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I grew up in a household that was passionate about the Winter Olympics. When they were on, regular TV shows would be abandoned, dinners would be eaten in front of the glowing white screen, and homework would be put off until the next morning. In my family there was only one reason to watch the Olympics, but it wasn’t patriotism or admiration for amazing athletes or even the adrenaline of a good competition.

No. In my family, we watched the Olympics for the ridiculous, shimmering figure skating outfits.

The 2010 Olympics were great: We had Russians in controversial aboriginal outfits; men in their customary tights, frills, and sparkle; and women with more makeup than Broadway stars.

But while the outfits were laughably fabulous, the Olympics aired another important segment this winter. As the Olympic torch relay passed through Churchill, British Columbia, cars were stopped in the streets to make way for passing polar bears. In the spotlight of the Olympics, people also stopped to think about the threats to polar bears in Canada. As the self-proclaimed polar bear capital of the world, the city of Churchill is worried that global warming is beginning to destroy their claim to fame, and without changes by humans, polar bear extinction is all too possible.

We love polar bears here at Sasquatch Books. Even more than a muscular man ice-skating in feathers, sequins, and body glitter. A few years ago our press published Winston of Churchill, a book about a debonair polar bear fighting global warming in town of Churchill, Manitoba, in Canada.

The polar bear hero, Winston, says, “The ice is melting. We are losing our home. The time has come for action. This is no time for ease and comfort. It is the time to dare and endure.” With words for action, strength, and hard work, Winston sounds like he is encouraging a gold-winning Olympic team. The Olympics may be over, but the fight to save the polar bears from global warming is just beginning.

While the residents of Churchill were excited that the Olympics visited their town, they were more proud of their furry white neighbors. In an interview in Montreal Gazette, Gary Lunn, Federal Minister of State for Sport, diplomatically said, “There’s the power of the flame and the power of the bear. And nothing would be cooler than for a polar bear to see the flame go by.”

Just imagine a polar bear—wearing sequins and feathers and ice skates—watching the Olympic flame pass by! That would be a great show. Until then, as you’re remembering those shimmering figure skaters and chuckling to yourself, grab a copy of Winston on Churchill to keep polar bears in the spotlight.

You can also enjoy and celebrate them with our fun new polar bear title, Polar Polka. (You’ll need to entertain yourself somehow now that you can’t make fun of the figure skaters’ outfits!)

Understanding cooking as a communal act is a central premise in Patricia Tanumihardja’s The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook. That’s why when I first decided to tackle making a dim-sum favorite from scratch, I didn’t attempt it alone. I asked my friend and neighbor, Jeanette, someone more experienced in the art of Asian cooking than I, to join me.

Jeanette is also the one responsible for my newfound love of the 99 Ranch Market. Mark my words. Do not be intimidated by your local Asian grocery. Explore. Enjoy. If your trips are anything like mine, they will undoubtedly yield simple treasures (pristine portobello mushrooms for significantly less money than seems reasonable) and unexpected delights (red bean ice cream!—who knew?). The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook is also an informative resource for those who are unfamiliar with the staples of Asian cooking. Hint: White pepper and sesame oil are versatile must-haves for your pantry!

So after rigging a makeshift steaming operation using a mismatched skillet/basket/lid and investing some time prodding and primping the skins . . . the gloriously authentic result is pictured here: Our shiu mai was a hit!

Though my grandmother happened to be Norwegian and not Asian, I know she would be proud of our accomplishment. Like many of the women who inspired Tanumihardja’s collection, my grandmother knew the value of a well-cooked meal and wasn’t afraid to spend extra time and effort making something special to nourish her family. Maybe your grandma taught you how to make Norwegian rømmegrøt, or oyako donburi, or nothing at all. Regardless, The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook offers a wealth of ethnic specialties that are accessible to the modern home cook. And whether they’re of Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, or Indian descent, it’s clear that all of these Asian grandmothers have something delicious to add to the mix. So follow their lead: Take some time to slow down and savor the legacy of another generation’s or another culture’s culinary favorites. You won’t regret it!

