Publisher's Weekly Review

Vegan cuisine eschews the use of all animal products, which form the basis of a great deal of Italian cooking. Klein, author of The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen and The PDQ Vegetarian Cookbook, nevertheless finds plenty of recipes for this inventive compendium. Sicilian-Style Roasted Stuffed Tomatoes, for example, are filled with bread crumbs, capers, and garlic, designed to be satisfying enough that one won't miss the ground veal they might otherwise be filled with. Same goes for the Zucchini Stuffed With Olives And Tomatoes, which smacks of briny olives and savory spices. The Fettucine with Basil-Pea Cream substitutes pea puree for the dairy of al Fredo. These recipes might be a bit untraditional, but they make up for it in healthfulness, as the nutritional information at the end of each recipe proves. (Oct.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.