What's cooking?

This week I tried the Rice Noodles With Broccoli Pesto on page 302 from Martha’s “MEATLESS cooking book.

I was excited to make a Broccoli Pesto, it sounded so creative! But I was less excited when I tasted it. First of all, pesto’s are just great, from a classic Basil Pesto that I use for a spaghetti or a pizza, to a variation with roasted smoky bell peppers that I yet have, and will, try.

Roasted and smoky bell peppers have great and deep and full flavors. Many times I have added them to a chickpea hummus for a really deliciosa Smoky Bell Pepper Hummus. So I am pretty sure they also will add in the same way to a pesto.

But broccoli…? 

Come on, when I think about now, cooked broccoli as an ingredient just taste bland. How can it ever lively up a rich pesto sauce with strong flavors from nuts and olive oil? It can’t. You can’t make a pesto sauce more delicious or exciting by putting in a heap of cooked broccoli.

That made me think again about these type of cooking books from professional yet unknown cooks. (the cooks are not credited or named in the cooking book)

Often, it seems to me, these cooks are hired to write a book with a zillion of recipes, and what they do, I don’t have facts only a hunch, is to largely write interesting sounding and "new" recipes (because they can’t fill a book with old and known recipes, eh?) that they actually never, or maybe one time, have cooked!

A bit in the style of VegNews, who did the same only more brutal, publishing fake recipes with fake (meat!!) photo’s.

(Hey, psst, Vegetarian Times is soooo much better with REAL recipes from REAL veg chefs!)

Anyway, that made me wonder which cooking books are really worthwhile with real recipes where you actually really learn something.

Browsing to my recipe books, my personal answer is that the cooking books that have proven themselves really worthwhile, both in recipes as in attitude, are cooking books from fellow vegans. Maybe because they are so passionate and really love to cook and are proud to share their best recipes with you. Vegan chefs like Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner, Bianca Phillips and IsaSandra Moskowitz.

Other cooking books that are worthwhile are cooking books from well known chefs who have a large following, like Jamie Oliver.
 Not always veg, but any vegan home cook knows how to veganize a non veg dish. Recipes from these top chefs are truly top notch and will teach you how to cook.

Okay, I will try some more recipes from MEATLESS and hope it’ll work out. Otherwise it will become a present for some meateater… LOL

For now, tha tha tha that's all folks!