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Rating: 
Summary: Every recipe a disappointment
Review: Every recipe I have tried from this book has been very labor-intensive and a complete disappointment. I'm baffled by all the good reviews here. I am getting rid of this book so that I am never tempted to cook from it again. (For a great everyday veggie cookbook, try Simple Vegetarian Pleasures instead!)
Rating: 
Summary: Wow, this cookbook SINGS!
Review: I have Mollie Katzen's older cookbook, The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, and while that book is nice to flip thru, I haven't found it terribly inspiring. Many of the recipes are full of eggs, cheese, dairy and, well, I cook cause I like to play in the kitchen, and frankly I've played with eggs & cheese & dairy far too long to get toked about recipes that fall back on such pedestrian ingredients. But this book... OH MY!!! Her intent here is to create uncomplicated dishes that celebrate the full bounty & beauty of vegetables, grains, spices, nuts, and seasonings. The recipes are amazing! Some require only one ingredient, even, and many simple-but-creative cooking techniques are explained that will probably expand your kitchen repetoire considerably. Recipes range from elegant & sophisticated dishes that sparkle on your table, to simple rustic peasant fare that fills your belly without overloading on the fat. And LOTS of sauces, condiments, and other "extras" that will add color & flavor to almost any meal. A word about the so-called exotic ingredients she sometimes calls for: Mollie often suggests a substitute if you can't find something, but honestly, most of this stuff is pretty easy to find anywhere --even the unusual stuff-- if you put a little effort into looking for it. I live in a verrrrry small rural town in the middle of Georgia, and I have been able to find almost everything I need at my "local" Kroger (have to drive 45 mins into town, but I do that every week anyway). Get familiar with your store's ethnic & natural foods aisles, and you'll be surprised at what's available. Buy this book, and enjoy it. Such deliciousness!!! :-)
Rating: 
Summary: not nearly as good as the original moosewood
Review: I'm a vegetariam, and have been for many years. I am not a super gourmet cook, but I can prepare fairly complex things... point being, vegetable heaven is a little too frou-frou for me. Unlike the original moosewood cookbook which combined easy to find items with innovative ideas, culminating in super tasty food, vegetable heaven goes to further reaches, incorporating more expensive ingredients to create recipes that just aren't as yummy. I flip through several of my cookbooks before grocery shopping every week in order to inspire myself (i try to eat a variety of foods, and to shop inexpensively), and this book rarely makes the cut. Although, there is one thing I found in it that has proven to be indespensible: YOGURT CHEESE! I use it as a substitute for sour cream and dallop it on everything from pasta to eggs. TAKE FAT FREE PLAIN YOGURT SPOON IT INTO A COFFEE FILTER THAT HAS BEEN PLACED IN A COLANDER OVER A BOWL, STICK IT IN THE FRIDGE AND LET ALL OF THE WATER DRIP OUT (ABOUT 24 HRS). mmmmm.... she doesn't say this, but you can chop up veggies really tiny, or add honey, or garlic and cucumber... it's awesome!
Rating:
Summary: You'll never miss the meat!
Review: I'm not a vegetarian but I think this book is fantastic. I use it a lot when I'm going to potlucks where there will be vegetarians, but I also cook from it for myself. I've made a wide variety of dishes from it and they have all turned out great. I have a few favorites that I make again and again. That is saying a lot, since I have abot 100 cookbooks, and I don't get back to many recipes unless they are totally amazing and/or simple. My favorites from this book are the Blackberry Buckle, Coconut Lime Chili Rice and Golden Chickpea Soup. Everything has so much flavor it doesn't matter that there is no meat. Also, Mollie gives a great introduction to flavor combinations from lots of different cuisines, so you can try a few dishes before delving more deeply into ethnic cooking. Try it, you'll love it!
Rating:
Summary: Don't do it! Order something by Deborah Madison instead!!
