Cookbooks - Toward a List

Joy of Cooking
1975
1997
2006 - 75th Anniversary
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Joy_of_Cooking

Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
1997 - 11th edition

Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking
by Yamuna Devi
1987

World Vegetarian
by Madhur Jaffrey
1999

Vegan Fire & Spice
by Robin Robertson
2009

Betty Crocker's Cookbook
1969 (17th printing, 1972)

Vegetarian: The Greatest Ever Vegetarian Cookbook
2003
[Szechuan Eggplant, p 418]

Vegetarian Dishes from Across the Middle East
by Arto der Haroutunian
2008

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
by Harold McGee
1984

Something with Gravy on Toast

Whenever my parents went out for an evening, my mom most often made one of these two dishes -- chipped-beef on toast or tunafish on toast.  Exploring ideas for recreating these dishes, I modified hers and the Joy of Cooking "Chipped Beef and Gravy" recipes to create this one.

8 oz cooked red rice (Gao Do, black rice would probably be good, as well)
some (not too much, but just enough) vegan sausage, cooked and chopped-up
3 Tbs oil
3 Tbs minced onion
3 Tbs minced celery
3 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 cups almond milk
salt to taste
slices of toast

Heat in a medium saucepan over medium heat:
3 Tbs oil

Add and cook until the onions are golden:
3 Tbs minced onion
3 Tbs minced celery

Sprinkle with:
3 Tbs all-purpose four

Remove from the heat.  Add slowly, whisking constantly until well blended:
2 cups almond milk

Add the rice and sausage and return to the heat.  Simmer until the sauce thickens enouch to coat a spoon heavily, about 10 minutes.
Salt to taste

Serve on:
Toast slices

Spanish Breakfast

Sarah and I have frequently had this served to us for breakfast in Spain -- several enjoyable times at "La Taberna de Atocha" in Madrid (Calle de Atocha, 76).

bread, white loaf-types are good
1 garlic clove
tomatoes
olive oil
pepper
salt

Slice and toast bread.  Slice garlic clove in half and rub juicy side onto the top side of the warm bread.

Grate tomato on the medium grate of a box grater (or other grating device) into a serving bowl.

At the table, drizzle oil onto the top side of the bread, deposit appropriate amounts of the grated tomato.

Pepper and (probably not) salt, as desired for taste.

Yogurt Snack

All of these measures are as desired to taste -- so increase or lessen a lot or a little, each one.

2 cups yogurt
2 Tbs maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbs pecans, toasted, chopped

Kheer

2 cups almond milk
2 Tbs rice flour
10 green cardamom pods, seeds from, crushed
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 pinch saffron threads
1/4 cup raisins
2 cups cooked basmati rice
toasted nuts, chopped

Combine milk, rice flour, cardamom, bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes to thicken.  Reduce to simmer, add saffron, raisins, rice, and cook for 5-10 minutes.

Top servings with toasted nuts, chopped, as desired -- almonds, pistachio...

Vegan Pot Pie

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking (2006 edition) by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker...

After numerous tries and modifications, I have about gotten to something that is pretty damn good.

Potatoes, Turnips and Broth

2 new potatoes, diced
2 turnips, diced
8 cups water
1 onion, quartered
2 carrots, halved
2 celery stalks, halved
4 sprigs parsley
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
6 leaves fresh sage
1 clove garlic with skin, mashed a bit
1 bay leaf
4 whole cloves
8 whole black pepper corns

Add potatoes and turnips to the water, bring to the boil and simmer until somewhat cooked (these will finish cooking in the oven, later, so keep them crisp). Remove potatoes and turnips from the water and set them aside for later.

Add the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil and simmer until you think you have a tasty broth -- 1/2 to 1 hour, I'm thinking.  Strain and press juice out of solids.
Retain 2 cups broth for the cream sauce, keep the rest for other dishes (freezes well in a zip-lock bag).

Cream Sauce

4 Tbs canola oil
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
2 cups cooking broth (from above)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
juice of 1/4 lemon
grated nutmeg to taste
salt and black or white pepper to taste (haven't tried white, yet)

Heat oil in saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add and whisk until smooth, 1/2 cup flour.
Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute.

WARNING: Careful when adding the cooking broth to the flour/oil mixture (the roux).  Adding hot liquid to hot roux can pretty much explode.  So, in this instance, it is best to let the broth cool slightly (it can still be very warm, just not too hot).  In the time it takes me to get the roux going, I find that my 2 cups of broth are cool enough to avoid dangerous conditions.  Read "About thickeners for sauces" in Joy of Cooking for more discussion.  I have made the mistake of adding hot liquid to hot roux and it really is scary.

Remove pan from the heat.  Add 2 cups cooking broth and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in 1 1/2 cups almond milk.
Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and season to taste with lemon juice, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Set aside for later.

Vegetable Filling

2 Tbs canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 small celery ribs, sliced
4 oz mushrooms, sliced (shiitake are very good)
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced (1 Tbs, give or take)
3 sprigs fresh thyme, minced (1 Tbs, give or take)
6 leaves fresh sage, minced (1 tsp, give or take)
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Heat in a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat, the oil.
Add and cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes: onion, carrot, celery.
Add the mushrooms and continue cooking about 1 minute.
Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage and continue cooking about 1 more minute.
Combine this mixture with the cream sauce along with the peas, corn, almonds and...those potatoes and turnips you set aside.
Pour the mixture into a 10x8x3 inch (or so) baking dish that has been greased with a bit of canola oil.

Crust dough

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs chives, chopped (give or take)
1/3 cup almond milk
2 1/2 Tbs canola oil

Mix together in a bowl, the flour, baking powder, salt, then mix in the chives.
Combine the milk and oil and then add this to the flour mixture.
Mix with a fork until well combined, this should be a moist ball.
Spread like pizza dough on a cutting board.

Brining it all together

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Lay the crust dough onto the top of the filling until the surface is fully and evenly covered.
Bake, bare naked and uncovered, on the middle shelf until the sauce is bubbling and the topping is browned, 30-40 minutes. Actually, it usually starts bubbling long before the end, so I cook it until the crust seems done, about 40 minutes.  Place a large baking sheet on the lower shelf to catch potential sauce drippings.