Your favorite vegetarian cook books!

In an effort to get off my reliance on frozen prepared foods that are high in sodium, I'm going to start taking the time once again to cook! Unfortunately, I'm a novice in the kitchen at best, and I'm not very creative or knowledgeable when it comes to things to pair together for a good meal. I'd like some suggestions for cook books that you guys think would be good for a beginner cook.

Oh, and I'm cooking for one...so please keep that in mind!

Having the nutritional information available for each recipe would be amazingly handy as well but it's not 100% necessary!

Thank you. :)

I really like Robin Robertson's "Vegan Planet"

Loads of recipes, inspired by cuisine from all over the world.  I haven't made anything yet that I found to be too terribly time consuming.

There's no nutritional info, but the ingredients are (for the most part) pretty basic, so it's easy to figure out. 

I've tried a bunch! of recipes from this book, and have yet to be disappointed.

I'm also interested in purchasing "Veganomicon" - The instructions seems strange to me, but I'm used to a "Step 1, Step 2..." type format.  But there are toons of tasty looking recipes in there.

Any of the Moosewood cookbooks are good and I find the recipes fairly easy.  I especially like the "Daily Special" on which is mostly soups and salads.

Veganomicon is amazing!!! Buy that one.

Get a subscription to Vegetarian Time magazine (or check their web site for recipes). Their recipes are usually easy to made and delicious! I would recommend their cookbook but it doesn't have any pictures, which bugs me.

The first one that comes to mind is The Deaf Smith Country Cookbook, written by the guy that started Arrowhead Mills.  You can pick up used copies online for 3-4 dollars.

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. This would be the perfect book for a new cook and vegetarian. It has excellent techniques and basics on dealing with everything vegetarian without getting too into "tofu cream cheese with flaxseed" sorts of topics. I turn to it any time I think general questions like "what can I do with beans today?" or "how do I make a casserole with potatoes," However, I really don't like the actual recipes. They often fall flat for me and I think they are too sweet in general. However, that's me. This is the book for you and I recommend it highly. It is enormous, packed with good info, clever flavor combinations. and enough recipes to keep you well fed for a looong time.

Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson. Her recipes focus on interesting grains, great textures and colors. Every single thing I've ever tried from this book has been superb. She also has a website, 101 Cookbooks, with recipes and it is worth checking out.

Veganomicon is OK, but it is rather "let's make pretend meat" in sections. The "Vege Book" series by Cafe Eight is vegan and pretty good, but its in Japanese and maybe not available outside Japan.

I recently bought Vegan Express from Borders and I have been using it pretty much everyday! The portions are for a family of 5 or 6, so you can half the recipes and save the leftovers for later in the week. That's what I do and it seem to work. Oh, and there is a nutritional breakdown of each recipe (a definite plus). 

 

Good luck! 

Enchanted Broccoli Forest is good, as is the Vegetarian Times site and magazine. 

Ditto Veganomicon.  The recipes are extremely well developed.  I also like Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and I also love Classic Vegetarian Cooking from the Middle East and North Africa. 

I like "Friendly Foods" by Brother Ron Pickarski.  I actually want to eat the food after I've cooked it.  I'm not overly fond of Marilyn Diamond's American Vegetarian cookbook, mostly because she found a way to mess up split pea soup.  Also her "chicken" patties - the ones made out of green cabbage - do not have any resemblance to a chicken flavor.  

I think "Friendly Foods" recipes serve quite a few people but I'm sure you can divide them in half.   

Lyndsey Wagner has a cookbook called "The High Road To Health".  The recipes are pretty simple and I liked the food.

Hi made to shine, I've been veg for lots of years and my favorites are:
"The Tao of Cooking" which i think is out of print but you can buy at Powells or other online bookstores, and "3 Bowls". "How it all Vegan" is also great; some recipes are hit or miss, but other in it are favorites. You should also try any international foods you like; one favorite is "A Fistful of Lentils" (syrian, and many but not all are vegetarian). "The Vegetarian Epicure (versions I & II)" also are classic books with international options. You can always 1/2 or 1/4 the recipes, and many things can be frozen for later. Good luck.

Greens Glorious Greens

I actually have the Vegetarian Epicure Vols I & II -- my dad was cleaning out his basement and found them!  They seem a little old school but I'll definitely give them another look-through to see if I can find anything easy!

 

Thank you all for your recommendations. ;)