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.
13 responses to “COOKBOOK CONFIDENTIAL COOKBOOK CLUB – Judy Stavisky reviews Swiss Cheese and Mushroom Quiche”
A great choice, Judy. I haven’t made this for years and now I’m hungry for it. What a great find at the thrift store too!
I loved the quiche recipe as well, and I’ve made variations of it over the years using different types of “milk.” Yours looks really lovely!
Such a yummy quiche! I love Swiss cheese and eggs for me are super food..this is definitely a winner in my book, Judy.
This is exactly the type of vegetarian dish I enjoy: the “umami” flavor of mushroom is satisfying without pretending to be meat, and the mix of cheese and egg is so satisfying as well – I also like to incorporate a bit of finely chopped kale or Swiss chard into the mix as well!
An added green would be delicious. I so dislike recipes that try to convince me that mushrooms can replace meat. Just let the mushrooms shine.
Hi Bernadette, a lovely review of this book. I must try some of these recipes. I have made four to date and all have been delicious.
A lovely review & a great recipe…which is making me hungry again & I’ve only just eaten breakfast.
Well Jo, quiche makes a wonderful lunch!
Swiss Cheese & Mushroom Quiche – makes for a delightful dinner! Sounds so heavenly!
Mary, one time I made quiche for dinner and my son’s friend was staying for dinner. When he saw the quiche he pronounced that he was allergic to quiche. To this day that makes me laugh.
Mmm, quiche is always a satisfying and comforting meal, and yours looks delicious! Thanks for sharing your experience with the cookbook and your work with the Amish. I grew up in a small upstate NY town with a large population of Old Order Amish, and they were the BEST neighbors. You couldn’t match their baked goods, cheeses, preserves and handmade home crafts, and if someone in town had a house fire, they showed by the truckload to help rebuild. Amazing, wonderful folks!
I grew up near the Pennsylvania communities and they are wonderful, kind people.
This looks so good. I haven’t made a good quiche in a long time.