Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. I am so excited, and I knew this was the only place at 3FC where people might get excited with me!

I'm excited! I've looked at that on Amazon and came so close to ordering it. I take it it's a good book?

Right now I am happily browsing, and just stopped by the PC on my way to check stash of barley. I have read through the eggs and cheese section, and already have been reminded of several things that are things I had forgotten. I think this may help with my salad rut that I get into every year during winter. Greens, grape tomatoes, dressing....blah. He has some good ideas for pepping that up a bit. Tofy croutons and such.

He has some really interesting methods. The first of which is to cook a ton of everything only once in a while. His theory is that is just as easy to cook three cups of rice as it is to cook one, so why not save yourself the time for a later meal. (Though I suspect his fridge is larger than mine.) The produce section is enormous, but I would love to find a way for me to eat broccoli and my other family members to eat eggplant.

I got mine off ebay for what I considered a good price. You might check there first. I am off to plan next week's meals and my trip to the bulk foods section.

Costco currently has this but I had heard that a lot of the recipes call for cheese (or otherwise dairy), is that true?

Also, I totally agree with cooking large batches of food. I cook large batches of rice, beans, veggies, etc and eat leftovers for a couple days.

There is a whole section on eggs and cheese, but in the recipes I have been reading, it would be optional for a lot of them. My son had a severe dairy allergy for the first five years of his life, so I always see dairy as an option, not a requirement. ('Cause if you have ever tried vegan cheese, you know, that ain't cheese!)

I flipped through the book at Costco.

I don't think I care for it but it is similar to another book I have "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" which I think is a pretty awesome cookbook and every person interested in vegetarianism should have.

I actually just have too big a list of vegan cookbooks that I want to invest in a vegetarian one

Yep! I've always done the same. It saves time, energy, fuel etc.!

I just bought The New Vegan by Janet Hudson, but I haven't tested out any of the recipes yet, there 440 in there so there's bound to be something good there I hope. Looking at it seems pretty "normal food" but veganised versions. I'm totally useless at cooking unless I have a recipe, so had to get a book. I have had dried soya chunks marinading in water, soy sauce and herbs all night in the fridge, and will fry that with half a pack of kale and other winter vegetables. Hope it will be ok!