Edward Espe BrownCritiques

I went to the San Francisco Greens restaurant in the 1990's and had the most wonderful meal. I bought this book and have used it more than any other cookbook I own. This is a keeper.

This edition of The Greens Cook Book is out of print. There is a newer edition, but I have not seen it so cannot compare the two. Years ago, maybe around 1999 or 2000, I had the most amazing soup at a Portland restaurant that specialized in breakfast and lunch. I mentioned how much I loved it to the waiter who said it came right out The Greens Cook Book. Money was tight so I went to Barnes & Noble, picked up the cookbook and copied out the recipe, intending to buy it later, but later never came. Recently, one of my reviews at Powells.com was used in their email newsletter and they gave me a $40 credit as a thank you. I dithered about what to get, but finally decided I was finally going to get this cookbook for once and for all. And now, after all this time, the used copy was only five dollars. Nonetheless, at that ridiculously low price, it still more than 260 recipes that are still tested in the toughest trial there is, a restaurant kitchen.

The recipes are organized by the kinds of dishes you might want to make with chapters on salads, soups, pasta, casseroles, tarts, sandwiches, pizza, savory pastries, side dishes, sauces, and desserts. At the end of the book, there’s a section on pairing wines with vegetarian dishes, recommended kitchen tools, seasonal menus, and a glossary of foods used in the recipes. All in all, it’s a deep dive into vegetarian cooking that highlights simple flavors and your own creativity. More than one recipe gives you a list of possible ingredients so you can more or less make your own using their broad parameters.

There’s nothing flashy about The Greens Cook Book. There are no beautiful photos that will make you drool. The only illustrations are simple outline sketches of herbs and greens. The short introductions to recipes are just about the recipe, without any personal stories or history. It’s a serious cookbook focused on the recipes, not on the personality of the chef. It’s full of recipes that are delicious and you don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy them.

This is one of those cookbooks that become a staple, a foundational book like “The Joy of Cooking” or “The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.” In addition to its rich collection of vegetarian recipes, it includes the basic on making soup stocks, sauces, and other building-block recipes that many cookbooks assume you know.

This is vegetarian cooking the way it should be. Cooking new and delicious dishes that are about abundance and flavor. Many vegetarian cookbooks focus on deprivation, trying to replicate the meats you have left behind. There is no deprivation in The Greens Cook Book because this is vegetarian cooking as a thing itself, not a replacement. There’s no feeling of being left out or of missing flavors. It’s all about great vegetables and ways to cook them that bring out their own rich and sumptuous flavor.

You can find The Greens Cook Book wherever they sell used books, including Powells and Amazon. There is a newer edition, but I don’t know if anything is different.

The Greens Cook Book at Powells Books
Greens Restaurant
Deborah Madison author site
Edward Espe Brown on Facebook

★★★★★
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2018/06/24/the-greens-cook-book-by-d...

Got from Library - Don't buy

Vegetable Pies, , p.221, good, simple, would do well without the pie shell.

Thrift store find. ?�The edition I read, ISBN 9781570625800, says 35 new recipes." ?áThe foreward by Alice Waters is less than a p. long (not enough for even her most devoted fans to read the book, I think). ?á

The recipes generally have a nice little intro. about how they were developed, or what time of year they're served, or which kinds of eaters like them. ?áThere are also free verse spiritual poems, line drawings, and a few B&W photos.

The Zen spiritual aspect would be quite nice for readers so inclined, and is not distracting for me, an atheist. ?áTassajara, I have found, is a Japanese Zen monastery that hosts retreats in the mountains east of Big Sur.

The recipes are vegetarian - some are even Vegan. ?áThey are generally quite healthful, though some are a little heavy on the butter. ?áMost use ingredients that are widely available and not expensive. ?áThey are mostly quite easy to make. ?áSubstitutions and variations are mentioned - flexibility & adaptability are important, I think, to the people who live & work at Tassajara.?á

I found 6 recipes and ideas I want to try:

Gingerbread Pancakes
Kale and White Bean Soup
Carrot Ginger salad with Golden Raisins and Sour Cream
Fabulous Black-Eyed Peas
Baked Tomatoes with Herbs
Glazed Cream Cheese Lemon Cookies (I'll skip the glaze.)

