Veg-Table: Recipes, Techniques, and Plant Science for Big-Flavored, Vegetable-Focused Meals

Sharma (The Flavor Equation) successfully combines his interests in gardening and cooking with a background as a scientist and photographer in this striking new work. The recipes are divided into 16 chapters, each based on a vegetable family, so all onion-centric recipes are together in one section, while another focuses on the Brassica group, which includes broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, etc. Introductory materials include sections on plant science, including where each of these plant families originated, as well as details on their growing conditions and how to store them to maximize freshness. Indian flavors predominate, but other Asian, Middle Eastern, and Italian dishes make appearances too. Some contain meat, but the focus is 100 percent on the vegetables. Recipes are written in a conversational style, listing ingredients in both metric and U.S. measurements in bold within the text itself. Cook’s notes follow each recipe, providing tips and possible substitution ideas, along with gorgeous photos and veggie glamour shots.