Shiu Mai (Pork and Shrimp Cups)
Dried black mushrooms give these tidbits an earthy flavor while water chestnuts add crunch. And this dim sum staple is easier to make than you may think. Look for fresh or frozen round shiu mai skins in Asian markets—the thinner the better. If you can’t find shiu mai skins, thicker gyoza or wonton skins (trim off square corners before using) will do. The skins come in packs of about 50.

Time: 2 1/2 hours
Makes: 3 dozen (10 to 12 servings)

1 pound ground pork
6 medium dried black mushrooms, rehydrated and finely chopped (1/2 cup)
8 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped with a food processor or cleaver
1/3 cup finely chopped water chestnuts (about 5 canned pieces or 3 peeled fresh pieces)
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, white and green parts (4 stalks)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
12-ounce package dumpling skins

In a large bowl, combine the pork, mushrooms, shrimp, water chestnuts, green onions, cornstarch, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Set the dumpling skins on a floured work surface and cover with a damp towel. Make a circle with your left thumb and index finger (right if you’re left handed). Place a dumpling skin over the circle and scoop 1 tablespoon filling into it. Let the filling drop halfway through the hole and gently squeeze your hand to shape it into a cup, leaving the top open. Put the dumpling on the work surface and gather the edges of the skin around the filling, pleating the edges to form petals. The top should remain open. Stand the dumplings upright 1/2 inch apart on a greased plate that will fit in your steamer. (The size of your steamer will determine how many dumplings you can steam at a time.) Repeat until all the filling is used up. Brush the tops of dumplings with oil.

Set up your steamer.

Fill the steamer pan half full of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium until you are ready to steam.

Return the water in the steamer to a rolling boil. Set one plate of the dumplings in the steamer basket or rack. Cover and steam over high heat for 15 minutes, or until the pork is no longer pink. Pierce a dumpling with a sharp knife to check doneness. Turn off the heat and wait for the steam to subside before lifting the lid. Lift it away from you to prevent scalding yourself and to keep condensation from dripping onto the dumplings. Carefully remove the basket or plate and set the dumplings aside to cool. Repeat as many times as necessary.

When the dumplings are cool, transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.

Instead of going out for Valentine’s Day, create an intimate evening for two with recipes from the Best Places to Kiss Cookbook. Romance your special someone with something sweet!

Decadent Chocolate Mousse

8 servings

This is a great company dessert because it looks elegant, everyone loves chocolate, and you can make it ahead. Think of fun ways to serve it-funky tea cups, martini glasses, or long-stemmed wine glasses with iced tea spoons!

Ingredients:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1-inch pieces
2 3/4 cups heavy cream
3 eggs, at room temperature
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1⁄2 cup sugar
Whipped cream for garnish (optional)
Fresh raspberries (optional)
Chocolate curls (optional)

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler; set aside. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to medium stiff peaks; set aside.

2. In a large stainless steel bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar. Place the bowl over a hot water bath and whisk until the mixture reaches 140°F; remove from heat. With an electric mixer, whip the heated mixture on high speed until cool, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the melted chocolate. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Pour the mousse into 8 individual serving cups (about 5 ounces). Chill until set, about 1 hour.

3. To serve, garnish with a dollop of whipped cream, raspberries, or chocolate curls.

I’ve lived in Seattle for nine years now, and despite my best efforts to thoroughly explore the city and its surrounding areas, when I flip through the latest Best Places Northwest, I’m surprised how many parts of Washington I haven’t even come close to visiting. Downtown Bellingham? Never seen it. Bainbridge Island? Only viewed from a distance. Grand Coulee Dam? Where’s that? And so on. It just shows what a vast, diverse region of compelling attractions the Pacific Northwest is made up of—no matter how hard one tries, it’s tough to see everything.

