My New Cookbook - Part One

Fearing I would to try to subsist on nothing but oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, and Boca burgers for an entire month, Cool Bro #1 sent me a GARGANTUAN book for my birthday entitled "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian - Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food." This is not only super sweet, but came as a huge shock to me since not only was I surprised that he has my address, I had no idea that he knew when my birthday was. He is just full of surprises, that boy.

This huge book is not just a collection of recipes, but also a "how to" for first time veg-heads. With such side bar notes as "The Many Ways to Flavor Mashed Potatoes," "18 Additions to Stir-Fried Vegetables," and "Top 5 Rices to Keep on Hand," I'll be able to learn not just the "whats" but the "whys" and "hows" of being a vegetarian. To my absolute delight, there is even a section on "The Basics of Tempeh." AT LAST! This curious substance will lose some of its mystery to me!

The recipes? Some sound scrumptious ("Summer Vegetable Stew with Wheat Berries"), some sound exotic ("Pasta with Chestnut Cream"), some puzzle me (what would you put "Fast, Down-Home Barbecue Sauce" ON, exactly?), and some sound like something my mother would have forced me to eat as a young child ("Baked Lima Beans Parmigiana"). There is not a dessert in the world that would have been tempting enough to convince me to eat Baked Lima Beans Anything, thank you very much.

One of the more interesting entries is found on page 631 - Mung Bean Pancakes. No, that's not a typo - MUNG BEAN pancakes. What the *** is a "mung bean?" Only one thing comes to mind at the moment but nothing I've ever considered edible. It sounds so horrifically frightening that I will just have to try these. It feels like some sort of childish dare, to be honest with you. Sort of gives me a rush. Whoo hoo!

Glancing at some of the other ingredients such as garlic, chilis, scallions, and carrots, I'm guessing these are not they syrup variety of pancakes, but some kind of Asian dish. This is definately going on my menu for Week One. If only I had any idea where to buy "mung beans."