When I received a review copy of my friend Michael Natkin’s new cook book Herbivoracious: A Flavor Revolution with 150 Vibrant and Original Vegetarian Recipes
Michael and I, with Michael holding the very first copy of his cookbook! Exciting!
Michael has been a vegetarian since he was 18. When his mother fell sick, he started cooking her macrobiotic meals at home. Since then, Michael has been a devoted vegetarian. And his passion for food is so evident in his uber successful blog, Herbivoracious (same name as the cookbook!).
The blog is an encyclopedia of information, filled with recipes and tips. How does polenta with pan roasted porcini, tomato confit and chevre sound to you?! My personal favorite Herbivoracious blog recipe is the chickpea, spinach and tomato soup – simple yet packed with flavor.
When I received Herbivoracious, the cookbook, I had great trouble deciding what recipe I should make for this post. The chickpea and olive tagine with ras el hanout ( a North African spice mix) sounded yummy. As did the blackbean soup with orange jalapeno salsa, 10 minute chickpea salad with feta and basil, grilled tofu and pepper tacos, red curry delicata squash, and..well..pretty much all the recipes in the book!
I finally decided to make the triple smoky mac and cheese. Because its cheesy, spicy and comforting – exactly what I needed on a cold, wet Portland evening. It’s the best mac and cheese I’ve had. It was easy to make, and tasted like it came from a high end restaurant. Meat lovers are sure to love this vegetarian mac and cheese. It has so many great smoky flavors going on, my husband thought it had bacon in it! Michael says you can either use smoked cheddar or smoked mozzarella in this recipe. The smoked cheese, plus smoked paprika and chipotle peppers make this mac and cheese wonderfully smoky.
Enjoy Michael’s recipe, and then make sure you enter the giveaway. The book will be out in May and the publisher, Harvard Common Press will send out a copy to one lucky winner as soon as Herbivoracious is published! You can also get your own copy on Amazon through this link Herbivoracious: A Flavor Revolution with 150 Vibrant and Original Vegetarian Recipes
Triple Smoky Mac and Cheese Recipe
A recipe from Herbivoracious Cookbook. Reproduced with permission.
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 pound elbow macaroni (Sala’s note: I used penne because thats what I had on hand)
6 tablespoons (3⁄4 stick) unsalted butter
1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
Half an onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced, or
1⁄4 cup Frontera brand chipotle salsa
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)
8 ounces smoked cheddar, grated, or substitute regular cheddar if you can’t find smoked cheddar
8 ounces mozzarella (substitute smoked mozzarella if you’re using regular cheddar), grated
Kosher salt
1⁄2 cups Homemade Bread Crumbs made with 2 cloves minced garlic added. Recipe in the book.
Method
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the macaroni according to package directions, draining when it is just becoming aldente. This will bake more in the oven, so don’t overcook it. Drain, transfer it to a bowl, and toss with 2 tablespoons of the butter.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. (Sala’s note: I baked the mac and cheese in a cast iron skillet instead of a baking dish)
3. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk pretty constantly for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Add the onion, smoked paprika, rosemary, chipotle, oregano, and nutmeg. Bring to a gentle simmer and keep cooking, whisking occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to low. Whisk in the grated cheeses, a handful at a time, stirring each addition of cheese until melted. It is important to do this gradually, to avoid graininess.
5. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your preference. It will probably need just a little salt, depending on the cheeses. Add more chipotle if you’d like it hotter. Remember that the sauce should be pretty intense, because it needs to flavor a full pound of pasta.
6. Stir the macaroni into the sauce. Pour the macaroni into the baking dish. Scatter the bread crumbs evenly over the top.
7. Bake until you can see bubbling around the sides and the bread crumbs are nicely browned, about 30 minutes. Let the dish rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
A Chance to Win Michael’s Herbivoracious Cookbook!
Be One of the First to Receive a Copy!
The awesome people at Harvard Common Press are giving away a copy of Herbivoracious to one lucky Veggie Belly reader!
