Cookbooks in the Kitchen of What's Happening Now

Part 1: The San Francisco Chronicle food staff listed their all time favorite cookbooks recently. Two of my favorites were on their lists: Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cookery for Everyone; Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Cake Bible.

Deborah's book was published in 1997; I purchased it 10 years ago.  It has been so used that it is falling apart. Her tone in the book is the ever present teacher wanting to share everything she knows about cookery in the plainest way possible. Her explanations and descriptions make sense and are easy to understand. The best part has been plunging in on faith, and coming up with some spectacular dishes.  She gives you great combinations for flavor and texture.  Her section of pancakes and waffles is one of the best. I have made just about all of them.

A year ago I started buying organic produce from Mariquita Farms and was faced with a bevy of unfamiliar goods.  Deborah to the rescue! Now, tatsoi (baby bok choy), mustard greens, Italian parsley have made it to growing in pots on the rooftop garden....things I never ate before.  I do enjoy a good piece of beef, chicken, pork, fish, but the day to day cooking is continual experimentation with vegetables.  Grated raw beet salad! Shredded brussels sprouts with horseradish! Wild Rice gratin!