Interesting because I'm interested in that subject
Would you read it again?
Absolutely
Value for money
Excellent
Advantages:
Easy to cook recipes to suit all tastes
Disadvantages:
Haven't found all recipes 100% reliable
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Please note that Ciao has the title of this book slightly wrong in its product listing. As you can see from the Ciao photograph it is called 101 Veggie Dishes, not Delights as Ciao has renamed it!
This is a book which had been part of my cookery collection for a couple of years and I have made several recipes from it. It is a very attractive little book, and the fact that the recipes have all been tested by the staff of the BBC Good Food Magazine really encouraged me to buy it. All the recipes originally appeared in the BBC Good Food Magazine, as did the photos. The book is well laid out with the recipes on the left hand page and a full colour photograph on the opposite page. I do appreciate having a photo of every dish as I can clearly see the results I am aiming for. Unlike some cookery books which can be rather unwieldy to use because of their size, this is a very handy volume, being a paperback of just under 6 inches square. The chapters are as follows and I will give you a brief idea of the kinds of recipes you may expect in each:
Soups, Salads and Snacks Includes Spinach, Sage and Potato Soup; Saffron and Leek Soup; English Garden Salad; Mini Muffin Pizzas; Olive and Ricotta Pate plus around 14 others.
Light Meals Approximately 20 recipes including Spicy Vegetable Chapati Wraps; Crustless Vegetable Quiche; Tomato and Chive Tart; Cheesy Bread Pudding; Stilton and Walnut Tart.
Pasta, Rice and Noodles Again about 20 recipes which include Leek and Mushroom Risotto; Sesame Noodle Salad; Thai Fried Rice with Vegetables; Ravioli with Pumpkin.
Main Courses Approximately 15 recipes such as Potato and Onion Tart; Roasted Vegetable Couscous; Tomato and Goats' Cheese Crumble; Creamy Egg Curry.
Dairy-free Dishes Around 15 recipes including Cracked Wheat and Fennel Salad; Minty Broad Bean Pate; Pasta with Spicy Peas; Flageolet Bean Casserole.
Desserts 12 recipes such as Cappucino Mousse; Cranberry Yoghurt Ice; Gooseberry and Elderflower Crumble.
So, a pretty mouth-watering selection there to tempt anyone wanting something new and meat-free on the menu.
What I like about this book
1 The recipes contained in the book all have ingredients which are fairly easy to find. In most cases you would be able to buy everything needed from a reasonably sized supermarket. This is a big advantage as some vegetarian cookery books contain recipes with such unusual ingredients that you would probably have to visit a health food shop to obtain them.
2 I really like the layout of the book. It is very unfussy, the instructions are simple to follow, with no obscure culinary terms to confuse the would-be cook. At the top of each recipe you have a short summary, which may also include a quick tip. At the bottom of the recipes are notes on the preparation times, how many people the dish in intended to serve, and also the nutritional content per serving. The photographs are very appetising and based upon them I would try out all of the recipes which they accompany because the finished dishes look so appealing.
3 The selection of recipes is fairly good for a book of this size and price. It would not be a problem to find something to satisfy most tastes and the fact that there is a dairy-free chapter is a big plus point as I have several other veggie cookbooks which use dairy products as standard. While I do eat dairy products myself I have friends who avoid them wherever possible and if I was cooking for them I know I would be able to find a suitable dish in this book.
What I don't like about this book
1 While this is a very useful book to have on the shelf I do think that if you cook veggie dishes on a regular basis you would need other books as well as this one. There is a good range of recipes but rather a heavy reliance on pasta and noodles which could get montonous after a while. Also in the desserts section there is nothing at all on baking which is something I quite enjoy. Since they have included a chapter on dairy-free meals I thought they could also have briefly covered dairy-free baking, though maybe I am asking too much from a book of this size.
2 I am a big fan of Delia Smith and tend to judge all recipes in comparison with hers. While I have several dishes that I cook frequently out of this 101 Veggie Dishes there are a few others which I have found do not live up to the Delia test for reliability. My cookbooks never stay pristine as I like to jot down notes in pencil for future reference. So I can say without doubt that when I made the Potato and Onion Tart from this book (September 1st 2006) I had far too many potatoes left over although I had followed the recipe exactly. Then, there is a Tomato and Chive Tart recipe which left me with far too many tomatoes and also the cooking time given in the book was only half of what the dish needed in my oven. So, some tinkering with the recipes may be needed to produce the best results for yourself.
In Conclusion
Well, I have 3 points in favour of the book and 2 against so on balance this is a positive report from me. Overall I still prefer Delia's Vegetarian Collection which I have previously reviewed on Ciao, but 101 Veggie Dishes is excellent value and very easy to use. Also I must say that the recipes in general are quicker and simpler than Delia's and I would recommend this 101 book if you want ideas for meals without fuss.101 Veggie Dishes is priced at £4.99, or currently on Amazon at £4.24
More details
How useful was it?
Very useful
Evaluate this review
How helpful would this review be to someone making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
