The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen

The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen By Peter Berley, Harper Collins Publishers; 2000. Paperback. $22; 450 pages

Peter Berley brings a welcome precision to this exploration of vegetarian cooking. His approach is smart: He achieves umami depth in vegetarian gravy with sesame oil and soy sauce. Trust Berley. Resist the urge to cut corners or skip steps. You'll be rewarded if you search out every ingredient he recommends, all of which are explained and sourced, and more readily available today than when the book was first published.

GIVE THIS TO: Serious cooks looking to refine their vegetarian cooking skills. —J.G.