Real Fast Vegetarian Food [antikvár]

IntroductionGrowing up in Italy and remembering that everything stops for the midday meal, where the streets are silent and the only sound that can be heard is of knives and forks, has made me view food - and eating -as something special.I want my recipes to brighten the day and embrace all the senses. To me, vegetarian food shouldn't be dreary but be just as vibrant and delicious as non-vegetarian food.'The essence of good food lies in its simplicity.' There is a very popular Italian saying: 'piu se spenne peggio se magna' - 'the more you spend the less well you eat'. This is entirely how I feel about cooking and eating, and this is what Real Fast Vegetarian Food is all about. It's about good simple ingredients, simply prepared and lovingly cooked to produce a totally memorable meal that hasn't taken all day.If the ingredients are good, they shouldn't take long to cook. They should only need straightforward preparation to preserve the natural goodness and flavour. The use of good quality extra virgin olive oil is particularly important. Most of the recipes can be made within 30-40 minutes but you have to be organised as often the recipe can be prepared in stages in advance.Above all, it's about taking the fear out of cooking. The recipes are aimed at all levels of cook, not just experienced cooks. I aim for the experienced cooks to enhance their repertoire, and to de-mystify the art of cooking for the inexperienced. The whole experience should be ftin with a great result; everyone can have their own method of achieving a wonderftil dish.The choice of recipes obviously reflects my love of Italian cooking but I have also drawn on the flavours and recipes from other areas, namely Spain, France, Greece and North Africa. My food is not brown, heavy, boring food - it's just good food without meat.I hope you will want to rush into the kitchen and start cooking!Ursula Ferrigno 11