To enter the contest, just leave a comment and tell me why you’d like to be the one to win this book.
Contest ends Wednesday, April 4th 2012. US & Canada shipping only.
One randomly picked lucky winner will receive a copy of this book when it is published in May!
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED! The randomly picked winner is comment #7, Cat!
Great giveaway! I’m always looking for delicious vegetarian recipes and this book seems full of them!
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I’m always looking for new and exciting vegetarian meals… my old regulars are getting boring. Thanks for the chance!
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I just became a vegetarian in July, so I am always looking for recipes to add to the repetoire. This sounds great!
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This mac & cheese looks amazing and ever so tasty! Great giveaway.
Cheers,
Rosa
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This looks like a fabulous cookbook. All the recipes you mentioned made my mouth water. I am definitely looking to update my recipe stash and this book sounds like it will do the trick. Going to make the mac & cheese for dinner tonight … yumm.
Thanks.
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The recipes sound amazing.
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I have followed Michael’s blog for some time now and was so excited to hear he was putting together a cookbook. I’ve been vegan for about 2 years now and am always looking for new recipes to make. I’d love to win this cookbook!
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I’ve been following Michael Natkin’s food blog for quite a while and his vegetarian recipes are fantastic. If I don’t win, I’ll buy a copy anyway.
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I subscribe to his blog, and would love to get inspiration from his cookbook as well. Looks yummy (even if I would have to skip the cheese-filled recipes!).
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I’ve been an avid Herbivoracious reader for about a year, and have been moving toward a vegetarian diet. I’m always looking for great vegetarian (and gluten-free!) recipes!
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Great post Sala!!! I so want this book because, even though I am a born vegetarian, I am on a constant look out for vegetarian recipes. I would love to add this book to my collection
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I’m not a vegetarian but am starting to eat less meat and move towards a mostly veggie diet. This means I’m always on the lookout for new, delicious, and exciting recipes. I’d love to win a copy of Michael’s book.
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Oops, that should have read Karen not Karne…
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Looks good
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Wonderful giveaway! I’ve been following Michael’s blog for a couple of years and would LOVE to add his recipes to my cookbook collection.
BTW thanks for the recipe. We are having several days of cool weather here in Montreal and Smoky mac and cheese would make an amazing supper.
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I absolutely love the Herbivoracious blog. It’s the perfect site for when you want to show your non vegetarian friends that vegetarian food can be complex and fancy!
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Great recipe- I’m bookmarking it for my mac and cheese lovin’ husband. I’d love to win a copy of the cookbook- because I’ve read herbivoracious for years and I know it will be chock full of recipes worth trying.
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I’d love to win this book because I am always on the search for healthy vegetarian recipes to cook at home! What a great giveaway!
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I try to make vegetarian meals a majority of what we eat and would love another resource for new recipes!
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What a great giveaway! My husband and I are always looking for new vegetarian options for both lunch and dinner. By the, nice to have you back Sala! I’ve missed your recipe posts :0)
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I am a vegetarian who is always looking for recipes that my omnivore husband and teenage son will eat and enjoy! I love Michael’s Blog and know that his new cookbook would make me & my family VERY happy!
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What a great recipe and photos! I’d like to win this book because tomorrow if my birthday
That should be enough of a reason, right?
xoxo
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Great giveaway. Everything looks so yummy!! The photos are amazing!
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I’m a recent vegetarian and looking for new ideas! This book sound fabulous!
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All of the recipes you mentioned from the book sound wonderful. And the cover photo looks like summer on a plate.
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Oh! That looks so good! I think I could convince my husband to cook vegetarian every once in a while…
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I would love this cookbook – I am a new vegetarian, so I am constantly looking for new recipes to try that even my non-vegetarian hubbie will love!
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This mac and cheese looks amazing! I am always looking for new vegetarian recipes, especially ones that will please a meat-loving guy! I would love to win this cookbook
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I want this book because I absolutely adore Michael and his blog. Oh my, the mac n cheese with those smoky flavors sounds super delicious.
