Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table

For many baby boomers, Moosewood Restaurant is synonymous with vegetarian cooking, thanks to Mollie Katzen's 1977 classic cookbook, which brought the joys of hummus, tofu and other veggie staples to home kitchens. The Ithaca, N.Y., establishment now publishes books in the name of the collective; this is the 11th. By emphasizing ease of preparation and reliance on as few ingredients as possible, the authors must stretch to find new twists on the vegetarian repertoire they've covered previously. They include new dishes such as Indonesian Sweet Potato and Cabbage Soup, and Cranberry Bulghur Pilaf—but it's ultimately familiar fare like Warm French Lentil Salad that is most appealing. The book's only real surprise is a section devoted to fish, the sole animal protein included. Working parents and students will welcome the consistent use of canned and frozen ingredients, but the quick and easy approach combined with the preponderance of dishes like Corn on the Cob, Greek Salad, Coconut Rice, and Easy Egg Rolls result in a book that might've been better in an inexpensive paperback format than a glossy hardcover. Those seeking a cheap, simple vegetarian supper are better off pulling that old, dog-eared paperback off the shelf. Photos. (On sale Oct. 25)