Ok, yes, I've seen other recipes for all of these - but the versions here seem especially well-suited to an ordinary home cook like me.

I highly recommend this book to all who are looking for a simple, not trendy, way to eat healthfully & joyfully. ?á
I would be delighted to ship my copy (trade pb in almost new condition) free to any US member.

"½

Indeholder "Indledning", "En samling køkkennødvendigheder", "Ingredienser", "Hvor det kan købes", "Redskaber", "Om gær", "Almindelige retningslinjer for fremstilling af Tassajara gærdejsbrød", "I.", " (A) Røredejen blandes", " (B) Dejen sættes til hævning", " (C) Røredejsmetodens fordele", "II.", " (A) Olie, saldet og de tørre ingredienser foldes i", " (B) Dejen æltes", " (C) Dejen hæver og slås ned", " (D) Brødene formes", " (E) Før bagningen og bagning", " (F) Opbevaring", "Boller og andre former", "Brød med frugtfyld", "Gærdejsbrød", " 1. Tassajara gærdejsbrød", " 2. Rug-havregrynsbrød", " 3. Sesam med knækket hirse", " 4. Rugbrød med sur fløde", " 5. Rugbrød med kærnemælk og hvedemel", " 6. Svensk sommerrugbrød", " 7. Majsmels- og hirsebrød", " 8. Ris-sojabrød", " 9. Havregrynsbrød", " 10. Hirsebrød", " 11. Banan sandwichbrød", " 12. Rosinbrød", " 13. Nøddebrød", " 14. Frugtbrød", " 15. Ostebrød", " 16. Franskbrød", " 17. Tassajara gærdejsbrød med sødmælk", " 18. Æggevask", "Gærdejs finbrød", " 19. Morgenbrøds gærdej", " 20. Svenske tering", " 21. Kanelruller", " 22. Amerikanske valnødderuller", " 23. Muffins", " 24. Citronfletbrød", " 25. Norsk kaffekage", " 26. Kolacher", " Kolache-pynt og -fyld", " (A) Valmuefrøpynt (Birkespynt)", " (B) Smørglasur", " (C) Sveske eller abrikosfyld", " (D) Mandelpasta", " (E) Dadel- og mandelfyld", " 27. Flettet julebrød", "Usyrnet brød", " 28. Tibetansk bygbrød", " 29. Los Angeles usyrnet brød nr. 1", " 30. Los Angeles usyrnet brød nr. 2", " 31. Usyrnet Richie II", " 32. Usyrnet rug-havregrynsbrød", " 33. Usyrnet johannesbrød-daddelbrød", " 34. Usyrnet frugt- og nøddebrød", " 35. Uæltet usyrnet brød", " 36. Usyrnet hollandsk rugbrød", " 37. Vællingbrød", " 38. Alternativt Vællingbrød", " 39. Grødrestbrød", " 40. Vælling eller grødcrackers", " 41. Fladbrød af grødrester", " 42. Usyrnet brød med brune ris", "Surdejsbrød og pandekager", " 43. Surdejsbrød", " 44. Surdejsrugbrød", " 45. (Surdejs)franskbrød", " 46. Surdejspandekager", "Pandekager og andre sager man kan spise til morgenmad, frokost eller middag", " 47. Fuldkornshvedepandekager", " 48. Pandekager med appelsin", " 49. O-konomi-yaki", " 50. Hytteostpandekager", " 51. Æbleskiver", " 52. Flødescones", " 53. Mørdejskiks", " 54. Smørkuchen", " 55. Æggebagels", " 56. Valnøddekaffekage", "Muffins og lynbrød", " 57. Bygmelsmuffins", " 58. Majsbrød i tre lag", " 59. Boghvedemuffins", " 60. Fuldkornshvedemuffins og variationer", " 61. Variationer: muffins med mangler", " 62. Majsmuffins", " 63. Klidmuffins", " 64. Kernemælksmuffins", " 65. Kryddermuffins til festlige lejligheder", " 66. Frugtsaftsmuffins", " 67. Marmelade eller syltetøjsmuffins", " 68. Muffins med tørret frugt", " 69. Muffins med 'orientalske' krydderier", " 70. Muffins med nødder eller frø", " 71. Muffinsmiskmask", " 72. Kokosnød og gulerodskage", " 73. Æble- og nøddebrød (gærdejs)", " 74. Banan- og nøddebrød", " 75. Daddel- og nøddebrød", " 76. Honning- og valnøddebrød", "Desserter", " 77. Sprøde æbler", " 78. Ferskenkuchen", " 79. Tærte med sur fløde og frugtpynt", " 80. Piedej", " 81. Piedej uden fedtstof", " 82. Tærter", " 83. Ostesmåkager", " 84. Småkagestænger med tyrkisk kaffe", " 85. Honningstænger", " 86. Daddel-, figen- eller sveskestænger", " 87. Muren færdig småkager", " 88. Nøddegramssmåkager", " 89. Sesamslik", " 90. Johannesbrødsslik med frisk frugt", " 91. Johannesbrød-sesamslik med frisk frugt", " 92. Sesam Tofu", " 93. Flødeostekugler", " 94. Alfa Lucerneis eller Suzannejordbær", " 95. Senneps ingefærbrød", " 96. Frisk frugtkage", " 97. Vandringsmandens blanding", " 98. Tassajara granola", "Om Erward Brown", "Kilder", "Om Tassajara", "Noter".

