Ivy Manning’s Farm to Table Cookbook made my top 10 list last year, but I was surprised by how little I heard of it elsewhere. It’s a combination of original dishes and recipes contributed by some of the Northwest’s top chefs (farro from John Sundstrom, sorrel-fig salad from Maria Hines, and so on). I liked its handful of primers — telling you the difference between Black Krim and Cherokee Purple tomatoes, for instance — and advice on how to select less-common ingredients, from ramps to lobster mushrooms. Some commenters on the Amazon site found the recipes too complex, but I liked the stretch (and easy counterpoints like the “Versatile Recipe For The Hearty Greens You Don’t Know What To Do With“).

In short, I thought the book was underappreciated, and I was glad to see this month that Manning was back with a new book, The Adaptable Feast: Satisfying Meals for the Vegetarians, Vegans, and Omnivores at Your Table. I think I’m seeing a convergence zone around this issue, cooking in a way that reduces meat consumption but provides options for those who love meat. I wrote about that at the Christian Science Monitor here, (and look out for Kim O’Donnel’s coming cookbook), and talked with Manning about how she adapted her recipes over at Al Dente, here. 

Which food writers or cooks are underappreciated in your book?

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