Good Veg is not lying when it says that it is a modern vegetarian cookbook, with global flavors. And it is certainly packed with flavorful recipes sampling from cuisines around the world. The book starts with nut butters and chia jams, and winds all around the world, featuring great flavor combinations and contemporary concepts. Very impressive!

There is a recipe for Squash Bao that looks and sounds so amazing that I am going shopping tomorrow to pick up some winter squash to make it. Smoky Thai-Style Tofu Cakes with Green Pod Salad is another recipe that begs to be made and shared with loved ones.

Corn Tortillas with Avocado and Charred Scallions and the No-Knead Seeded Breakfast Loaf look both delicious and fast and easy. All of the recipes are easy enough to achieve, while still being exciting and surprising.

Beside that there are a bunch of recipes that I am planning to make, I really appreciate the fact that the author is not including animal rennet based cheeses in her recipes. It is majorly irking when reading a vegetarian cookbook and encountering animal rennet based cheeses in the ingredients with no vegetarian options and substitutions. That really makes me loose faith in the cookbook. Brava for author Alice Hart for addressing that issue while offering substitutions.

Highly recommended - this is an exciting, international, fun, vegetarian cookbook, with inspiring recipes that are entirely achievable for the home cook.

**eARC Netgalley** ( )

Good Veg by Alice Hart is one of the best vegetarian cookbooks I've come across in a long while! The recipes are creative, tasty and the photography in this book is out of this world.

I really liked the way Ms. Hart organized her cookbook. The recipes flow well and the categories she highlights make it easy to find the right recipe for the right occasion.

To highlight some of the recipes that drew my interest (in addition to the ones noted in the Synopsis section) ~

Squash and Sesame Fritters

Eggplant and Sweet Potato Lasagna with Walnuts (YUM!)

Greek Coddled Eggs

A Summer Salad (can't wait to try this one!)

Cashew and Coconut Bites

Please don't even get me started on the sumptuous and heavenly desserts! 😍

I started out being a bit intimidated by this cookbook but after reading Good Veg there are plenty of recipes for the novice and the master cook. The recipes are a celebration of flavors and textures that are as pleasing to the eye as well as the taste buds. Try them out and enjoy!

4.5 Stars

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to The Experiment Publishing, Ms. Hart and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. ( )

Good Veg
By: Alice Hart

I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a vegetarian and spend a lot of time each day preparing my meals (as well as non-veg but still healthy food for my family). I am constantly on the lookout for new, interesting recipes. I feel like I have tried every iteration of every vegetable known to man - seriously. In other words, I'm a tough critic when it comes to vegetarian cookbooks. Please don't give me "new" recipes for hot multigrain cereals with fruits and nuts. I guarantee that everyone has already tried these ideas. They are not ground breaking or earth shattering.

Now, having moaned and groaned in the previous paragraph about the general state of cookbooks, let me reassure you that "Good Veg" will be a welcome addition to anyone's collection (vegetarian, vegan, or otherwise). I tried the "Cress, Millet, and Beet Salad" on my first day. It was super yummy and filling. Have I ever eaten roasted beets before in a salad? Of course, I have. But this recipe had an interesting combo of grains and herbs that required no thought on my part. Something I love about this book is it's easy encouragement to be the extravagant with herbs and other flavorful ingredients.

Other things I loved:
- easy substitutions for difficult to find ingredients
- lovely introductions to each recipe and each section.
- emphasis on protein. Being a seasoned Vegetarian cook, I don't worry about protein as much as she used to, but I do always have it on my mind. It's so important to make sure that I'm getting a full spectrum of all the nutrients that I need.
- really clever condiments section (pickled sour cherries, homemade spiced mustard, roasted tomato and pickled lemon relish - all so delicious).

How-to's:
Scattered throughout the book are a series of how-to's that I really appreciated:
- nut butters
- jams (super easy and I made the basic recipe)
- how to sprout seeds (I've always wanted to know how to do this and then store the results).
- some really interesting dressings (the basic ones are very basic but others are great).
- how to pull together grain bowls.
- how to cook perfect lentils. I really appreciate this one because my lentils (before this book) were always a little unsatisfactory.

Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book are lush and make me eager to try each recipe. Yes, I will use the term - food porn. I get hungry just looking at them!

Conclusion:
So many yummy recipes in this book (Farro and Squash Kafka; Brown Rice Congee; Cress, Millet and Beet Salad; Turkish Peppers are some I tried). Vegetable centered eating doesn't have to be boring or unsatisfactory as proved by this book. I will definitely be buying a hard copy when it comes into print (my early reviewer copy doesn't have final page numbering, etc.). ( )