Before moving to Seattle, I spent about 90 percent of my life in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although I love the Pacific Northwest, I suppose Northern California will always feel like home, since I grew up and went to school there. While there are certainly plenty of things I don’t miss about the area—for example, the morning commute traffic that averages about 85 mph on Highway 280, or the governor far more convincing in his role in the Terminator movies—it’s still a place dear to my heart, and one I don’t get to visit nearly enough.

I didn’t think there was much left in Northern California that I hadn’t already seen. While reviewing our brand-new sixth edition of Best Places Northern California, I realized just how wrong that assumption had been. This expanded edition features coverage from San Luis Obispo all the way up to the Oregon border. And that’s a lot of territory for any one person to explore, even over several decades.

For example, I thought that by passing through Placerville, I had seen the best of California’s legendary Gold Country. But reading through the book, I realized that a visit to Amador City and its Imperial Hotel Restaurant (page 479) would have been even better. And while I’d spent many a happy weekend hour roaming the downtown and beach areas of Santa Cruz, I’d failed to venture ever slightly southeast to Capitola to view its Mediterranean-style architecture and the lively, 867-foot-long Capitola Pier (page 173).

I was, however, glad to see that some old favorites that might not be part of the Northern California visitor’s standard itinerary made the book. The Marin Brewing Company in Larkspur is one such place, a site where I spent many hours enjoying great food, beer, and conversation. And the enthralling Redwood Empire along Highway 101 is richly described (starting on page 341). If it’s not the most beautiful area in California for a road trip, it certainly has to be in the top two or three. Anybody visiting Northern California really needs to make time to explore it.

Best Places Northern California, 6th Edition, reminds me why most people I know from the Northwest love visiting Northern California as well. You can find any kind of experience you’re looking for—as you can in the NW—be it urban exploring; fine dining; amazing sightseeing; hiking, biking, and boating; and much more . . . yet no matter how much time you have to spend in either area, you’re unlikely to ever make it to every destination worth seeing. The new edition of this classic guidebook makes me realize how overdue I am for a vacation to the state—and the next time I’m there, it will help me discover parts I never knew existed.

Planning a special evening with your honey? Inspire amore with this romantic recipe for Dungeness Crab Mac & Cheese from the Best Places to Kiss Cookbook and let us know what you think!

Dungeness Crab Mac and Cheese with Hazelnut Crust

4 servings

This takes comfort food to a new level! The flavor is awesome and
the presentation is beautiful, especially if you opt to bake it in real crab
shells (see the variation below). Either way, this is a delicious and fun way to enjoy Dungeness crabmeat.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 pound Dungeness crabmeat (from a 2-pound crab)
Dash of Tabasco
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup hazelnuts, roasted and finely chopped
Lemon wedges (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Cook the pasta in boiling water, following
package directions, until it is not quite al dente. Drain and let cool.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over high heat. As
soon as the cream boils, add the cooked pasta. Bring back to a boil
and stir in the cheeses and mustard. Bring the mixture back to a
boil and add the crabmeat, Tabasco, and salt. Remove from heat and
season to taste with pepper.

3. Put the crab-pasta mixture in a greased casserole dish and sprinkle
with the hazelnuts. Bake until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.

Variation For an attractive presentation, bake the crab macaroni and cheese in clean crab shells. Ask your neighborhood fishmonger to save four crab shells for you to clean and bake in. Preheat the oven to 400¯F. Place the shells on a baking sheet, carefully fill with the
crab-pasta mixture, and sprinkle with the hazelnuts. Bake until hot
and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.

Last week I met up with my good friend Amy at the Flying Apron Bakery. We got together to chat and catch up, and Flying Apron is a good midpoint between our houses. But really, the thing that brought us together on that rainy Saturday afternoon was the thought of treats . . . baked yummy treats. We knew that Flying Apron would be making delicious autumn goodies, and for both Amy and I, the magic of walking into a bakery and knowing that we can eat anything in it is something neither of us ever gets over.

