Secrets from a Vegetarian Kitchen - Softcover

Nadine Abensur is currently the food director of Crank's, a popular chain of vegetarian restaurants in England.

Abensur directs a chain of vegetarian restaurants in England. Her North African and Indian upbringing shows through in this intriguing volume that explores nontraditional vegetarian cooking. Moroccan cooking in particular attracts Abensur, so she makes harissa, a peppery Moroccan staple, a fundamental flavoring for her cuisine. Pasta dishes lend themselves particularly well to vegetarian sauces, and phyllo pastry similarly enhances otherwise texturally bland dishes. Recipes and photographs lure with exotic ingredients, but this unfamiliarity also means that Abensur's cooking will be difficult to reproduce outside metropolitan areas with comprehensive ethnic markets. Simpler recipes range from French classic scalloped potatoes to a unique strawberry risotto that will startle even the most jaded vegetarian palate. Recipe measurements appear in both metric and standard American versions. Mark Knoblauch