Friday Flashback – Vegetarian Dinner Parties

Confession is good for the soul and I have shared a number of them here over the last year. I am admitting today that it was only recently that I’ve started to enjoy vegetarian books. Most of that enlightment came to me when I first reviewed Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough‘s Vegetarian Dinner Parties: 150 Meatless Meals Good Enough to Serve to Company.

This book is not only packed with elegant and comforting recipes but also has tips on how to plan and throw a dinner party.  The dishes here would satisfy the most devout carnivore and bonus – the book starts with a cocktail section as all good parties should start.

The gouda gougères with smoked paprika and thyme are to die for as are the asiago cookies with tahini lentil cream. The recipes here are approachable, guest-worthy and work. Green bean spring rolls with honey mustard dipping sauce, squash noodles with almond chimichurri (from the cover), Jerusalem artichoke fritters with cranberries and almonds, the pulled vegetable sliders, pear risotto with gorgonzola and dill and ginger falafel with wasabi cream are examples of the types of dishes in this must-have book. The vegetarian, the entertainer and the person who just loves to cook great food will enjoy this title. 

Bruce and Mark have authored an overabundance of shelf-worthy cookbooks – many of which I have in my collection. Their Great Big Pressure Cooker Book shares a wealth of information and nudged me gently (kicking and screaming) into the Instant Pot craze. More information on that title and my Instant Pot experience can be found here and here. The pressure cooker phobia is real but with their guidance and the built in safeguards in the new generation of appliances – fast, tasty meals can be yours with the press of a button and without the fear of having to pry a chicken from your ceiling. We still have a few days left in our Instant Pot promotion – so make sure you have entered. 

The ever busy duo have All-Time Favorite Sheet Cakes & Slab Pies: Easy to Make, Easy to Serve coming out in October and The Kitchen Shortcut Bible: More than 200 Recipes for Superfast, Totally Easy, Amazingly Delicious Meals–from 3-Ingredient Spicy Chicken to Melted Ice Cream Pound Cake slated for May of 2018. They are frequent guests on QVC and are always fun to watch – look for them on September 27th promoting Sheet Cakes!