Lovely photo of you two.
Siri
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I am an occasional chicken eater ,who is trying to convert myself totally to a vegetarian diet.This book will be a true inspiration.
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Who wouldn’t like to be a winner ……..so I would like to win this Herbivoracious treasure trove.
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Always looking for different ideas! Also, this book looks like it will be a feast to the eyes as well!
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Awesome!!! i LOVE mac and cheese and I think that’s reason enough to win the cookbook but then again so do a gazillion others
I could and would probably live on pasta every day of my life if i could. In fact the past 2 weeks our dinners have been pesto pasta with a ton of salad on the side… Wac and cheese would be awesimoooo too
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WOW, great choice! It looks super yummy. I would love this cookbook because it looks like none of his recipes are no fail. So full of color and veggies. My kind of cookbook!
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That looks so delicious! I’m not a vegetarian, but I’m always trying to find more vegetarian dishes that my whole family will eat, so I’d love the book
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Looks like a great cookbook! The picture on the book cover looks so healthy and delicious. I wonder what treasures are hidden inside…
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Oh..would love to get this wonderful book..can you please hold the book for me in case I win!! ..will collect it when you come to India
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The Mac and Cheese looks so tempting, I need to try this recipe soon. Thanks for sharing
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We have gutted our kitchen and I so long to make a meal at home!
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That recipe looks awesome! Want to see the rest, would love a copy of the book!
Cheers!
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The recipe looks amazing I am going to try it this weekend. Looks like Herbivoracious cookbook has amazing veg recipe which I would love to try.
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I would love to win this cookbook so that I can incoroporate more vegetarian dishes into my repertoire! Great giveaway!
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I don’t know what I love more–the cookbook or Sala’s hair!!
As a mac & cheese lover, I’ll def be making this!
Miss you, Salanator!
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Sala @ Veggie Belly Reply:
March 28th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
thats a difficult one! you just cant choose between my hair and this cookbook!
MISS YOU TOO!
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Hi, It’s a pleasure to see your recipes and especially the pictures. I would love to win this cookbook because being a vegetarian , I am always looking for different recipes to feed my fussy -eater, husband. Honestly, I have transformed him a quite a bit by some my recipes and yes he has started eating few things he had never tasted in his life ..should I say what he never tasted Potatoes..and so I would love to cook him lots from this book. Thanks!
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We’ve been trying to eat less meat and more veggies ever since my hubby was diagnosed with high cholesterol. This book looks like it would be a great resource for healthy, tasty vegetarian food.
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I need some new vegetarian ideas!
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Hey Sala, such a great post. It makes me want to eat Mac & Cheese at 9 in the morning
I was brought up in a predominantly meat eating family. I’ve learned the tips of the trade from my mom, who I think is the most amazing cook out there [thank god, I have her cooking genes
]. And I thought I was a good cook, till I met my husband, who is not only a devout vegetarian, but also a very very picky eater. Suddenly, I find myself at a loss of good recipes. I fumble with the foreign ingredients (vegetables) in my kitchen & whip up a few dishes, but my culinary vocabulary is very limited as far as vegetarian food is concerned.
I would be glad to have this book so that I can kickstart my education of what I can only call gourmet vegetarian cuisine
[& find my way into my man's heart through his stomach 
]
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I first started cooking vegetarian as a teenager and I’m pretty old (and healthy) now! This book looks like an amazing addition to my kitchen. I’m also a chef who’s daily specials are often vegetarian. What an inspiration!
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I’d like to win this cookbook because I just started eating vegetarian and I’m looking for exciting recipes to keep me in line!
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This mac n cheese looks absolutely yummy. Square Meals would love to win this book as we are always on the look out for new and interesting vegetarian recipes to showcase on the blog.
Aparna from Square Meals
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I LOVE HERBIVORACIOUS, am addicted to beautiful cookbooks, and dream of working at Harvard Common Press!
