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erincataldi's review against another edition
5.0
I'll admit, what first drew me to this book was the amazing photography. It was just so pretty! Thankfully, the content of the book matched up perfectly with the quality of the pictures. This is a fantastic cookbook of leafy greens (ie brassicas). There are eighty recipes on how to cook the world's healthiest vegetables as well as short essays from renowned doctors and nutritionists on the importance of these veggies. There are also great summaries on the preparation, cutting, cleaning, and cooking of these sometimes obscure greens.
Some of the vegetables included in this cookbook are: kale, broccoli, turnips, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, horseradish, and many more. Some of these vegetables sound intimidating or even bland but the author does a fantastic job of dispelling any rumors or bad thoughts on these misunderstood vegetables. The recipes included sound soo soo delightful. I grew up eating one, rooty mash. It is a fantastic mix of sweet potatoes (in my case regular potatoes) and kohlrabi that elevates mashed potatoes to something heavenly. Some other recipes I plan on trying soon are: colcannon with brussels sprout leaves, spicy kale fried rice, and roasted cabbage wedges.
All the recipes in this cookbook are gluten free and most are vegan or vegetarian, some include meat but there is almost always alternative ingredients listed to fit different dietary needs. This book is a great addition to any kitchen.
I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.
Some of the vegetables included in this cookbook are: kale, broccoli, turnips, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, horseradish, and many more. Some of these vegetables sound intimidating or even bland but the author does a fantastic job of dispelling any rumors or bad thoughts on these misunderstood vegetables. The recipes included sound soo soo delightful. I grew up eating one, rooty mash. It is a fantastic mix of sweet potatoes (in my case regular potatoes) and kohlrabi that elevates mashed potatoes to something heavenly. Some other recipes I plan on trying soon are: colcannon with brussels sprout leaves, spicy kale fried rice, and roasted cabbage wedges.
All the recipes in this cookbook are gluten free and most are vegan or vegetarian, some include meat but there is almost always alternative ingredients listed to fit different dietary needs. This book is a great addition to any kitchen.
I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.
100pagesaday's review against another edition
4.0
Brassicas are any plant within the mustard family including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages and Brussels sprouts. "Ounce for ounce brassicas contain more healing properties than any other branch of food." This cookbook delivers tasty ways to serve up these nutritionally packed foods.
In the introduction there are a variety of cooking tips for plants in this family, including which plants have mild, bold or peppery tastes, how to pair them with other ingredients and how to prepare them for cooking.
The recipe sections of this book are categorized by type of plant: Kale, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage, Broccoli, Leafy Brassicas, Asian Brassicas and Root Brassicas and Kohlrabi. Since some of these plants are just starting to come into season in my area, I loaded up at the farmers market and tried out some recipes. I love cauliflower, and it really is underrated. I tried out the super simple Roman Cauliflower Saute with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and cheese. This was very simple, quick and tasty. Brussels sprouts are another favorite of mine. The Brussels Sprouts with Parmesean Crust is very similar to how I usually prepare sprouts, with the addition of white wine vinegar which turned out well. There are a lot of different things to do with broccoli, so I tried out the Lemony Broccoli Chop, which is sort of like a slaw. It was definitely a different flavor palate than I am used to, very Mediterranean, but good.
Overall, this is a good collection of fairly simple recipes to spice up your cruciferous vegetables. If you are looking for something different to do with your broccoli and sprouts, or if you would like to eat healthier but tastier, you should check out Brassicas.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
In the introduction there are a variety of cooking tips for plants in this family, including which plants have mild, bold or peppery tastes, how to pair them with other ingredients and how to prepare them for cooking.
The recipe sections of this book are categorized by type of plant: Kale, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage, Broccoli, Leafy Brassicas, Asian Brassicas and Root Brassicas and Kohlrabi. Since some of these plants are just starting to come into season in my area, I loaded up at the farmers market and tried out some recipes. I love cauliflower, and it really is underrated. I tried out the super simple Roman Cauliflower Saute with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and cheese. This was very simple, quick and tasty. Brussels sprouts are another favorite of mine. The Brussels Sprouts with Parmesean Crust is very similar to how I usually prepare sprouts, with the addition of white wine vinegar which turned out well. There are a lot of different things to do with broccoli, so I tried out the Lemony Broccoli Chop, which is sort of like a slaw. It was definitely a different flavor palate than I am used to, very Mediterranean, but good.
Overall, this is a good collection of fairly simple recipes to spice up your cruciferous vegetables. If you are looking for something different to do with your broccoli and sprouts, or if you would like to eat healthier but tastier, you should check out Brassicas.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
nakedsushi's review against another edition
3.0
Not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty good at cooking brassicas already, so I didn't find any new information in this book. Nonetheless, a decent cookbook and introduction to people who want to learn about cooking kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, etc.
floribunda52's review against another edition
5.0
I'm a fan of brassicas but tend to repeat the same, boring and minimalist preparations over and over... now I'm hyped to try nearly every recipe in the book!
julieawallace's review against another edition
4.0
Raise your hand if you're 100% certain that you have more than enough greens in your diet.
