Rating: 
Summary: 750 meatless recipes drawn from cuisines around the world
Review: Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian is a truly impressive and highly recommended addition to any vegetarian cookbook collection with its more than 750 meatless recipes drawn from cuisines around the world. From Broccoli Stir-Fried with Ginger and Garlic (China); Fresh Fava Beans Sauteed with Garlic and Thyme (Mediterranean); Millet Flatbreads (India); and Tomatoes Stuffed with Wheat Berries (Greece); to Chickpeas, Pumpkin, and Raisins with Couscous (Morocco); Yogurt with Eggplant and Walnuts (Iran); Simple Red Lentil Soup (Turkey); and Asparagus Stir-Fried with Ginger and Red Pepper (Hong Kong) Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian offers a cornucopia of delicious vegetarian menu items that will satisfy any appetite and please any palate.
Rating: 
Summary: difficult to use
Review: My difficulty with this book is not in the recipes but in the organization of the recipes. This book is organized by ingredient, not by type of dish (appetizer, main course, side dish, dessert) or by country of origin. All recipes, wether Mexican appetizer, Persian side dish or Italian entree, are lumped together in the same chapter (if their main ingredient is the same). While I bought this book because I love ethnic cuisines, I cannot pick up this book and make a whole Indonesian or Mexican ( or any ethnic cuisine) dinner from it, the recipes aren't organized that way. Neither can I consult this book if, for instance, I need an Indian appetizer or a Spanish side dish (the dishes aren't labeled as such). If I happen to have a cabbage sitting around, and I don't care if I use it in a appetizer or main course, then this book is fine.
Rating: 
Summary: This Cookbook is Inspiring and Educational
Review: OK, yes, this could use more pictures. And I'll be honest, some of her techniques are too complicated and time consuming for me, so I make up my own shortcuts. Soak beans overnight? Heck, it's 6PM, I just got done working & I have a preschooler to feed NOW, so canned beans work FINE for me. But this is GOOD food. I've made about two dozen recipes out of this cookbook so far, two of which were total flops and one of which needed some tweaking but was good the second time I made it with my tweaks in. So no, this isn't for the inexperienced cook, and not every recipe is as good as it sounds. But when you have a few extra minutes to cook or want something special, try the Sri Lankan Sweet Potatoes with Cardamom and Chiles, or the Middle Eastern Stew of Chickpeas, Potatoes, and Carrots. If you only have a minute, throw together the Yogurt with Herbs or the Korean Soy Dipping Sauce and top your veggies with it. You won't regret it. In short, while I don't pull out this cookbook every night, the flavors in it are good enough that I pull it out at least once a week. Give it a try - if the first recipe you try isn't a favorite, try another before you give up. Not everything is going to be to everyone's taste, but everyone is bound to find something they'll like!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent cookbook
Review: OK, yes, this could use more pictures. And I'll be honest, some of her techniques are too complicated and time consuming for me, so I make up my own shortcuts. Soak beans overnight? Heck, it's 6PM, I just got done working & I have a preschooler to feed NOW, so canned beans work FINE for me. But this is GOOD food. I've made about two dozen recipes out of this cookbook so far, two of which were total flops and one of which needed some tweaking but was good the second time I made it with my tweaks in. So no, this isn't for the inexperienced cook, and not every recipe is as good as it sounds. But when you have a few extra minutes to cook or want something special, try the Sri Lankan Sweet Potatoes with Cardamom and Chiles, or the Middle Eastern Stew of Chickpeas, Potatoes, and Carrots. If you only have a minute, throw together the Yogurt with Herbs or the Korean Soy Dipping Sauce and top your veggies with it. You won't regret it. In short, while I don't pull out this cookbook every night, the flavors in it are good enough that I pull it out at least once a week. Give it a try - if the first recipe you try isn't a favorite, try another before you give up. Not everything is going to be to everyone's taste, but everyone is bound to find something they'll like!
Rating:
Summary: Looks like a winner
Review: Ok. I just got this, and haven't cooked anything out of it yet. But it looks terrific. Along with a wonderfully varied selection of recipes, it includes lots of information about the ingredients themselves. Several recipes from the book have already made it into my meal plans for the next few weeks. I hope they end up tasting as good as they sound. One small factor that especially appealed to me is that Ms.Jaffrey is not, herself, a vegetarian. (She describes herself in the introduction as a 'partial vegetarian', or something like that.) Too often, vegetarian cookbook authors can't avoid the temptations to drop subtle, or not-so-subtle comments about the benefits of avoiding meat, and the hazards and moral questionability of eating it. As a confirmed omnivore myself, I appreciate the opportunity to eat vegetarian sometimes, without having to cope with value judgements.