Bog fra starten af "fuldkornsbevægelsen", så måske synes man ikke mere at det er så utroligt at lave brød af fuldkornsmel, men der er da nogle ok opskrifter her.

Not just yeasted breads. Quick breads, muffins, the best pancakes ever... and many of the recipes suggest variations, to encourage those who like to improvise but need a little encouragement. A wonderful staple.

Den Autor lernte ich in dem Film "How to cook your life" von Doris Dörrie kennen, auch Susanne Seethaler hat bei Ihm einen Kochkurs besucht und in Ihrem Buch beschrieben. Hier in diesem Buch stellt der Autor Betrachtungen über die richtige Art das Leben zu leben an und verbindet diese gelungen mit dem Kochen. Besonders sympathisch war mir, dass der Autor sich nicht als perfekten Zen-Praktizierenden darstellt, sondern keinen Hehl aus seinen Unzulänglichkeiten macht. Ein unterhaltsames Buch. Es gibt keinerlei Bilder oder Fotos in dem Buch. Bei Rezepten bin ich doch sehr beeinflussbar von der Optik der Speisen. Rein textbasierte Rezepte animieren mich eher nicht. Trotzdem gibt es das ein oder andere Rezept, das mich neugierig gemacht hat. Ergebnisse reiche ich nach. Seit längerem liegt hier ein zweites Buch des Autors: Das Tassajara Brotbuch. Allerdings habe ich mich noch nie an Brot oder Hefeteig herangetraut.Nachtrag: Die Tomatensoße mit Schokolade habe ich ausprobiert und sie hat mich überhaupt nicht überzeugt.

I used this book to teach so many friends how to bake bread. Love it.

This small beige book, first published in 1970 (my edition is the fifteenth printing of 1975, indicating its popularity) would not shout out amongst the glossy offerings in the bookshop. It doesn't need to , though as its reputation does the work. It revolutionised my baking. Ignore the recipes that talk about smooth, silky dough - that is likely to be too dry. Tassajara tells you not to be afraid of stickiness. This book was produced by the bakery at the heart of the Tassajara Zen community in Berkeley, California. Edward Espe Brown started the famous Green's Restaurant in California and is still a Zen teacher.