Amy has celiac disease, which means that her body reacts to the protein in wheat, barley, and rye (gluten) with inflammation and damage to the small intestine. This damage leads to malabsorption of nutrients, which can lead to a whole host of problems from anemia to skin problems to abdominal issues. The only treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet.

I have a gluten intolerance (also called a sensitivity or an allergy). I don’t react to gluten in the way that you traditionally think of as an allergic reaction—hives, swelling and trouble breathing—I just end up with a really bad stomachache for a couple of days. My reaction to gluten is strong enough that I find it entirely worth it to avoid gluten altogether.

Everything at the Flying Apron Bakery is gluten free, vegan, and made without soy or processed sweeteners. Having a restrictive diet, whether you’ve made the choice to cut out certain foods or because your body has made that choice for you, can be tough. It means that you have to read every label, interrogate every server, and field multiple calls from friends before going to their places for dinner. But it also means that you think about your food differently, you appreciate your food more, and you get a certain strength from making choices that you know will directly affect the way you feel.

I felt really lucky as I sat there with Amy and ate my cupcake. I felt lucky to have a friend to talk with endlessly about food . . . and we do talk endlessly about food. I felt lucky to be in a cozy bakery on a cold and wet day. And I felt lucky to work for the publisher that has teamed up with Jennifer Katzinger, founder of the Flying Apron Bakery, to create the beautiful Flying Apron’s Gluten-Free and Vegan Baking Book.

The book is filled with recipes for the delicious cookies, cakes, muffins, scones, breads, and pies that the Flying Apron Bakery makes for its customers. In addition, the first chapter is an informative introduction to cooking with the whole grains, natural sweeteners, and cold-pressed oils that are at the heart of the bakery’s food philosophy.

Here is the recipe for the maple bar that Amy had and that I stole several bites of—yum!

Maple “Butter” Bars

2 3/4 cups brown rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut oil or palm oil
1 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the brown rice flour and salt in a medium-size bowl. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla until well mixed. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture a little at a time until well mixed, about 3 minutes.

Spread the batter evenly into a parchment-lined 9- by 12-inch baking pan. Bake until edges harden slightly, about 15 minutes. While the dough is still hot, score it into 12 pieces with a knife. After it has cooled, slice it the rest of the way through and remove the bars from the pan.

Yield: 12 cookies

Bad Day: Gave Totally Wrong Gift

Good Drink: Lonely Night

3/4 ounce coffee liqueur
11/4 ounce Baileys or other Irish cream liqueur
11/4 ounce hazelnut liqueur
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
Whipped cream

I have always been someone who gets joy out of finding the perfect holiday gift for those I love. There is something about putting in the time and effort to make someone else smile that fills me with that warm-butterscotch feeling associated with the holidays. Thought goes into the wrappings, and my anticipation grows until I get to watch my loved one unwrap their gift. It is the season of giving, and I get something out of seeing other people happy. But not every gift can be a homerun, and I cannot help but be reminded of the not-so-jolly Christmas I received a blender.

That’s right, a blender.

Disclaimer: Men out there, you may be scratching your heads at this, but believe me; unless your main squeeze blatantly says “I want a blender,” do not get her one.

On Christmas Eve, as the Yule log burned cheerily in the fireplace and the tree glowed with hundreds of tiny twinkle lights, my boyfriend and I gathered to exchange presents as snow fell softly outside. All was right in the world. Or at least it was until I found the plastic Wal-Mart bag he had plopped down at my feet. As I looked in the bag, it was impossible for me to hide my disappointment. While I had been expecting something with a dash of romance, what I got was a blender. A blender? As I looked down the barrel of the blender, I saw a theoretical house in the ‘burbs and 2.7 kids waving at me from between the blades. Not only that, but he hadn’t even wrapped it. And I already had one at home.

