A Definite Winner

I (James' wife) found this cookbook in a bargain bookstore 7 years ago and found it to be a treasure chest of great recipes using beans, lentils, etc. We own many international cookbooks and I like how this cookbook incorporates international flavor without too much extra work. Most of the ingredients I keep in my pantry. Every Wednesday our family has a meal featuring beans and I have used the ideas and recipes from this book to prepare these meals. My copy of the cookbook is full of bookmarks, I have so many favorite recipes. I have since purchased many more copies of the cookbook to give to relatives and friends. I also know that many of my friends have purchased the book on my suggestion. I highly recommend this book to those who are looking for new ways to prepare beans, lentils, rice, and other unique grains. These recipes can convert the uninitiated to a love of tasty vegetarian cooking.

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Practical approach fast recipes great basic book

The book has a number of strong points: the recipes are usually low in fat, there are many suggestions for vegetarian dishes but also options to add in meat, every pulse you can think of is covered and a good number of the recipes use time saving products such as already processed barbecue sauce or tomato paste etc. This has its benefits but also, in the case of some items, if you are located in Europe the suggested items aren't readily available. The book extensively covers different types of rice, grains, beans etc, and contains information on soaking and cooking times. There is a large section on deserts, rice puddings and other kinds of sweets with some original suggestions. Overall, however, few of the recipes sparkle with creative flair, many are variations of what you intuitively mix together yourself if you are moderately creative and have a well stocked kitchen. If you are an experienced cook looking for creative and exciting input, i.e. you flick through books and then assimilate suggestions to incorporate into your own cooking you might want to have a look at the Ajurvedic cookbook by Mirjam Gazin Hospodar, which also has many grain, rice etc recipes, however not low-fat and more time intensive than the rice beans and grain cookbook. If you 1) are not experimental when cooking 2) want step by step solid instructions 3) don't like spending ages in the kitchen 4)like healthy low-fat fare 5) want a good summary of grains, rice, pulses and how to treat them and don't already have a book, then this book is a very good choice for you.

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Easy and basic but not bland

This is the book I have been looking for. I have always liked beans and grains but what to do with them other than tabouli and chili? The recipes are for simple basic food, ingredients that can be found in most supermarkets and I don't need my french dictionary ! I had the Red Lentil Vegetable Stew for supper tonight and it was great!

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