Lorna Sass' Short-Cut Vegetarian: Great Taste in No Time

Sass (Lorna Sass' Complete Vegetarian Kitchen; Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure) presents vegetarian dishes that require minimum preparation time and fuss. Among her ""Ten Strategies for Short-Cut Vegetarian Cooking"" are the suggestions to use organic canned beans (rather than soak and slow-cook dried beans), to make use of such quick-cooking grains such as polenta, quinoa and couscous, and to pre-mix and freeze batches of doughs and batters for quick preparation later. A chapter on flavorings includes recipes for dressings and spice blends (Asian Peanut Sauce; Mild Curry Blend) to build and intensify flavor of dishes. Other chapters focus on such dishes as salads (Quinoa-Corn Salad; Moroccan Carrot Slaw), soups (Mediterranean White Bean Soup with Escarole) and one-dish meals (Paella Vegetariana; Orange-Scented Lentil Ragout). A Tropical Fruit Crisp features pineapple, bananas and granola. Sass's guidelines for stocking the vegetarian pantry, preparing grains and beans, and instructions for using utensils and appliances will be welcomed by both apprentice and veteran cooks when they need to cook interesting vegetarian dishes fast. Author tour. (July)