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Karthik and I are really getting into cooking and we are both vegetarian. We love good food and this would be a perfect way to start our married life – 1 new recipe a week!
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Sala @ Veggie Belly Reply:
March 28th, 2012 at 3:29 pm
Sounds great! Congratulations again; miss you both!
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Great giveaway, and that pasta looks incredible!!
I would love to win this book, not just because I love to cook, but more than anything because I love vegetarian dishes and am always trying to add more of those to my family’s diet – and I know tasty vegetarian dishes is the way to go to win the boys’ hearts (and stomachs!)!!
Ana
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We are predominantly a vegetarian household and I’m always on a lookout for new vegetarian recipes…so excited for getting a chance to win this great cookbook.
Thanks
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This looks like just the thing to explore some new flavors this Summer. Also, the Mac and Cheese looks great! Just pinned it.
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Looks very good!! May be I can find some delicious recipes for my hardcore Carnivores at home
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This recipe looks so delicious! I would love to win this book and try the other recipes!!
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I soooo want this book. I just lovvvvvvveee cooking, clicking food, I think food. I spend hours looking at pictures of dishes and their presentation. I just love cooking, and am keen on learning new recipes. your blog in particular is a great source of inspiration. I had turned a vegetarian some ten years back, and since then i cook all these vegetarian things, I think this book would be a great way of developing the necessary skills. So I hope that I get this one……
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From what you wrote, Herbivoracious sounds as though it is full of delicious recipes. I’m on the lookout for something new to pack for lunches and to cook for dinner, and I bet this cookbook would provide lots of great ideas. That’s why I would like to win!
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I’m so excited about Michael’s book. Cafe Flora is my favorite restaurant and I’ve been reading, and cooking from, Herbivoracious for years now! I would love the chance to have Michael in my kitchen on a daily basis (through his cookbook, of course)!
Thanks for doing this giveaway
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Sharing a great recipe with friends who really would like to try vegetarian food is a wonderful thing. I love to encourge others to try veggie recipes as most head for the vegetarian dish first most of the time anyway. Once they find them they always seek out the cook and find out how they might learn more.
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I am also struck when I have vegetarian guest at home…but slowly I am learning veg recipes….if there are veg recipes and that too healthy…..who can resist…..congrats to Michael on his book being publish…wishing him all the luck…..
Coming to the recipe….the word cheese makes me hungry…and this recipe looks extremely yum…..
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I would love to have this book, by which I can change my Non veg loving hubby to a healthy eating one…With the new and different Veg Recipes from this book,He cant give the usual excuse of “I’m bored with our traditional veg items” ..;-)
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Herbivoracious is a great blog, and I’d love to have what looks to be an equally as amazing book for my very own!
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Would love to win this!
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Your Mac and Cheese looks so delicious, i would love to get the book to try it..
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omg! this looks so yummy. I will have to make it! I want the book too. wah.
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my fiance and i are moving in together this upcoming july. i’m vegetarian/occasional flexitarian and he’s a 100% carnivore who needs to add more veggies to his diet and is open to trying anything as long as it’s flavorful. Herbivoracious is perfect for us.
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Love your site Sala! I still eat meat a couple times a week, but love finding new vegetarian recipes. This book looks like it would be full of great options!
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Pasta looks yum …and as you say this break is great …I would love to try the recipes
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My Mum is a strict vegetarian, and I’m always trying to make vegetarian versions of dishes from around the world, so she can have a chance to experience them. This cookbook will be a great tool for both me, and her to experiment with. I’d love to win it for that reason.
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I’ve been vegetarian for 36 years. I never tire of trying new recipes. All the ones mentioned sound great and now I have a new blog to follow!
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That recipe looks absolutely mouthwatering! I would love to use this cookbook to explore more vegetarian cooking options.
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Im trying to switch to a primarily vegetarian diet.And this book would be a good start!
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Being a vegetarian, I’d love to win a copy of this cookbook to add some new healthy recipes to my collection to provide some variety during the week.
