writes, "vegan friendly". Although written by a professional chef, it is easily understandable and useable by those of us who are not professionals. His recipes are easy to follow, and the results are wonderful! He includes helpful explanations on stocking your kitchen and pantry. In general, his writing style makes it easy for us to understand his thinking regarding his culinary choices.

The book includes instructions for making homemade pasta, and mail order sources for unusual pastas, should one choose to buy it pre-made. He also includes a chapter on bread making, though his opening sentence tells us that it cannot be fully discussed in one chapter – this must have been difficult for him, as it is a form of cooking which he clearly loves. He frequently focuses on the various seasons of the year in his format, and comments, and has chosen recipes that fall within each season beautifully. He generously shares the titles and authors of books that have been an inspiration to him throughout his comments, and also in a section entitled "Suggested Inspirational Reading".

We received this book as a holiday gift, and I encourage you to take a look at it. You may well choose to gift it to yourself.

(Note: I’ve not repeated his comments at the beginning of each recipe, in the interest of space.)

Red Lentil Pâté – 3 cups – p. 233

I cup large or small red lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
I small onion, finely diced
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
I tablespoon tomato paste
I teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
I teaspoon coarse sea salt
Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon

In a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine the lentils and 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Skim and discard any foam and add the bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Drain.

While the lentils simmer, in a small sauté pan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and pine nuts and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion softens and the pine nuts begin to color. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, coriander, caraway seeds, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Continue to sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice to deglaze the pan. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the cooked lentils and the onion mixture and purse until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve at once or chill in the refrigerator and serve cold.

Roasted Asparagus with Garlic – 4 servings – p. 101

2 bunches asparagus (about 2 pounds)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
I teaspoon coarse sea salt
Freshly milled black pepper
2 lemons, cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Trim away the bottom ½ inch or so of each asparagus stalk. Arrange the asparagus stalks on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with the oil, garlic, salt, and pepper and roll them to coat. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp-tender. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Five-Grain Croquettes with Carrot Sauce – about 4 servings of 12-14 croquettes – p.214

½ cup white sushi or jasmine rice
2 tablespoons amaranth*
2 tablespoons teff*
2 tablespoons quinoa*
2 tablespoons millet*
21/2 cups water
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup minced onion
½ cup finely diced red bell pepper
¼ cup finely diced celery
¼ teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
2 cups Carrot Sauce (following recipe)
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives or parsley for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

Combine the rice, amaranth, teff, quinoa, and millet in a strainer. Rinse briefly under cold running water. Drain thoroughly. In a 2-quart saucepan over high heat, combine the grains, water, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, the remaining 11/2 teaspoons of the salt, and black pepper. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender. Do not brown. You may need to add a tablespoon or two of water.

Spoon the cooked grains into a medium bowl. Add the vegetables and mix thoroughly. Set the grain and vegetable mixture aside and allow to cool enough to handle. Wet your hands and form the mixture into the croquettes the size of golf balls. Place them inch apart on the baking sheet and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 20 minutes. 7. Serve with the Carrot Sauce, garnished with the chives.

Carrot Sauce – 2 cups – p. 379

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 scallions, trimmed, white parts thinly sliced, green parts set aside
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
Coarse sea salt
2 cups fresh carrot juice
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
I (2-inch) strip lemon zest
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder**
2 tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the scallions, thyme, and a pinch of salt. Sauté for I minute, cover, and cook over the lowest possible heat for 5 minutes. Do not let the scallions brown. Add the carrot juice, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes.

In a small bowl, dissolve the arrowroot in water. Add it to the pan and stir continuously until the sauce thickens. Remove and discard the lemon zest. Add the parsley and simmer for 1 minute. Serve immediately or cool to room temperature and refrigerate. The sauce will keep for up 2 days.

Spice Cake – 8 servings – p. 402

½ cup plain, unflavored soy milk
½ cup pure maple syrup
6 tablespoons molasses
6 tablespoons canola oil or melted unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
I cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch freshly milled black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly oil an 8-inch-square baking pan and dust it with flour. In a medium bowl, whisk the soymilk, maple syrup, molasses, oil, vanilla, and vinegar.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a rubber spatula, taking care not to overmix. Pour into the baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool, in the baking dish, to room temperature before slicing.

* These grains are easily available at most health food stores.

** Arrowroot powder is used as a thickener, as is cornstarch, which may also be used.