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Cookbooks

Getting back to the point that I do cook for myself now and then (more lately given finances and travel) I have a few cookbooks to recommend.  I know, I know, cookbooks are passé in the age of the internet.  I, too, tend to go online before going to my bookshelf.  When I go online I'm usually looking for something specific.  The nice thing about a cookbook is discovering a recipe for something you never considered.  My return to cookbooks coincided with purchasing an Instant Pot last year.  I love it.  At the very least I like to steam veggies in it once a week then use them in various dishes throughout the week (cabbage, carrots, brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc.)  The Instant Pot is great for soups and beans.  It's a little iffy on grains but I'm working on it.  In the meantime, check out the following.  I have a lot of cookbooks.  A couple of these have withstood the test of time:


  • Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourret.  No, it's not all veggie but it is easy to adapt most of the fish-based dishes.  Simple and comforting, these are soups for the soul.
  • The 5-Ingredient Vegetarian Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Jessica Harlan.  A great choice for dipping your toe into Instant Pot cooking.  I particularly like the choices of seasonings which got me out of Cumin rut.  Cumin is great but it's nice to say hello to Bay Leaves again.  The Basic Pinto Beans are so good I make up a batch every month or so just to eat on the fly.  I would suggest using the timings from your Instant Pot book, however, as the lengthy cooking times here caused a burn or two.
  • Kitchen Ritual:  Recipes to Inspire the Art and Practice of Mindful Cooking by Meredith Klein.  Bought this self-published book from the chef after a yoga retreat.  If you are looking to get into Ayurvedic cooking in a gentle way give this a try (you may have to contact her directly as the copies on Amazon are ridiculously priced).  The seasonings alone turn every dish into an amazing experience.
  • Hot & Spicy & Meatless by Dave DeWint, Mary Jane Wilan, and Melissa T. Stock.  Yes, it's out of print but used copies are easy to get, and worth it.  Covering a wide range of foods and cultures the "Taste of the Tropics" soup will surprise you and has become a family staple.  



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