Plenty

Plenty By Yotam Ottolenghi, Chronicle Books, 2010. Hardcover. $35; 288 pages

If you thought veggies had to be boring, this book will convince you otherwise. The new wave cookery is vibrant and thrilling, and the English seem to have a particular bead on it. Ottolenghi brings Middle Eastern zing to dishes like roasted eggplant with buttermilk sauce; caramelized garlic tart with goat cheese; and hot yogurt and fava bean soup. Gorgeous photos make you want to raid the garden and dive right in.

GIVE THIS TO: Bold cooks and farmers'-marketeers. —Scott Mowbray