Thank you for the giveaway!
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Sala – love your site! You have great recipes and beautiful photos to accompany them! So tasteful on all aspects!
Both my brother and mother dont eat onions or garlic so I’m always trying to find new recipes that dont incorporate these items or trying to find ways how I can omit these items yet still get the desired taste of the dish! I’m also trying to get my brother and very Indian mother to open to up to other world cuisines and I think this book would an excellent starting point for them!
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That mac & cheese is outrageous! I would love to check out Michael’s other recipes!
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We eat a lot of vegetarian food in our house, so a cookbook that solely has that would be a great addition in the kitchen. Beautiful pics! Love Michael’s blog too!
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Love his website, and the cookbook looks amazing!
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Love mac n cheese and my family will love the recipes from the book.
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Yumm…!!! looking great..!!
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The recipes look and sound great! I want to try them all! Can’t unless I have the book!
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I would love to add more vegetarian meals to my family’s diet. We’re not vegetarians and so, some guidance would be great (and this cookbook looks like a great place to start)! Thanks for the chance to win!
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We’ve been in a recipe rut lately, and we’re always looking for new flavors and dishes to try. These all look delicious!
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This looks delicious! I would love to add some variety to my current list of recipes. This cookbook would help with that.
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With Mac n Cheese this good, I must get my dirty paws on this book!
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I am just learning how to cook and would love some delicious vegetarian recipes to add to my arsenal!! Not to mention- This looks amazing!!
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i’d love to win bc it looks so awesome
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I’d love the book both to cook from, but also because I really love the photographs on this site!
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Oooh this looks like SUCH a comfort food recipe! Yum! I’d love to win this book because I am all about impressing omnivore dinner guests with vegetarian recipes. Yum!
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The mac and cheese looks yummy n the pic looks amazing
…i am a vegetarian n like to experiment …this book would help me a lot
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Wow this sounds and looks AMAZING! I’ve been a fan of Michael’s blog since years before I started my own. It’s always great to follow vegetarian (or any type of) blogs with fresh, diverse ideas like yours and Michael’s. Can’t wait to check out the rest of his book! By the way, not to be shallow, but you are looking FANTASTIC, Sala! Really loving that new haircut, too.
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If I was to win this cookbook, I would gift it to my daughter. She is vegetarian (and I love vegetarian foods) but often gets in a rut about what to cook for her family that she can eat, too.
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I am trying to switch to being completely vegetarian. This book would be a great start for me! Love your blog
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Lovely post with lovely pictures. Being a vegetarian I am always on lookout for
vegetarian recipes. But what really caught my eye was the fact that Michael cooked
macrobiotic food for his mom when she was not feeling well. We as a family were
first introduced to macrobiotic cooking when my mom fell sick and had to go thru
chemo. Even though my mom did not recover, macrobiotic cooking even though
we do not follow strictly has been a blessing. I will definitely follow his blog.
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I eat mostly Vegeterian and my mom is a vegeterian so I would love to win this book for her …
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I am thrilled. I have recently been making steps towards becoming vegetarian….very slowly. One of the hardest parts is finding recipes that my children (picky picky!) and my parents (meat lovers) will eat and appreciate. I love both your blog and Herbivoracious. They have been so helpful and the cookbook l looks wonderful!
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I want to intoduce my boys (husband and two sons) to a more healthy lifestyle … and truth to be told..I’m lacking some imagination in the veggies department.
Thanks
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I recently heard that cheddar is not vegetarian.see in tilmook website.
which brand do you use?
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I’d like to win the book because I’m your new biggest fan and you are recommending it. I’d even consider buying the thing. Two hours ago I was doing research for a cross country road trip and impulsively searched for vegetarian road trips. I haven’t left your pages since. Your recipes. Your travel. Your writing. Your pics. You! Your experiences will definitely help define our upcoming trip and I will be visiting you often for recipes and vicarious thrills.
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