On Vegetables

On Vegetables presents a collection of recipes and techniques from chef Jeremy Fox, known for his work at Ubuntu restaurant in Napa Valley. The book contains over 160 vegetable-based dishes that showcase produce-driven cooking. Fox organizes the recipes by ingredient and season, demonstrating methods to transform vegetables through preparation, seasoning, and creative combinations. Each recipe includes background information, detailed instructions, and insights into Fox's culinary approach. The recipes range from basic vegetable preparations to complex restaurant-style dishes, accompanied by photos and guidance on sourcing ingredients. Fox includes sections on pantry items, stocks, and other foundational elements that support the main recipes. The book reflects Fox's philosophy of elevating vegetables beyond side dishes to create complete, satisfying meals. His focus on technique and flavor building makes the case for produce as the central component of contemporary cooking.

Readers describe this as a restaurant cookbook rather than a practical home cooking guide. The recipes are complex, often requiring specialty ingredients and multiple sub-recipes. Liked: - Professional-level plating techniques and food photography - Detailed explanations of vegetable preparation methods - Creative flavor combinations and ingredient pairings - In-depth component recipes (stocks, purees, garnishes) Disliked: - Most recipes take 2-3 hours minimum - Many ingredients are hard to source outside major cities - Sub-recipes make dishes more complicated than necessary - Not suitable for weeknight cooking - Some recipes require specialized equipment One reader noted: "Beautiful book but I haven't actually cooked anything from it." Another said: "The recipes are restaurant versions - simplified home versions would have been more useful." Ratings: Goodreads: 4.16/5 (89 ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (185 ratings) Barnes & Noble: 4.8/5 (5 ratings)

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Vegetables Unleashed by José Andrés and Matt Goulding The book presents techniques for transforming common vegetables through global cooking methods and includes recipes that range from simple preparations to restaurant-level complexity.

In My Kitchen by Deborah Madison The author shares vegetable-focused recipes developed over decades of cooking at her restaurants and draws inspiration from farmers markets and seasonal produce.

Ruffage by Abra Berens This reference guide provides multiple cooking methods for common vegetables and includes variations that showcase each ingredient's versatility.

The Modern Cook's Year by Anna Jones The cookbook offers vegetarian recipes organized by season and emphasizes practical techniques for creating satisfying meals from market vegetables.

🥬 Jeremy Fox wrote this groundbreaking cookbook while battling severe anxiety and depression, transforming his personal healing journey into culinary inspiration 🌿 The book features over 160 recipes that originated at Ubuntu, the Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant in Napa Valley where Fox made his name as a chef 🍅 Fox wasn't vegetarian when he started at Ubuntu, but the challenge of creating compelling plant-based dishes revolutionized his approach to cooking 🌱 Each recipe includes detailed plating instructions and photographs, as Fox believes the visual composition is crucial to how vegetables are perceived and enjoyed 🥕 The book's organization breaks traditional cookbook conventions by grouping recipes by cooking technique rather than by season or ingredient type