cover image EVERYDAY GREENS: Home Cooking from Greens, the Celebrated Vegetarian Restaurant

EVERYDAY GREENS: Home Cooking from Greens, the Celebrated Vegetarian Restaurant

Annie Somerville, . . Scribner, $35 (416pp) ISBN 978-0-7432-1625-8

San Francisco Bay restaurant Greens has always had a reputation for innovative vegetarian cooking, and once more Somerville (Field of Greens) brings together more of her distinctive style in this latest volume. While the "Everyday Greens" of the title refers to the Zen concept of everyday mindfulness, the Buddhist teaching "of bringing awareness and acceptance to every moment of everyday life," most of the recipes could be competently produced at home. Ranging in skill levels, the recipes vary in complexity but are full of flavor. Whether it's the ingredient-intensive but simple to cook Spring Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce and Thai Basil, dense Debbie's Pecan Brownies or the composite Baguette with Tapenade, Grilled Peppers, and Fontina, all the recipes are bursting with texture and taste. Mixing the influences of world cuisine whether from the Far East, Middle East or South American, Somerville blends and melds cuisine styles with ease, drawing her inspiration from the fresh and unusual ingredients that have now become readily available. In Somerville's hands, tofu becomes another ingredient rather than a substitute. Unusually the chapter on ingredients and tools, "The Kitchen Cupboard," is located at the end of the book; coupled with explanatory panels throughout the book, this section helps the home cook select items available in most markets, allowing anyone to experiment with vegetarian recipe options and lifestyle. (May)