Vegetables Illustrated: An Inspiring Guide with 700+ Kitchen-Tested Recipes

With step-by-step illustrations, the editors of America’s Test Kitchen offer 700 recipes featuring 70 vegetables—arranged alphabetically from artichokes to zucchini—intended to help home cooks create more enticing dishes, add to their vegetable repertoire, and “turn any vegetable into a superstar.” There are several recipes for the potato, for example: Yukon Gold can be mashed in buttermilk; red potatoes can be braised with lemon and chives; and russets can be twice-baked with bacon, cheddar, and scallions. Other recipes utilize more unusual items, such as sunchoke chowder and salads of foraged nettles, purslane, or pickled ramps. Recipes also include meats: roasted chicken with honey-glazed parsnips; okra-filed gumbo with chicken, shrimp, and sausage; and rack of lamb with mint-almond relish. Appearing throughout are sidebars explaining food science (“Why do Artichokes turn brown?” and “Why Does Cilantro Taste Soapy?”), illustrated vegetable prep instructions, and photographs demonstrating “Vegetables Reimagined” (ricotta cheese is rolled within slices of eggplant and baked). This sturdy must-have cookbook is a highly informative reference highlighting the versatility of vegetables. (Mar.)