The Vegetable Butcher Master the Art of Prepping, Slicing, Dicing, and Cooking Vegetables from Artichokes to Zucchini

Now in paperback, it’s the two-time IACP Award winner and James Beard Award finalist that the Washington Post calls “An encyclopedic guide to vegetables . . . full of revelations.” The book that the Chicago Tribune calls “THE guide for selecting, preparing, slicing, dicing and, of course, cooking all things vegetable.” And from Time magazine: “The Vegetable Butcher . . . shares the knife skills needed to break down a whole garden of vegetables efficiently enough for a weeknight dinner.”
    In step-by-step photographs, “vegetable butcher” Cara Mangini demonstrates the versatility of veggies using the tricks and secrets from the butchery trade: how to break down a butternut squash, properly peel a tomato, and find the meaty heart of an artichoke. And in over 150 recipes, she changes forever the dutiful notion of “eat your veggies” with inventive dishes like summery Zucchini, Sweet Corn, and Basil Penne; Kohlrabi Carpaccio with Collard Ribbons, Pears, and Pistachios; or Cauliflower Steaks with Red Pepper Romesco and Crispy Breadcrumbs. Plus, recipes that creatively fit more veggies into entrées and sides—and even into desserts: Think a Parsnip-Ginger Layer Cake.
    It’s everything there is to know to get the best out of seasonal, hearty, and extraordinarily delicious produce—providing inspiration for home cooks, farmer’s market and CSA enthusiasts, vegetarians, Meatless Monday households, and anyone interested in vegetable-centric eating.

 

CARA MANGINI was the first official “vegetable butcher” at Eataly in New York City. She is the owner and executive chef of Little Eater, a produce-inspired restaurant named by the Washington Post as “one of the 50 best places in the world to eat your vegetables,” and Little Eater Produce and Provisions, an associated local and artisanal foods boutique, in Columbus, Ohio, where she lives with her family.