Yeah, me neither.
Brassicas: Cooking the World's Healthiest Vegetables, the new cookbook from Oregonian Food Day writer Laura B. Russell, is on a mission to change your answer to that question. It just might change mine.
I tried a couple of recipes, and am eager to tackle others. The Kale & Sweet Potato Saute on page 27 required serious patience in the first step (slow cooking 1/2" cubes of sweet potato,) but proceeded quickly with the second step (sauteing shredded kale.) Though I used much more than 2 tablespoons of olive oil and not quite as much chili powder as recommended, this recipe could easily become a standard around here. This works as a side dish, in a corn tortilla and, as recommended by the author, with a fried egg for breakfast.
If there's a mention of ginger in a recipe, I'm usually interested; it's the one type of 'heat' in a spice that I enjoy. The bok choy and crystallized ginger Waldorf salad sounded like a fun spin on an old-school classic, so I tried it out.
Dear god in heaven, it's awesome!
That first bite sparkled - lemon, crunch, pecan, and just a hint of ginger. I would even be inclined to kick the ginger up a few notches with ginger syrup.
The bok choy hides backstage in this recipe, under wraps with the greek yogurt and itsy bitsy amount of mayonnaise. Do take the time to let the bok choy mix with salt (and then carefully drying with a kitchen towel) as it definitely made a difference in the amount of liquid in the bottom of the dish.
Pick up a copy of Brassicas and prepare to make kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, broccoli rabe, arugula, cress, bok choy, chinese broccoli, mizuna, napa cabbage, tatsoi, radish, turnip, rudabaga, horseradish, wasabi, and kohlrabi your new best food friends.
No, really, they're ALL brassicas. Plenty to choose from! Take a look at Chapter One here.
P.S. I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review. This review also appeared on www.cookbookfetish.com.
Yeah, me neither.
Brassicas: Cooking the World's Healthiest Vegetables, the new cookbook from Oregonian Food Day writer Laura B. Russell, is on a mission to change your answer to that question. It just might change mine.
I tried a couple of recipes, and am eager to tackle others. The Kale & Sweet Potato Saute on page 27 required serious patience in the first step (slow cooking 1/2" cubes of sweet potato,) but proceeded quickly with the second step (sauteing shredded kale.) Though I used much more than 2 tablespoons of olive oil and not quite as much chili powder as recommended, this recipe could easily become a standard around here. This works as a side dish, in a corn tortilla and, as recommended by the author, with a fried egg for breakfast.
If there's a mention of ginger in a recipe, I'm usually interested; it's the one type of 'heat' in a spice that I enjoy. The bok choy and crystallized ginger Waldorf salad sounded like a fun spin on an old-school classic, so I tried it out.
Dear god in heaven, it's awesome!
That first bite sparkled - lemon, crunch, pecan, and just a hint of ginger. I would even be inclined to kick the ginger up a few notches with ginger syrup.
The bok choy hides backstage in this recipe, under wraps with the greek yogurt and itsy bitsy amount of mayonnaise. Do take the time to let the bok choy mix with salt (and then carefully drying with a kitchen towel) as it definitely made a difference in the amount of liquid in the bottom of the dish.
Pick up a copy of Brassicas and prepare to make kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, broccoli rabe, arugula, cress, bok choy, chinese broccoli, mizuna, napa cabbage, tatsoi, radish, turnip, rudabaga, horseradish, wasabi, and kohlrabi your new best food friends.
No, really, they're ALL brassicas. Plenty to choose from! Take a look at Chapter One here.
P.S. I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review. This review also appeared on www.cookbookfetish.com.
nbpomeroy's review against another edition
4.0
As a new vegetarian but die-hard foodie I enjoyed this book. It includes recipes for soups, salads and entrees.
cg612's review against another edition
4.0
I adore oddly specific cookbooks because I know I’ll find some truly unique recipes and brand new ideas for the featured ingredients. This one had a slew of tasty options that I’ll be happy to try.
em_reads_books's review against another edition
4.0
I don't think I learned a ton from this - I have a lot of the basic recipes in my head already, and some of the more new-to-me ones I could tell wouldn't be to my taste. But i love the way it is organized, with each veggie getting a small variety of preparations and each one being easily adaptable for tastes and available ingredients. Everything is gluten-free and there are plenty of options for other food restrictions, so it's definitely worth picking up if you need a veggie dish that will work for a few different diets. The parmesan Brussels sprouts and cauliflower with pickled peppers were nice twists on my usual "just roast the heck out of it" approach.
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