Review: I've never created such flavorful and satisfying dishes from such simple recipes as I have with this book. A good example is the roasted beans with garlic and olives: two or three ingredients to buy at the grocery store, ten minutes of work, two items to wash when you're done, and a rich, tasty dish that I was proud to present to dinner guests. The introduction, which unfortunately is not included in the preview pages, gives a good idea of what to expect: food "prepared in sumptuous, yet uncomplicated ways.... opulent, yet clean and simple". _Vegetable Heaven_ isn't a vegan cookbook, but most of the recipes are vegan or adaptable. It stands out among such cookbooks for its simple, flavorful, *filling* dishes. The Achille's heel of most vegan cooking is the inability to combine flavor with the heaviness that creates a satisfied feeling after a meal. In recipe after recipe, _Vegetable Heaven_ shows how this difficulty can be overcome. Since the recipes are filling and don't use as many exotic ingredients as some vegetarian cookbooks, they're useful when cooking for unadventurous eaters, such as parents, children, and meat-eaters. Some of the recipes are quite spicy, but a few are bland children's food or comfort food. The descriptions are clear, so you won't be unpleasantly surprised. Besides being full of great recipes, the book is durable, exceptionally well laid out, and mostly a pleasure to use. However, it doesn't lie open unless you're using a recipe from the middle third of the book. Of course, _Vegetable Heaven_ doesn't try to be all things to all people. It's not a report of gastronomical research and innovation, so if you're an experienced cook, don't expect to be provoked and stimulated on every page. It's also not a coffee-table cookbook -- the artwork is pleasant but not captivating, and there are no photographs of professional presentations of the dishes.
Rating:
Summary: Quick, simple, satisfying recipes for meat-eaters, vegans.
Review: I've never created such flavorful and satisfying dishes from such simple recipes as I have with this book. A good example is the roasted beans with garlic and olives: two or three ingredients to buy at the grocery store, ten minutes of work, two items to wash when you're done, and a rich, tasty dish that I was proud to present to dinner guests. The introduction, which unfortunately is not included in the preview pages, gives a good idea of what to expect: food "prepared in sumptuous, yet uncomplicated ways.... opulent, yet clean and simple". _Vegetable Heaven_ isn't a vegan cookbook, but most of the recipes are vegan or adaptable. It stands out among such cookbooks for its simple, flavorful, *filling* dishes. The Achille's heel of most vegan cooking is the inability to combine flavor with the heaviness that creates a satisfied feeling after a meal. In recipe after recipe, _Vegetable Heaven_ shows how this difficulty can be overcome. Since the recipes are filling and don't use as many exotic ingredients as some vegetarian cookbooks, they're useful when cooking for unadventurous eaters, such as parents, children, and meat-eaters. Some of the recipes are quite spicy, but a few are bland children's food or comfort food. The descriptions are clear, so you won't be unpleasantly surprised. Besides being full of great recipes, the book is durable, exceptionally well laid out, and mostly a pleasure to use. However, it doesn't lie open unless you're using a recipe from the middle third of the book. Of course, _Vegetable Heaven_ doesn't try to be all things to all people. It's not a report of gastronomical research and innovation, so if you're an experienced cook, don't expect to be provoked and stimulated on every page. It's also not a coffee-table cookbook -- the artwork is pleasant but not captivating, and there are no photographs of professional presentations of the dishes.
Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointing vegetarian
Review: Katzen produces good cookbooks - but if your looking for straight vegetarian substitutes for a meat and potatoes diet, this book may be a bit overwhelming. If you are a "Katzen Disciple", you know what to expect. New folks: there's bulghur, kale, beans, soba, and other good stuff that may require a bit more looking at the market.
However - if you're looking to make healthy choices for you and your family, there are plenty of recipies that won't scare off the others at the dinner table. Plenty of vegetables, good soups - and yer, too many good deserts.
Rating: 
Summary: Inventive and Delicious!
Review: My husband and I are not vegetarian but enjoy vegetarian cooking. We get a box of organic produce from a local farm every two weeks and look for novel dishes in which to use them. Roasted Eggplant Strata is out of this world. I've made Bitter Greens with Sweet Onions and Tart Cheese over pasta more times than I can count. The Coconut-Lime Rice is ravishing. The roasted red pepper and walnut paste is as good as aioli. The Stovetop Cassoulet could have had more depth of flavor for the amount of work. I had trouble today with Mollie's coconut macaroon recipe. Luckily she makes herself available for questions on molliekatzen.com via a bulletin board.* I highly recommend this book for those who want to eat well and healthfully. *She did indeed reply; the trouble was my oven!
Rating:
Summary: Ditto
Review: Others have said it before me - another great book by Molly Katzen. This one got the Julia Child cookbook award which says a lot in itself. I've had great success with every recipe I've tried. Buy it, you'll like it!
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