The commitment-phobe inside me shrieked with terror, and in a moment of speechlessness, I forced out what turned out to be a laugh. Note: If mistake #1 was the blender, mistake #2 was the laugh. No wait…mistake #1 was not even bothering to wrap the gift.

Later, when he was justifiably angry that I had laughed at his gift, I earnestly asked the boyfriend what had made him think I wanted a blender. This was his reply:

“You like smoothies. You can make smoothies.”

Needless to say, he is now my ex-boyfriend. And, to give credit where credit is due, that summer I did make a lot of smoothies.

And so, gentlemen, do not give your girlfriends a blender.

And ladies, try to mask your disappointment better that I did. Your love life will thank you.

We all know the holidays are tough, and thanks to Kerry Colburn’s new book, Good Drinks for Bad Days: Holiday Edition, there is a cure-all for every holiday cringe-worthy moment-from holiday travel woes, to being snowed in, to going stag on New Year’s Eve. For every bad holiday, there is a good drink to numb the pain!

Kerry will be appearing at a number of events this holiday season. Come by and get your “drink” on:

Tuesday, December 8th, 5pm-7pm
Holidate at University Village

Participants receive a free drink at Sonrisa Mexican Restaurant (ticket purchase required). Books will also be available for sale.

Wednesday, December 9th, 5pm-7pm
Happy Hour for Hope at Agua Verde

Support a great non-profit organization, enjoy discounted food and drink, and maybe even win a prize!

Saturday, December 19th, 4pm-5pm
Hotel 1000 presents 12 Days of Christmas Holiday Fireside Chat

This FREE event includes a drink demonstration.

When it comes to fashion, I am a bit of a sissy. I do not lead the pack and revel in my bold style decisions. I do not wear plants on my head like Sarah Jessica Parker, hobo-chic body sacks like Mary Kate and Ashley, or full swan costumes like Bjork (though I admire any woman who can ruffle feathers). Rather, I adopt the safe, mainstream trends that, on a good day, earn me a sidewalk compliment, and, on a bad day, go generally unnoticed.

For this reason, I am thrilled to have a fashion book on our list this fall. Closet Confidential: Style Secrets Learned the Hard Way is the gift book of the season, penned by Daddy Likey blogger Winona Dimeo-Ediger. In her guide for the fashion wary, Winona shares fifty style lessons that are refreshingly accessible (for those of you who prefer your plants in a garden) and more addictive than peanut M&M’S. This is just a sampling of my favorites.

STYLE LESSON #2: The constitution guarantees freedom of speech, press, religion, petition, assembly, and to wear any style of jeans we want, so try something new–you might be pleasantly surprised.

Boot cut jeans (aka Jeanus versatilus) are the most frequently occurring articles my wardrobe, which I credit to both their extreme versatility and my unsubstantiated fear of jeans that aren’t boot cut. I realize this makes me–to use Winona’s words–a complete “style snore.” So, last month, I finally summoned some retail bravery and headed to T.J. Maxx with plans to avoid familiar denim territory. Two trips to the dressing room and three unflattering try-ons later, I emerged with my first pair of skinny jeans (aka Extreme intimidatus). Despite the blue sparkles on the back pockets that were probably intended for pre-teen fashionistas, they were exactly what I didn’t know I’d wanted all along.

STYLE LESSON #21: Fill your purse with the necessities. You get to define “necessities.”

Closet Confidential offers a chart that displays purses of all sizes: from the teeny “evening mini bag” to the colossal “Brontosaurus.” My current bag definitely falls more into the prehistoric category. On any given day, my “necessities” include:

–A bagged lunch that will inevitably be forgotten upon my arrival to work.
–Reading material. I like variety: a novel about genetically altered prep school kids and a copy of Closet Confidential is a good combination for the bus.
–Knock-off Chanel sunglasses (fondly referred to as “Ohnels” by my husband for the intersecting O’s that, in the right light, almost resemble Chanel’s intersecting C’s).
–A coin purse shaped like a cat’s head.
–96 pens.