My all-time favorite cookbook. The recipes are SO simple and yet SOOO good. I haven't found one dish that I didn't decide was a repeat. And along with the recipes the author gives friendly reflections and advice which makes you feel like there is a very wise monk helping you make your dinner. Wonderfully simple and simply wonderful!

I received this book and a bread bowl for a wedding present. I have made bread from the basic sponge recipe and variations...We have enjoyed cinnamon rolls @ Christmas for the past 34 years so it is now a family tradition. The basic recipe can be made using ANY flour so I am experimenting on ways to make the sponge gluten free. When money was tight I could always make a loaf from scratch (flour was cheep). The process of kneeding the sponge is very relaxing. Enjoy!

a worn copy came in with the Tassajara Bread Book; I'm not sure from an initial scan of it whether there is much original in it so will see if I use it but the styling and message is wonderfully hippy '70s. I like the seasonal organisation, and it's probably be a good intro to vegetarian cookery if this was something you hadn't tried before but I suspect I'll reach for The Greens Cookbook first....wait and see, I'll edit this if I change my mind

Got a rather worn copy come in the other day so has been used for its purpose - brilliantly 1970s feel to it, but recipes look good so will be using it in my kitchen

Magnificent, beautiful, wholesome book. Unless you have gluten issues.

Vegetarian vible. Essential. Fantastic.

Back before I started college I worked as all day babysitter for a family one summer. The mother made their bread, and told me this was the best book to learn from. I'm not sure I ever made anything except basic bread from it, but it does have very good directions for that first loaf of bread, and encourages experimentation.

And now I find myself telling my son that this is the book he needs to learn how to bake bread.

Many people like this book, for some reason, but I do not. I find the breads to be far too sweet and rich in oil. I have very little desire to bake from this book.

Starts with knife work and kitchen technique & divided nicely by ingredient. Almost everything lists what goes in by proportion & not by exact measures. This will annoy the precisionists and delight the casual cook.

The recipes are fun to read and they look wonderful. I've made a few simple things (e.g., salad dressing), but many of the recipes call for every utensil you own and require a million ingredients. Inspiring, but it's not practical for me.

This is the first cookbook I ever owned. I have semi-regularly been baking bread in the style of this book for over thirty years. The basic technique uses a sponge but can be completed in less than a day. The basic formula is for a whole-wheat bread but many other formulas are provided, using a variety of common and not so common grains. There are even a couple of recipes for unleavened loaf breads which I attempted with fairly good results when I was young and adventurous.

In her fist cookbook, Madison demonstrates her remarkable ability to combine ingredients in novel & delicious ways. A must for any vegetarian's cookbook shelf.

I should probably branch out at some point, but this is almost the only book I've ever referred to in more than seven years of bread baking. I occasionally dip into Crescent Dragonwagon's Soup and Bread Book because of its fantastic cornbread recipe, but Tassajara is the one I keep returning to. Brown's basic yeasted bread recipe produces an incredibly full, satisfying loaf, and his stories about baking for the Tassajara monastery make for good reading while the dough rises. This is a truly essential cookbook.

Organicly groovy! Buddhist inspired cooking from the early 70's.

I see that the centre is still going but I never went except via this book. Its a legacy from my own hippie commune days when cooked all my own food including bread. Back in the 70's in Bristol if you wanted to eat natural (organic was not invented!) especially bread you have very little choice as supermarkets did white sliced and bakers did tin loaves if you could find a baker. You had to know about certain Italian, Jewish or Asian shops to get access to rarities such as green peppers, fresh chillies, chickpea dips, olive oil smoked sausages etc. The 70's were a food disaster so before condemning supermarkets think how they have opened the access to food that 30 years ago was impossible for many to source.

I can remember working with some disturbed teenagers in a residential unit in 1979 getting then to bake bread using the basic sponge method and getting some of the anger out for them by the kneading.

Its part of life not lived where I would grow my own food and make my own bread and have friends round to long Sunday lunches in the Aga warmed kitchen. Not sure if I want to examine why instead I am cataloguing books and looking forward to the 3 hours of Star trek on Sky. And dinner is what the local take away has on special