What, No Meat? Traditional Italian Cooking the Vegetarian Way Roberta Roberti 348 pp., 7.44 x 9.69 $17.95, £13.90 paperback 978-1-934452-45-5

When Roberti first gave up meat, she discovered she didn’t know how to prepare vegetarian meals that invoked her Italian heritage. She set out to learn to make a variety of dishes so she wouldn’t drown in pasta with marinara sauce. What, No Meat? incorporates history, folklore, trivia, health and nutrition information, insight on religious uses of food, alternative uses for food, and practical cooking tips and techniques, plus nearly 200 recipes all in one volume. Most of the recipes are easy and not time-consuming to make. So pour a glass of wine (or tea, as the case may be) and take your senses on a journey of classic and ancient culinary delights as Roberti shares the precious offerings of her family and culture with a vegetarian twist.

Buon appetito!

Vegetarian cookbook author Roberta Roberti takes our senses on a journey of classic and ancient Italian culinary delights in her useful, fulfilling, educational and entertaining cookbook . . . Every recipe has fascinating and amusing stories, culture and history about the main ingredient. Many have variations and serving suggestions, along with memorable tidbits of information. It’s a Culinary Adventure Tour of Italy and America!

‘What, No Meat?’ is a keeper. Which means, I’m NOT lending it to ANYBODY. I don’t care how long we’ve been friends, or how we’re related!
– Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

In What, No Meat? Traditional Italian Cooking, the Vegetarian Way, author Roberta Roberti not only shares her Italian-American family’s treasured classic recipes with the world, she has written an entertaining text around them which reveals the historical and nutritional significance of the ingredients. Her fun facts about everything from anisette to zeppoles will make for delicious dinner conversation, while her book also offers many tips for the beginner, including no-nonsense instructions about how to steer clear of food prep pitfalls and valuable recommendations about storing leftovers.

— Lisa J. Curtis, Editor, GO Brooklyn

What, no meat? I didn’t even notice. You won’t miss it either as you gratefully peruse an endless number of mouthwatering recipes, such as Tomato and Mozzarella Salad or Lemon Risotto with a Thousand Herbs. There’s much, much to get excited about here. Don’t be surprised if the author inspires you to buy just the right fluted cake pan to make Panettone.

— Loraine Page, author of Mamma, Si Mangia? (Mama, Are We Eating?) and editor of Link-Up Magazine and Link-Up Digital