Vegetarians for Dinner

Vegetarians for Dinner breaks down the sometimes rigid distinction between vegetarian and non-veggie dishes, showing that most food can be easily adapted to suit both dietary preferences. It covers cuisines from around the world, and focuses on creating simple vegetarian meals to which meat can easily be added. If you’ve got a group of people coming over for dinner, with only one vegetarian guest, and you are not sure how to make them feel gastronomically included, then this book is for you.

All too often as a vegetarian invited out to dinner, I am met by concern and even fright on behalf of the host who literally goes to pieces at the thought of having to cook something veggie. On some occasions, the dinner invite simply never materialises, the host finding vegetarianism too much to cope with. If I do get invited and, even if the host seems to accept the idea, many find it hard to break away from more traditional veggie dishes. I’ve not met a vegetarian yet who doesn’t like vegetarian lasagne or some stir-fry, but this type of food gets a little monotonous after a while. This book therefore aims to act as an aid for concerned hosts who find themselves having to cater for a vegetarian. It is not solely concerned with vegetarian food, but also with how all meals can be easily converted into a vegetarian dish for one, two or even 20 people. Therefore, if the host decides he/she still wants to serve meat to the non-veggie guests, this can be easily combined with preparation of a tasty veggie dish. The key to this is adaptability – it is lovely for the veggie guest if they are presented with a dish which bears some resemblance to the meat eaters’. For example, at a barbecue, make some home-made veggie burgers or sausages rather than just a few salads. Vegetarians like to feel included too.

Ceridwen Clocherty has been vegetarian for over 20 years ever since an extended stay on a German pig farm changed her mind about sausages. Always a keen cook, she approaches all cuisine, both vegetarian and meaty, with the same attitude – it should be simple, fresh, tasty and, above all, inclusive. Ceridwen lives in Perth, Australia with her husband and their three children. This is her first book.