The Moosewood Cookbook (40th Anniversary Edition) by Mollie Katzan is not only a lovely vegetarian cookbook, but it is a piece of Americana from the 1970s. Vegetarians, Omnivores and history buffs alike will delight in this book.
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| The Moosewood Cookbook 40th Anniversary Edition by Mollie Katzan is a beautiful, large format vegetarian cookbook |
FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy of the Moosewood Cookbook 40th Anniversary Edition by Mollie Katzan through the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.
About the Moosewood Cookbook:
Mollie Katzan originally wrote the Moosewood Cookbook in 1974. Opening the pages is a little like stepping into a time machine. Each page was hand-written and illustrated. The Moosewood Cookbook was apparently published locally a spiral-bound notebook. Fortunately, the 40th Anniversary Edition is a bound hardback or paperback (or eBook).
The Moosewood Cookbook contains “recipes for vegetarian dishes inspired by those she and fellow cooks served at their small restaurant co-op in Ithaca, NY.” (Quoted from publicity materials).
I feel like this book is an old family friend. I remember seeing this book on various bookshelves growing up. I browsed a later edition while babysitting and have always found it fascinating. Just looking at the book evokes a feeling of relaxation and an afternoon with a friend. Sometimes it is easier to show than to tell, so I included a couple of illustrations from the Moosewood Cookbook to demonstrate.
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| A photograph of an introductory illustration from the Moosewood Cookbook |
History aside, it is a cookbook. I think it stands up well over time, but keep in mind culinary and nutritional habits have changed since this book was written. Overall, it is a plant based cookbook–as you would expect from a vegetarian cookbook. It does include many recipes using grains, gluten, and dairy products. I don’t have any particular dietary restrictions, but thought I would mention this as I know many of my readers do have strong dietary needs or preferences. There certainly are vegan-friendly recipes and some grain-free recipes in the Moosewood Cookbook. I do feel most of the recipes could quite easily adapt to vegan preferences. I am not sure it is as adaptable to Paleo and minimal grain diets. There are some lovely sauces, warm vegetable dishes, and salads that would suit a vegetable loving Paleo fan.
I like that the recipes are wholesome, made from scratch. For the most part, the recipes are moderately easy to follow. I was inspired to try new recipes immediately (unfortunately I didn’t take a picture, next time!). The recipes are mildly flavored, for the most part. I think many foodies are used to more spicy or strongly-seasoned foods, however I usually season to taste with any recipe. I mention that as I have seen this criticism of the Moosewood Cookbook especially some of recipes inspired by a variety of world cultures.
The following illustration is an example of one of the more basic recipes from the Moosewood Cookbook. I didn’t want to “give” their best stuff away, but I feel it is crucial to see how the recipes are presented…
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| A photograph of a vegetable stock recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook |
Using the Moosewood Cookbook, I feel like I am reading friend’s cooking notebook. I think that adds to the informal charm. I admit it lacks the colorful photographs of prepared recipes (who doesn’t like a bit of “food porn”?). However, the unique flavor of the Moosewood Cookbook makes up for the lack of color photographs.
To Read a Preview of the Moosewood Cookbook:
I have embedded a preview of the Moosewood Cookbook to give you a feel for whether you may enjoy this cookbook.
Purchasing Information The Moosewood Cookbook (40th Anniversary Edition):
The Moosewood Cookbook (40th Anniversary Edition) is available from many book retailers, quite possibly at your favorite local book store. For convenience, I provide a couple online retail links.
The Moosewood Lodge website sells this and other Moosewood Lodge cookbooks: www.moosewoodcooks.com
It is also available on Amazon (affiliate link to follow, if you click and make a purchase I receive a modest commission):
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