Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison (Broadway Books, $27, www.amazon.com)

FIRST PUBLISHED: 1997.
WHY: Coming up with dinner ideas is hard for any cook, but it's especially hard for the vegetarian who isn't interested in pureeing vegetable bases on a Tuesday night after work. The numerous recipes and recipe variations here are decidedly unfussy. The opening pages offer a terrific orientation to the sometimes rigid standards of eating meat-free, including a list of rules called "Composing a Vegetarian Menu." Number one: "Have something impressive in the center of the plate." A culinary instructor from Springfield, Virginia, calls it "an exhaustive book on every possible way to utilize a vegetable." For this reason, it's often referred to as "the Joy of Cooking for vegetarians."
TRY THESE FIRST: Ricotta Tart with Saffron and Herbs, Stuffed Green Chile Omelet, Lentil and Caramelized Onion Croquettes.