While friends occasionally make fun of me for my excess baggage, Winona informs me that “purses large enough to hide a murder victim have come into style in a big way.” Which is great news for me and my cat head coin purse.

STYLE LESSON #27: If you live, have lived, or ever plan to live north of the Mason-Dixon Line, you might want to consider one of those giant quilted jackets that look like a queen-size down comforter with sleeves.

I attended college in Ann Arbor, Michigan, along with 30,000 other freezing undergrads. In my five-mile walk to class–what felt like five miles anyway since my eyelids were frozen open–I quickly learned that if I was going to survive, I would need a puffy coat, fashion be damned. Along with bulk quantities of Easy Mac, the Gap down comforter coat I bought that year was, without a doubt, the best purchase I made in college. (As evidence of my purchase, I have a stack of photos from 2001 displaying my inability to put my arms at my sides). Like umbrellas for Seattleites, industrial coats for Midwesterners are essential. Sometimes there really are more important things than looking cute on the way to class. Like circulation. And being able to blink when you want to.

Tell us: What are the most valuable style lessons you’ve learned?

If you lived in Seattle in the 1970s to 1990s you can’t help but recognize the Wheedle. With his huge stature and furry orange coat he sticks out like, well, the Space Needle in the Seattle skyline. As a non-native, when I first heard Sasquatch Books was re-releasing Wheedle on the Needle, I didn’t have a clue that the fuzzy creature lounging on the cover of the classic picture book was such a local celebrity.

It all began in 1974. Richard Nixon resigns, heiress Patty Hearst robs a bank, ABBA climbs the music charts, and Stephen Cosgrove and Robin James publish a children’s book titled Wheedle on the Needle. What began as a simple explanation of the blinking red light atop the Space Needle swept through Seattle like a characteristic rainstorm. Seattleites felt a fondness for the gentle Wheedle and adopted him as an icon of their city. Ironically, the creature who so craved his peace and quiet in the story was thrust into the spotlight.

From 1978 to 1985 the Wheedle helped stoke fans as the mascot at Seattle SuperSonics basketball games. One need only Google the words “Wheedle” and “Sonics” to see what a part of the team he was. (Seriously, do it. The resulting images are priceless.) The lumbering orange fellow could be seen frolicking on the sidelines and even posing with the star players and their tiny shorts on a line of Sonics greeting cards.

The busy Wheedle divided his time cheering on the team as well as serving as another mascot–the Space Needle’s–from the late 1970s to 1984. Today’s Skyline Level of the Needle even existed as a restaurant called “The Wheedle in the Needle” for a year.

A few years later, the Wheedle could be seen as an ambassador for KOMO-TV. He even found time to explore his creative side, with a cookbook and a gardening book for kids (How to Cook a Bunch of Stuff and How to Plant a Bunch of Stuff).

I never thought I would meet a real live Wheedle, but the stars aligned last month at Seattle Bookfest. As publicist Tess Tabor and I were setting out the books, a gregarious gentleman working the Seattle Times booth noticed Wheedle on the Needle. “Ah, the Wheedle!” he exclaimed. “I’m sure you folks are too young to remember, but I was the Wheedle.”

He described how wearing the heavy fur costume required breathing through a foot-long tube, and, in their excitement, children would surprise and nearly topple him as they ran up and threw themselves on his back. Yet as he painted the picture of a challenging job, there was a gleam in his eye that was a testament to the affection Seattle must have felt–and continues to feel–toward the Wheedle.

The Wheedle has been out of the spotlight for many years (retired to his position on the top of the Space Needle no doubt), but not for long. Sasquatch Books is delighted to bring Wheedle on the Needle back to Seattle this winter. Look for the new 35th anniversary edition of this favorite children’s book wherever books are sold.

