Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley Cookbook: A Complete Vegetarian Cookbook Using Nature's Most Economical Foods

Rating:
Summary: A Vegetarian Standard
Review: I bought my first copy of this book when I became vegetarian in the early seventies. At that time, the vegetarian world was still considered exotic, with many people in this country refusing to believe one could eschew meat and survive. We were heavily into protein combining; looking back on it now we can wonder what the problem was! So many of the vegetarian books and cookbooks at that time combined the vegetarian diet with a heavy dose of whatever philosophies and religious beliefs and practices the author believed. This drove many away from vegetarian practice.

Mrs. Cottrell's books are none of these. They provide simple and easy-to-follow vegetarian recipes without a lot of extra baggage. Being from Loma Linda University, I assume her basis for vegetarianism was religious, but as a nutritionist she also obviously had health reasons for vegetarianism also.

Also, a defect of so many of the earlier vegetarian cookbooks (and still found in some now!) was the inclusion and use of exotic ingredients that the average American either can't find locally or afford. Mrs. Cottrell's recipes use everyday ingredients that we can all find in our grocery stores. Coupled with that is the use of ordinary cooking methods, nothing strange to the average cook.

Another aspect of vegetarian cooking that Mrs. Cottrell stresses is its economy. I've known many vegetarians who spent more on unusual and atypical ingredients than they would have for meat. Not here. I was in college at the time I bought this book, and was watching every penny. This book is a great aid for economizing and still making healthy food.

This book has remained on my bookshelf for twenty-five years, and I'd recommend it for anyone interested in cutting down on their meat consumption, or becoming vegetarian. I'd also recommend it for anyone interested in lowering their food bill, yet still eating well.

Rating:
Summary: A Vegetarian Standard
Review: I bought my first copy of this book when I became vegetarian in the early seventies. At that time, the vegetarian world was still considered exotic, with many people in this country refusing to believe one could eschew meat and survive. We were heavily into protein combining; looking back on it now we can wonder what the problem was! So many of the vegetarian books and cookbooks at that time combined the vegetarian diet with a heavy dose of whatever philosophies and religious beliefs and practices the author believed. This drove many away from vegetarian practice.

Mrs. Cottrell's books are none of these. They provide simple and easy-to-follow vegetarian recipes without a lot of extra baggage. Being from Loma Linda University, I assume her basis for vegetarianism was religious, but as a nutritionist she also obviously had health reasons for vegetarianism also.

Also, a defect of so many of the earlier vegetarian cookbooks (and still found in some now!) was the inclusion and use of exotic ingredients that the average American either can't find locally or afford. Mrs. Cottrell's recipes use everyday ingredients that we can all find in our grocery stores. Coupled with that is the use of ordinary cooking methods, nothing strange to the average cook.

Another aspect of vegetarian cooking that Mrs. Cottrell stresses is its economy. I've known many vegetarians who spent more on unusual and atypical ingredients than they would have for meat. Not here. I was in college at the time I bought this book, and was watching every penny. This book is a great aid for economizing and still making healthy food.

This book has remained on my bookshelf for twenty-five years, and I'd recommend it for anyone interested in cutting down on their meat consumption, or becoming vegetarian. I'd also recommend it for anyone interested in lowering their food bill, yet still eating well.

Rating:
Summary: Keeping it real...
Review: I grew up with the recipes from this book and am so happy to see that it is still in print. Try the garbanzo bean waffles (with some pure Vermont maple syrup, of course) -- they are unbelievable! All recipes are excellent and easy. My only complaint is that some are a bit on the bland side, but this can be easily remedied with a little creativity and an extra ingredient or two.