dumplings@lions.head.ca

Nina Simonds Classic Chinese Cuisine has a vegetarian section in which one finds a version of Lion's Head where the meatballs are made of bean curd mashed with minced black mushrooms, finely shredded carrots and minced water chestnuts. The dumplings are shaped then fried before being added to the soup and cabbage which is then baked in the oven.

spinach@spinach.ca

Nava Atlas in Vegetariana offers a recipe of spinach noodles served in sauce of mushrooms and sauted spinach. After the mushrooms have been sauted with garlic and the spinach has wilted, the cooked noodles are added to the pan along with cream and parmesan cheese, basil, oregano and a pinch of nutmeg.

marinated@eggplant.ca

Jamie Kennedy's Seasons in the section devoted to Fall has a number of recipes for preserves. Among them are instructions for putting by a bushel of eggplant. The operation has two stages. The first is to salt the rounds of eggplant in such a manner to allow them to drain. The second is to pack the eggplant rounds into jars with a mixture of olive oil, white wine vinegar and garlic and to process.

raisinless@rice.pudding.ca

Linda McCartney's Home Cooking has a recipe for rice pudding that is baked. The rice (1/2 cup) is mixed with sugar and milk (4 cups) and baked for 30 minutes then stirred, baked for 30 more minutes and stirred again and baked again for a final 30 minutes. The final result is said to have "a light golden crust."

oil.seasoning@aroma.ca

The Fragrant Vegetable by Martin Stidhma is subtitled "Simple Vegetarian Delicacies from the Chinese". It certainly is attuned to delicate flavours. Take for example the Hot Pepper Tofu with "Pork" recipe which describes the use of some classic stir fry seasonings thus

When oil is hot, reduce heat to medium-high, add garlic, gingerroot and green onion; stir-fry till the aroma rises.

So nice to cook with your nose too.

natto@tempura.ca

There are three parts to Lesley Downer's Japanese Vegetarian Cookery. The first is devoted to vegetables, the second to beans, soya products and eggs, and the last to grains. I discovered that natto as well as a filling with perilla for nori rolls could be made into tempura.

When cooked natto is quite transformed. It loses its stickiness and becomes crisp and nutty, and makes a most delicious tempura.

baked@potatoes.ca

The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker is an excellent source of know-how. I like the instructions on baked potatoes where I learnt not to prick them until the are half way done.

The best baked potatoes are flaky when served [...] The present rage for wrapping potatoes in foil will not allow them to become flaky as too much moisture is retained. [...] Bake the potatoes for 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending upon their size. When potatoes are 1/2 done, pull out rack, quickly puncture skin once with fork, permitting steam to escape. Return to oven and finish baking.