And tonight, check out KING 5 TV’s Evening Magazine at 7 p.m. for a special interview with author Stephen Cosgrove and illustrator Robin James about the Wheedle’s triumphant return to the Emerald City.

In my quest to learn more about Seattle’s fond history with the Wheedle, I’ve discovered that nearly every Seattleite seems to have a Wheedle memory. What’s yours? Post a comment here with your story or memory of the Wheedle, and we’ll pick one lucky winner to receive a keepsake copy of the 35th anniversary edition of Wheedle on the Needle–signed by the Wheedle himself!

I grew up in a household not unlike millions of others: one of a mixed-diet family. My mother cooked well-balanced meals with meat and vegetables nearly every evening, and my parents, sister, and I all ate together at the dinner table. However, by the time we were in our teens, my sister developed a dairy allergy and made the choice to be a vegetarian. This required my mother to prepare a larger portion of a main meat dish for three of us to eat while making an individual portion of more vegetables, tofu, or grains to feed my sister. It was a difficult transition-my mother had to entirely rethink how she approached the evening meal. The biggest headache was trying to time everything so the two meals were ready at the roughly same time, allowing us to continue eating as a family. Unfortunately there weren’t any cookbooks available that offered a selection of recipes starting with the same base ingredients and prepared all at once to accommodate both the omnivores and the vegetarian at the table.

I face the same challenge when my sister comes to visit for dinner every week or two, because even though I don’t need to have meat with every meal to feel satisfied, my husband does. I often adapt common vegetarian recipes and add grilled chicken or shrimp for him, or prepare a separate dish that tastes just as good with a pile of vegetables to offer my sister. But now I have a great resource at my fingertips that allows me to do double duty in the kitchen: Ivy Manning’s new release The Adaptable Feast: Satisfying Meals for the Vegetarians, Vegans, and Omnivores at Your Table.

Over the course of several years cooking for and with her vegetarian spouse, Ivy-an omnivore-compiled an impressive number of main dishes, sides, and staples that can be served in portions to satisfy all the vegetarians, vegans, and/or omnivores in your home. Just about every cuisine and type of dish is featured, and the full range of meats, alternative proteins, grains, and vegetables are covered. I have prepared several dishes already, including Kung Pao Chicken or Tofu; Stuffed Chicken Breasts and Portobello Mushrooms; and the delicious Moroccan Vegetables, Fish, and Couscous En Papillote. I look forward to making my way through many more.

One of my absolute favorites in the book is among the simplest (and so flavorful); I’ve made it many times already. Lazy Spanish Rice-which appears in Ivy’s Rizo Quesadillas with Creamy Avocado Dip and Lazy Spanish Rice recipe-is the perfect accompaniment to any Mexican main dish, though I also love to eat a bowlful as an entrée with a salad or quesadilla on the side. It’s prepared in a rice cooker or on the stovetop, takes only about 20 minutes, and is colorful, filling, and tasty (and can easily be made vegan).

Every guest at your table is sure to enjoy it, as I’m positive they will the other eighty recipes Ivy serves up in The Adaptable Feast.

LAZY SPANISH RICE

Serves 4 as a side dish

This easy side dish is cooked with pantry staples in a rice cooker, so it is as easy as flipping a switch. The secret is a good-quality salsa and a slightly spicy chipotle bouillon cube, available at some grocery stores and Latin markets. You can use canned chipotle chiles instead if you can’t find the chipotle cubes.

1-1/2 cups long-grain white or brown rice
5 tablespoons mild or medium salsa
1 Knorr chipotle bouillon cube, crumbled,
or 2 teaspoons chopped canned chipotle chiles
2-3/4 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
2 green onions, chopped

Combine the rice, salsa, bouillon cube, water, and butter in a rice cooker. Cook until the rice is tender. Fluff with a fork and fold in the olives and green onions.

Vegan Variation: Use olive oil instead of butter.