Show 117, April 11, 2015: Karen Page – The Vegetarian Flavor Bible

Karen Page and Andrew DornenburgTwo-time James Beard Award-winning author Karen Page revolutionized the way both professional chefs and home cooks think about and create new dishes – based on compatible flavors instead of recipes – with her bestseller, The Flavor Bible, which Forbes named as one of the ten best cookbooks of the past century. Now Page brings the same innovative approach to plant-based cooking with The Vegetarian Flavor Bible. Photographs are by Andrew Dornenburg (Karen’s husband.)

For the first time in history, per-capita consumption of meat in America has fallen for five consecutive years, with predictions of continuing declines. Vegetarianism and veganism are emerging from the margins and into the mainstream, as 54 percent of Americans now wish to decrease or eliminate meat from their diets. While people have chosen to adopt meatless diets throughout history for a variety of reasons – from ethics to economy to personal and planetary well-being – this book suggests a new reason for doing so: maximizing flavor, which is too often masked by meat-based stocks or butter and cream.

Karen Page is our guest.

Show 117, April 11, 2015: Karen Page – The Vegetarian Flavor Bible Continues…

Karen Page and Andrew DornenburgAfter losing members of her family to cancer, the author – an established culinary professional – was shocked to learn that the number-one cause of death in America is nutritionally controllable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. A lifelong omnivore who grew up eating meat “two and often three times a day,” Page was motivated by nutrition studies to experiment with vegetarianism. She eventually eliminated meat from her diet, losing digestive aches and pains and more than twenty pounds in the process, while gaining new vitality and even joy – and she pours here newfound passion into this book.

Page shares what she’s learned about making dishes with the most healthful, nutrient-dense ingredients available (vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds) taste so delicious that their meatlessness is entirely beside the point.

At the heart of The Vegetarian Flavor Bible are the A-to-Z listings of hundreds of ingredients (from acai to zucchini blossoms), and the herbs, spices, and other seasonings that best enhance their flavor. Searching by ethnic cuisine or flavor or season, the reader will find endless inspiration for harmonious combinations.