The Modern Vegetarian by Maria Elie.

I am not a modern vegetarian. I am not a vegetarian at all. For this reason, I could not care less about The Modern Vegetarian. Modern or old-fashioned, vegetarians and especially vegans are rather annoying. Their nutritional point of view is often driven by politics, not facts, at least in my experience.

Most vegans and a lot of vegetarians look pale, which is not surprising since they do not even have enough energy to debate their nutritional point of view, it is just sad, really, why would anyone want to put themselves on a jejune diet?

That said, The Modern Vegetarian is different. A paean to the amazing versatility of vegetables, The Modern Vegetarian is a feast for the palate and the eyes. The author, voted one of the Top 10 Female Chefs by England’s The Independent, emphasizes seasonal ingredients for fresh taste and economy but also shows how to easily adapt recipes if an ingredient is unavailable.

Dishes including Rosemary Porcini, Artichoke and Goat’s Cheese Ravioli, and Cinnamon Spice Plum Cake sound pleasing even for me, a proud carnivore. I like this book because it makes me want to eat more vegetables. And I love vegetables with my medium-rare steak. So maybe vegetarians are not just annoying after all. Maybe they can help carnivores improve their diets by showing them how to make vegetables exciting and yes, even craveable.