The Vegetarian Epicure
 | |
| Author | Anna Thomas |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Vegetarian cooking |
| Genre | Cookbook |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
Publication date | 1972 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Followed by | The Vegetarian Epicure, Book Two (1978), The New Vegetarian Epicure (1996) |
The Vegetarian Epicure (1972) is a vegetarian cookbook by Anna Thomas, which contributed to the rise of the vegetarian movement of the 1970s.
History
[edit]Anna Thomas wrote her first cookbook The Vegetarian Epicure (1972) while still a film student at UCLA. It had a strong impact on the natural foods movement within the American counterculture.[1][2] As noted in The Roanoke Times, "for many of the young people turning to vegetarianism in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Anna Thomas was the guru in their kitchens."[3] Thomas later said that while she was a student at UCLA, she "wasn't eating much meat," and thus was focusing on vegetarian cooking. However, she states that there "weren't any good vegetarian cookbooks then. So I was just making things up in 1968 and '69, and somebody said, `Gee, Anna, you're such a good cook, you should write a cookbook.' And when you are 19 or 20 you say, `Yeah, OK, I think I will,' and then you do."[4] The success of the book was due to the fact that it turned away from the ascetic approach found in American vegetarian cookbooks,[4] and its ability to introduce pleasure to American vegetarian meals.[5][6]
Additional cookbooks
[edit]Thomas has also published four additional cookbooks. Her next two books were also vegetarian: The Vegetarian Epicure, Book Two (1978) and The New Vegetarian Epicure (1996). However, her final two books included a mix of vegetarian and vegan recipes: Love Soup, and the Vegan Vegetarian Omnivore (which also included meat-based dishes).[7][8]
Awards and nominations
[edit]Nominated
[edit]- James Beard Foundation Award: Vegetarian: The New Vegetarian Epicure: Menus for Families and Friends (1997).[9]
Bibliography
[edit]- The Vegetarian Epicure Alfred A. Knopf, 1972, 305 pages. ISBN 0-394-71784-8.
- The Vegetarian Epicure, Book Two Alfred A. Knopf, 1978, 401 pages. ISBN 0-394-73415-7.
- The New Vegetarian Epicure Alfred A. Knopf, 1996, 450 pages. ISBN 0-679-76588-3.
References
[edit]- ^ Kauffman, Jonathan (2018). Hippie Food: How Back-To-The-Landers, Longhair, and Revolutionaries Changed the Way We Eat. Harper Collins. ISBN 9780062437303.
- ^ Belasco, Warren (2007). Appetite for Change: How the Counterculture Took on The Food Industry. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0801473296.
- ^ `THE VEGETARIAN EPICURE' UPDATED FOR THE '90S
- ^ a b Revisiting the `Vegetarian Epicure'
- ^ Delicious India Archived December 15, 2018, at the Wayback Machine. "Vegetarianism Is Here To Stay," interview with Anna Thomas.
- ^ "Vegetarian cookbook author Anna Thomas ladles out ‘Love Soup’". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ "Meatless Monday: Anna Thomas’ Revolutionary Idea — “Vegan, Vegetarian, Omnivore”". HuffPost. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ "Vegan Vegetarian Omnivore Takes the Stress out of Modern Dinner Parties". Portland Monthly. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ James Beard Foundation Nomination
External links
[edit]- Everything I Know About Health Food I Learned from My Mom’s Hippie Cookbooks, Bon Appétit, February 2017.
- How 'hippie food' went mainstream, KCRW (podcast), May 24, 2024 (offers context for The Vegetarian Epicure)
- ‘The Vegetarian Epicure’ Extolled the Joy of Vegetables, Eater (website), 2023.
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