Now, before I delve into the lush and leafy green world of vegetarian cookbooks, I must first give props to one of my best companions, both in the kitchen and on the couch, since before I was a vegetarian.

A friend first gave me and my then-boyfriend (now-husband) a 1963 paperback edition of The Joy of Cooking when we first left for university and moved in together in 1994.  Even as a meat-eater, there were hundreds and hundreds of recipes in the 1963 Joy which I could never use, not the least of which was “Green Turtle Soup” (omitted from later versions because the main ingredient is endangered.)  Yet the care and conversational style of its creators, Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker, made it a classic how-to cookbook to own, read and reference over the years.  My copy has pages and sections falling out of it which are held together by rubber bands, but I still keep it because, well, if I ever come to needing cheerful instruction on how to skin and cook a squirrel, I will know where to turn.

The quintessential Joy is still my mother’s Joy: the 1975 version that is lauded as a cookbook masterpiece.  However, the Joy which I use in my kitchen today is the 1997 version, which is roundly criticized by purists because it leaves out many of the original recipes and adds many which are non-traditional and ghost-written by expert chefs.   Not to mention that it departs from the original Joy’s greatest attribute –Rombauer’s voice.  However, when I became vegetarian in 2000, I discovered that my 1997 Joy offers not only an abundance of vegetable but also vegetarian recipes, including an authentic assortment of ethnic foods (found especially in the wonderful “Little Dishes” section) and a section newly devoted to “Beans and Tofu.”  I still marvel at the ease and reliability of these expertly crafted recipes.  Among my favourites: Dairy-free Chocolate Cake, Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew, and Roasted Vegetable Lasagne.

Now, the edition that I want to get my hands on is the 2006 75th Anniversary Edition of Joy of Cooking, which contains 4,500 recipes, and allegedly restores Rombauer’s dearly missed conversational style to the book.  I can think of three compelling reasons for why a vegetarian should also want at least one version of the Joy for their vegetarian cookbooks collection:

Firstly, the book is roundly acclaimed as the one all-purpose cookbook that no cook can live without.  I have seen the recent criticism that the recipes in the Joy are not low-fat.  But as one blogger points out, the study was based on only 18 recipes that are mainly meat-based and desserts.  As a vegetarian, your diet is naturally lower in fat, and so a few high-calorie recipes should hardly intimidate you.  Besides, the Joy is a classic because it reflects and rejoices in the modern, standard American diet –it has never been in the business of changing it.  

Secondly, of the 38 chapters in my 1997 edition, only five of those are dedicated to meat (Shellfish, Fish, Poultry, Game and Meat,) twelve topics are about baking and desserts (Breads, Pancakes, Cookies, Cakes, etc.,) and the remaining chapters are mostly vegetarian (Soups, Eggs, Salads, Grains, Beans & Tofu, Pasta, Dumplings & Noodles, Vegetables, Fruits, etc.)  The Joy also includes indispensible, non-recipe sections on Diet, Lifestyle & Health, Entertaining, Cooking Methods, and the all-important, alchemic end-chapter: Know Your Ingredients! 

Thirdly, I am fascinated to learn (albeit non-cited) that Rombauer first published the Joy of Cooking in 1931, a year after her husband committed suicide.  So not only is the Joy a part of US history through its chronicle of American food and enterprise, but it is also a story of personal and family triumph.   Rombauer should be further applauded for writing a cookbook that confers delight and dignity onto the largely female domestic role.  Her tone of diligence and frugality during the Depression-era has renewed importance in our own age of economic struggle.

So the Joy of Cooking is a great asset to any cook, and it belongs in your essential vegetarian cookbooks collection.  The Joy is highly acclaimed and offers an abundance of easy, dependable, vegan and vegetarian recipes.  It is a part of US history, and it is the voice and story of a great cook and resilient character.  Now how can you possibly do without this book?

Like most people, I like to curl up with a good book.  Except that my books are vegetarian cookbooks.  Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or becoming vegetarian, this website is all about helping you buy the best vegetarian cookbooks available.  So if you’re ready to build or expand your collection of time-honoured vegetarian cookbooks, then here are a few things to consider before you begin:

1.  A good book is a labour of love, and a good vegetarian cookbook can be no exception.  Look for books that hook you with a theme or personality, and discover how recipes can tell a story about a person, lifestyle or culture.

2.  Avoid those oversized vegetarian cookbooks that put more effort into crafting the pictures of the food than in crafting the actual recipes.  Look for books that put recipes first and offer you practical or delighful insight into vegetarian cooking.

3.  You don’t have to buy cookbooks that are exclusively vegetarian in order to buy good vegetarian cookbooks.  All you need to do is find the types of cuisine that interest you, and then make sure that you can be creative in the kitchen!

4. Instead of buying vegetarian cookbooks that cover every recipe under the sun and repeat the same nutritional advice about a proper vegetarian diet, try it this way: buy only one or two A-Z vegetarian cookbooks as a reference for basic meals and nutrition, and focus the rest of your collection on specialty areas, such as gourmet, vegan, ethnic, low-fat, and so on.

5. Have you considered a subscription to a vegetarian recipes magazine?  Not only do you get great new recipes to try out every week, but also vegetarian news, articles, tips, and reviews to buy even more great vegetarian cookbooks! 

Just follow these tips, and you will have a collection of vegetarian cookbooks that you will use and enjoy for many years to come.

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