Move over, turkey. For some Americans, Thanksgiving is all about the green or orange or red dishes on the table.
For vegetable inspiration, there's no one better to turn to than the self-proclaimed "Leaf Geek," Mollie Katzen. Her vegetarian bible, The Moosewood Cookbook, just turned 30.
Katzen's latest cookbook, The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without, speaks for itself.
It features vegetarian fare with flair, such as the Dramatically Seared Green Beans, Vanilla Maple Sweet Potatoes or Mollie's Quite Surprising Mashed Parsnips.
"It's really important to me that these recipes be simple, that they not have too much dairy, or not be too masked in sauces," Katzen tells Melissa Block.
Katzen relies on "just a few, very simple and accessible touches," such as any kind of roasted nut oil, touches of fruit, nuts and herbs, and different uses of garlic.
"These recipes are really my attempt to attract as many people as I can to having a lot of vegetables on their plate and to really enjoy that."
From her kitchen in Northern California, Katzen shares a step-by-step cooking lesson on an easy way to prepare rainbow chard.
She says she likes to roast just about any kind of vegetable, but in particular, the Brussels sprout. She says roasted Brussels sprouts are a "revelation" for people who don't think they could ever love them.
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