Rating: 
Summary: Is it just me....?
Review: So far not really impressed with this book. Methinks many people are giving this 5 stars because of the reputation of the author. In my opinion, the higher the reputation, the higher the expectation and this does not live up to expectation or PRICE. Now, I'm no expert chef (otherwise I wouldn't need a cookbook - der) but I'm not completely useless in the kitchen either. I have attempted three recipes out of this book, one of them twice, and each time it has resulted in a fairly unappertizing meal. One reason I bought this book was because of the extensive bean recipes but as far as I can tell each bean recipe is either meant to be a watery flavourless stew or the instructions are wrong. Take for example 'White Beans with Rosemary' on p54. It tells you to soak the beans overnight and then cook them in 3.5 cups of water. If you do this you get a watery stew with the beans reduced to mush. If you don't soak them first the result is better but the flavour is still extremely bland. The other recipes I have tried have not been particularly better - I followed her instructions to the letter on a stir fry (against my best instincts) and got essentially raw dry vegies.... I have not had this problem with other cookbooks... There are also VERY few pictures to compare your recipes - these are very important to give an idea of what the dish is supposed to look like. On the good side - there is heaps of useful information and I expect to keep the book for that alone. I will occasionally attempt other recipes from it because there might be some worthwhile ones but overall: Start with three stars. Add one for the information. Subtract half each for the lack of pictures and the price. Subtract one for the poor recipes and you get two stars. Oh, and to those people who have given this 5 stars without attempting the recipes.....don't you think if you gonna review a recipe book you should try a recipe first...?
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Summary: Great Recipes BUT . . .
Review: This author is so well known to the Culinary World, it's hard to avoid her. So I bought this book thinking I'm going to incorporate more vegetarian dishes into my life, well . . . I haven't even cooked out of it yet! Buyer beware, unless you are going to really cook out of this on purpose, its not for the curious cooks!
What I do appreciate about this book is her endless and useful (!) information on each of the food sections she has. The section on BEANS is fascinating on its own!
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Summary: Great Vegetarian Cookbook! A Must Have!
Review: This excellent cookbook has been on my kitchen shelf for over ten years. The recipes are generally easy (although some require exotic ingredients) and, best of all, delicious! Those familiar with Ms. Jaffrey's Indian cookbooks will find some familiar recipes here, but "World-Of-The-East" includes recipes from Japan, China, Thailand, the Middle East, et al. So there is plenty of variety. This is a great book to add to your collection, even if all you own now are "The Joy of Cooking" or the "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book" (also recommended as basics).
Rating:
Summary: The Best Yet
Review: This is my favorite cookbook, hands down. The recipes are as fun to page through and fantasize about cooking and eating as they are to actually cook and eat. Plus, you can feel good about what you've eaten afterwards, because the recipes are (with the exception of a few of the drinks) all very nutritious. We all know that this is not the case with all cookbooks! The organization (by main ingreient) makes it easy to find a way to use up those cannelini beans that have been sitting in your cupboard for a few years, or that head of cabbage that you need to get rid of quickly to make space in the fridge for something else. The recipes themselves are great for a number of reasons:
1) They're very clear and easy-to-follow.
2) Very few require special equipment.
3) Most recipes make about four servings (great for a two-person household).
4) They are EXCELLENT to eat! I feel like I'm at a restaurant every night! One reviewer mentioned that ingredients are hard to find. If you're shopping at a very conventional U.S. grocery store, this might be the case, but I live near a tiny (we're talking about 1,000 square feet here) natural foods co-op which hasn't failed me yet in my quest for ingredients (most of what is considered "unusual" are spices or legumes), so if you have access to such a store, you should be in business. The thing that cinches this book's "Best Yet" title is the menu suggestions Jaffrey offers. Even if you yourself don't know how to construct a nutritionally complete meal (I know I don't know all the rules on this!), you can be sure that Jaffrey will suggest meals which are both balanced and which reveal her genius with flavor-combinations.
Rating:
Summary: My Favourite cookbook
Review: This is my favourite cookbook in my kitchen. I like to pick it up, find a recipe at random and then follow the authors suggestions for constructing a menu from other recipes in the book. I've never had any trouble finding the ingredients and have cooked several meals for entertaining friends and they've always been a hit. The annecdotal stories and background in ingredients is rather fun. My only criticism is the world is a little lopsided on the side of India in this definition of *world* vegetarian. I can't wait for my next opportunity to cook a feast from this book.
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