Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking

This impressive volume introduces light, nutritious food that lends itself to attractive presentation. Piquant pairings include banana-and-pomegranate salad, minted cucumbers and strawberries, and lemon stuffed with almond-chickpea pate. Such elegant dishes might easily grace the most sophisticated table without a whisper of the pedestrian connotations sometimes associated with vegetarian cooking. A prodigious, 800-page labor of love illustrated with lovely, delicate line drawings, the meticulous, encyclopedic cookbook faithfully reflects the philosophy that cooking is ""a spiritual experience . . . a means of expressing love and devotion to the Supreme Lord, Krishna.'' The most esoteric ingredients are defined and demystified. And mail-order sources will help readers locate the requisite bitter melon, tamarind concentrate and white poppy seeds. The author is a cooking instructor in the U.S. and England. (September 1)