Red Hot and Green. - book reviews

Vegetarian Times, August, 1996 by Jay Solomon

there has been a cavalcade of hot-and-spicy cookbooks filling the bookstore shelves, but few directed toward the vegetarian cook. Red Hot and Green, written by cookbook author Janet Hazen, offers 50 ambitious dishes that promise "heat without ;he meat." This stylish, articulate book has clear and concise recipes and lies flat for easy reference while cooking.

Red Hot and Green expands the range of "full-flavored" foods by featuring entire chapters on ginger, peppercorns, mustard, horseradish and the notorious chili pepper family. Each chapter begins with an introduction offering practical advice including preparation, buying and storage tips, interesting anecdotes and previews of the recipes to come. Glossy photographs throughout the book serve to whet the appetite.

All righty, let's go to the recipes. From the mustard chapter I tried the Mustard Glazed Wild Mushroom Ragout, an earthy stew of portobello, shiitake, oyster and button mushrooms. The ragout is flavored with a combination of mustard and soy sauce and warmly seasoned with garlic, shallots, thyme and sage. Although the recipe called for heavy cream, I used milk instead and thickened the stew with cornstarch. (I'm sure the original was just as satisfying).

The chapter on peppercorns sheds new light on a spice too-often taken for granted. The various types of peppercorns--black, white, pink and green--are skillfully detailed. You will learn, for instance, that there are not one, but three main varieties of black pepper: Tellicherry, Lampong and Malaba. I prepared the Sherried Pumpkin Bisque with Pink and Green Peppercorns, a fragrant soup spiced with allspice, mace and cloves. Green and red peppercorns imbued the soup with a fruity, spicy nuance and its silky texture and golden hue made it worthy of a five-star restaurant. There is also a selection of unusual pepper-laced desserts such as a Frozen White Chocolate Mousse with Black Pepper, a treat which calls for both heavy cream and marshmallow cream. I'll try that one when my cholesterol level falls below 200.

Since the proliferation of chili peppers in the last few years inspired this whole hot-and-spicy craze, with much fervor I turned to the chapter on chilies. Here the author does a fine job of dispensing advice and fascinating folklore. One quibble: there are no pictures of the various chili peppers, something the average cook might benefit from.

Onward. As I was preparing the Fiery East African Vegetable and Lentil Stew, I faced the daunting prospect of adding 1 1/2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper. This was a genuine moment for inner reflection. The overzealous use of cayenne pepper had ruined more than one dish in my lifetime, and I wasn't about to travel down that road again. Yes, too much of a good thing applies to fiery cooking. In all fairness, a heat scale accompanies all of the recipes, and this dish was rated as one of the hottest.

After slightly cutting back on the cayenne, I forged ahead. The stew of hardy vegetables simmered for about an hour on the stove. It actually began to resemble the picture in the book. Well, la-deda! The first bite indeed raged with searing heat yet still radiated with a pleasant aroma. Did I like it? Hmm... better take another bite. And another. The proof was in the pudding, or rather, the lentil stew. As sweat beaded on my forehead, I pronounced the dish a winner. Next time I will serve it over a whopping big bowl of palate cooling rice.

The chapter on horseradish offers a new perspective for this pungent but often under-appreciated condiment. Although many people think of horseradish as the nose-tingling "prepared" paste, it is also available in it's natural form, a rough-looking brownish root. Feeling adventurous one morning, I tried the Fried Egg I and Potato Hash. The dish called for both prepared and grated fresh horseradish along I with a generous amount of I potatoes and bell peppers. The result was an invigorating, sinus-clearing breakfast; there was little need for any coffee breaks the rest of the day.

An intriguing chapter on ginger liberates the knobby rhizome from its stir-fry moorings. Recipes such as Spiced Ginger, Pear and Tomato Relish and Gingered Beet and Fennel Salad capitalize on ginger's delicate perfumey fragrance. The chapter displays vivid proof that highly seasoned meals can brim with flavor without assaulting your palate.

Surprisingly, few recipes call for the vegetarian staples, namely brown rice, quinoa, barley, couscous or even white rice for that matter. In addition, the preponderance of dairy products such as heavy cream and butter will probably disappoint vegans and cooks with a healthy conscience. Of course, soy milk and vegetable-based oils can often replace cream and butter:

Experienced cooks with a penchant for the piquant and a taste for adventure will find much to enjoy in Red Hot and Green. Beginning cooks with tepid palates should approach the book with some caution. In any event, the cookbook will make a great gift for any friend who considers a bowl of jalapeno peppers to be a good appetizer. --Jay Solomon CHRONICLE BOOKS, SAN FRANCISCO, ISBN 0-81181052-6. PAPERBACK, 119 PP., $14.95