Hi there,

When the Moosewood Cookbook series was suggested for review, little did I know that there are so many long time fans of this cookbook series. One of them is Judy Stavisky. What follows is Judy’s excellent review of this cookbook

Bernadette – I feel fortunate that I squirreled away an original copy of Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook (1977 for $7.95 plus $.50 postage), my first and only cookbook for two years of grad school. By happenstance, I unearthed the New Revised Moosewood Cookbook (1992) in a thrift store last year for $1.00. 

Moosewood introduced me to tamari, tahini, and tofu in the late 70’s. I belonged to New Haven’s first food coop and was able to find whole grains in bulk. Cheese, and lots of it, was the dominant ingredient in the cookbook’s first edition. The updated version has lightened up the recipes significantly, even offering low-fat milk in the quiche recipe. 

Four Moosewood recipes have remained in our family’s rotation for decades: Gazpacho (especially good for those who like the concept but not the tomatoes), Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup, Mushroom Barley Soup and the Sri Wasano’s Infamous Indonesian Rice Salad.

For this month’s endeavor, I prepared the Swiss Cheese & Mushroom Quiche. 

The updated cookbook version allowed for “optional variations” of cheese, which intrigued me. I had frozen all sorts of bits and pieces of hard cheese – gouda, cheddar, gruyere –  grated those, and added them to the Swiss cheese for a little pizazz. Savory and comforting on a howling cold, windy night, we found the quiche uncomplicated and satisfying. 

Moosewood’s other vegetarian recipes are consistently good and straightforward.  And given that I have two copies of the Moosewood Cookbook, I think everyone should own at least one! -JSS

 I am the author of a recent book on Amish women (In Plain View: The Daily Lives of Amish Women), a 10 year endeavor to become more familiar with Amish culture, food and fellowship. I teach public health programming at Arcadia University in Pennsylvania and work as a non-profit consultant to scratch-made meals cooked in ones home and then delivered to those who are infirm. I am an enthusiastic cook of ethnic cuisines and eager to learn more about other cultures through their foods.

Thank you Judy for taking the time to share with us this recipe and story from your past. Your feedback is incredibly valuable and it truly makes a difference in helping other readers decide whether or not to try the recipe.