The New Soy Cookbook

The New Soy Cookbook
Tempting Recipes for
Tofu, Tempeh, Soybeans, and Soymilk

By Lorna Sass

The New Soy Cookbook
They said it couldn't be done: cooking with soy products and having them taste good and look appealing. Now, tofu, tempeh, soybeans, miso, soymilk, and soy sauce are the big news headline for today's health-conscious cook. Veteran food writer Lorna Sass has successfully tapped into soy food based ingredients to bring out the infinite culinary potential of the humble soybean and provides the reader with more than 45 sensational recipes.

Fear of tofu? Lorna breaks the myth that you can't have tempting, appetizing, and eye-appeal food from these products. Here, she has delicious recipes for appetizers and soups, entrees, vegetables and grains, salads, slaws, and dressings, pastries and desserts. Many recipes are Asia-inspired, while the rest reflect the author's own palate—a superb fusion of East and West cultures. Here, Sass cleverly places soyfoods in mainstream cooking—try this Western favorite; Double Soybean Chili or a French inspired Tempeh Simmered in Red Wine with Herbes de Provence or the Country Tempeh Pate. Shrimp and Tofu Cocktail reflects the flavors of Thailand and you can't go wrong with a delicious Quiona Salad with Tempeh Adobo Nuggets and Lime-Shoyu Vinaigrette.

Sass makes cooking with these products a snap and finally give these soy-based meals what they have needed for a long time: eye appeal! Take a look at the Vegetable Spring Rolls with Baked Seasoned Tofu and Peanut Miso Dipping Sauce or the Tempeh Braised in Coconut Milk with Lemongrass. Both hit the high mark for style and presentation. Beautiful photographs by Jonelle Weaver showcases these recipes, making them look as good as they taste.

Since many people are turning to soyfoods as a cholesterol-free alternative to animal protein, these recipes are mainly meatless and mostly cholesterol-free. Soy foods other healthy benefits cannot be overlooked, not only does it assist in lowering cholesterol, it also protects against cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and the symptoms of menopause (there is no word in the Japanese vocabulary for "hot flash.") Additionally, Sass is trying to remove soyfoods from its "sprouts and hippie" association as well as out of the brown, earthy look that soyfood recipes are generally associated with. The author works with fresh ingredients that have lively colors making these meals even better.

Sass provides a brief introduction to the six soyfoods she features in the book, providing specifics on selection, storage, and recommended cooking techniques. This information will prove to be invaluable to the novice as well as the seasoned cook, and takes the mystery out of using light or dark miso, the mysteries of pressing tofu, and taking the enigma out of tempeh. The New Soy Cookbook arms the home cook with all the information needed for approaching a healthier lifestyle as more and more people are checking out the wonderful and delicious options of cooking with soy products. With the old addage of "supply and demand" these products are appearing in mainstream groceries more and more not just in health food stores alone. Versatile and user-friendly, soy products and The New Soy Cookbook will soon be a staple in households across the nation.

The New Soy Cookbook
Tempting Recipes for
Tofu, Tempeh, Soybeans, and Soymilk
By Lorna Sass
Photography by Jonelle Weaver
Chronicle Books
Paperback, $17.95
120 pages, full color photographs throughout
ISBN: 0-8118-1682-6
Information provided by the publisher.