What would you want and not want in a vegetarian cookbook (omnivores encouraged to answer)?

Question

Or: if you do eat meat, is there any way you might consider picking up a vegetarian cookbook? And, if so, would you be looking for meatless main dishes as an occasional alternative, or just vegetable side dishes, both, or would you pick it up with an eye to economy or health, or...?

And, please go on with all the usual wants/don't-wants about cookbooks unrelated to its being vegetarian...

Oooh -- good answers. Thanks! More, please!

Answer 1

I eat meat, but I do try to cook vegetarian at least a couple of days in the week for health and economic reasons.

Meatless main dishes (besides pasta) would be really nice, particularly some that "real" meat eaters would get into (my boyfriend thinks that vegetables are only food for his food).

I'd want there to be alternatives for hard-to-find ingredients or ingredients people may not like (such as sauerkraut, for example). I'd also like some innovative cooking techniques, but it's be nice to have a cookbook that didn't feel the need to explain what "Bechamel" means (all the ones put out nowadays seem to think we are idiots).

Answer 2

I am a meat eater but have lots of vegetarian friends. If I was looking at a vegetarian cookbook, I would want something that would show me a variety of dishes, for quick meals, parties or dinner parties. One thing I find really confusing about recipe books is when they mention ingredients that I have never heard of and say 'you can get these at all good retailers'. So if you are using ingredients that not everybody would recognise easily maybe have pictures of them.

Maybe also in these health conscious times you could have a break down of the nutritional values for dishes and ingredients.

Furthermore, if I do pick up a recipe book I would like it to be something I could use for a whole dinner party, so maybe include all the courses you can think of, and some drinks recipes too....

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

I am a carnivore who would absolutely love a vegetarian cookbook. But I hate tofu, eggplant, and curry. Anything else, I'd try. Also - the ingredients must be very easy to find and the recipes need to have few ingredients, be fast, and be easy. And good! At least their being healthy would be a given for most. Maybe just focus on dinners. And have enough dinners for a year, by season. With an index, a section on how to choose fruits and veggies, and an online shopping list that can be altered and printed out. And a 1-5 rating system next to each recipe in the book so we can remember if we liked it!

Answer 4

I like to limit meat to 12 oz a day which is like the size of the palm of your hand X 2. That isn't very filling so I really kind of look at the meat to be the side dish and have larger servings of veggies. I love vegetarian cookbooks for all the reasons you mentioned but mainly for the health aspect. My husband and step-daughter have trouble maintaining a healthy body weight so I like low cal recipes and don't like the ones that are actually higher in cals than many meat dishes.
I like to keep it on a small budget since I have a family of 7 and already have a $650/month grocery bill. Every once in a while I don't mind splurging on a good and costly meal - maybe once or twice a week - but in general like a conservative price.

I guess what I'd look for in a vegetarian cookbook would be one with easy to find ingredients with a nutrition chart. One with sections for sides, meals, and special occasions, and maybe a section for quick, easy, and inexpensive ideas.

Answer 5

I would possibly buy a vegeterian cookbook if it included ingredients I could buy in my normal grocery store--not stuff you have to get from a health food store. It would also have to have the nutritional information for each recipe, as well as a picture of each dish. I am not vegeterian, but I do like many meatless dishes--I think the word vegeterian has a kind of negative connotation among meat eaters. I associate that with people who are preachy about their lifestyle or weird. I'm sorry, and I am not trying to offend, but if you are trying to appeal to meat eaters, calling a dish meatless instead of vegeterian somehow makes it more appealing.

Answer 6

I like the vegetarian books that mimic "real" meals--things that normally would have meat--or just different, unique items. Also, when they use tofu or seitan and really flavor it well. And quick and easy meals without much prep, cutting up those veggies gets exhausting.

For example, my local veggie cafe makes the BEST orange "chicken"