The Moosewood Restaurant Table

The Moosewood Collective’s latest cookbook deserves a place next to the seminal vegetarian Moosewood Cookbook that was published in 1974. Moosewood excels at creating recipes that layer flavor upon flavor. Each chapter is filled with innovative recipes that pull in techniques and ingredients from around the world, such as spicy phyllo samosas with spinach, fresh mint and cilantro; romaine “tacos” with sweet chili sauce; and Jamaican jerk tempeh patties. The cookbook contains a wide variety of salads, such as a Mediterranean potato salad flavored with za’atar, olives, and artichoke hearts and an invigorating winter salad of greens with citrus-date dressing. Not surprisingly, there are recipes for tofu and granola, but at Moosewood, these dishes overcome their punch-line status and show up in interesting guises, such as in a pineapple-lime glazed tofu with spicy cucumber salad, a vegan Cuban picadillo made with tofu instead of the traditional meat, and peanut butter and honey granola. Entrées are diverse and include a chilled Burmese salad called Tohu Toke, squash polenta with a mushroom and kale stew, and walnut-cheddar-herb meatballs. Among a variety of interesting pastas, a pasta carbonara with zucchini cleverly uses smoked cheddar in place of bacon and a pasta with avocado pesto will inspire avocado lovers to move beyond guacamole and avocado toast. This captivating cookbook doesn’t just belong on everyone’s bookshelf—it should be next to the stove, ready to inspire vegetarians and omnivores alike. Agent: Arnold Goodman, Goodman Assoc. (Oct.)