Linda McCartney's World of Vegetarian Cooking: Over 200 Meat-free Dishes from Around the World Book

The late Linda McCartney's World of Vegetarian Cooking is a republication in paperback of the hardback Linda McCartney on Tour, and a fine memorial to that dedicated campaigner for vegetarianism. It's a colourful, wide-ranging and generously illustrated collection of recipes, inspired by, alluding to, or otherwise created under the influence of cuisines from around the world. The tone of the book, though, is domestic, and it's aimed pretty squarely at the cook whose major clientele is a wholly or partly vegetarian household. The emphasis is on simplicity, tastiness and appeal. One can see it being very useful in a family with one or two vegetarian teenagers. Many of the recipes are either well-known in themselves, or vegetarian versions of familiar dishes. There are some excellent Italian recipes, for example, including the sublime Genoese Pasta with Potatoes, Green Beans and Pesto; and a particularly delicate and refreshing Risotto with Asparagus and Lemon. Or, from India and Southeast Asia, Sambhar (a lentil and vegetable curry) and Spicy Peanut Noodles with Satay Cauliflower and Broccoli. These examples are, in a sense, purist: good food that simply happens not to include meat for a variety of reasons, mainly religious or economic. A good number of the recipes, however, contain vegetable protein products in various forms--mince, burgers, sausages, ham, even bacon (not one of these recipes is illustrated, curiously). These have been included, as Linda McCartney points out, partly to satisfy potential vegetarians scared away from meat by BSE/CJD and other manifestations of factory farming, but who hanker after its feel in the mouth. Ironically, these "wonders of modern food technology", as she termed them, may well become equally suspect in turn, thanks to the ubiquity of genetically modified soy bean products. --Robin DavidsonRead More