Jayne Cohen

In the decades I’ve been a passionate and devoted shopper at my local Greenmarket, many “uncommon fruits and vegetables” have become “regulars” in my kitchen. But Elizabeth Schneider’s voice--chatty and delightful--remains a constant companion as I cook, I’ve incorporated so much of her invaluable advice into my everyday culinary practice: from trucs like using cilantro roots in long-cooked dishes and making an instant dessert sauce by simply straining the fruit of a fresh passionfruit to basic, sound storage information. But way beyond all that, Schneider has a terrific palate, and I’ve followed and been inspired by her inventive, delicious recipes for both new and familiar produce, such as her Jerusalem Artichoke Pancakes sauteed in hazelnut oil to highlight the nuttiness of the vegetable.

I’ve never thought of The Savory Way--or the other cookbooks by Madison--as vegetarian cookbooks. As she once put it, her books are “about vegetables”--simply real food that’s good as is, not apologies for a meal without meat. Like Madison, I’m not a vegetarian, but I share her unabashed love for vegetables of every kind. So I love the way she brings vegetables out of the wings and into the spotlight, creating complexity by adding different points of flavor and incorporating a variety of textures in her recipes. Her combinations of flavors continue to inspire my own recipes, whether I’m preparing something center-of-the-plate or just a side dish: Buckwheat Noodles with Brown Butter and Cabbages; Grilled Eggplant with Garlic Mayonnaise; Flageolet and Artichoke Gratin (creamy with goat cheese and crisped with bread crumbs); even simple Avocado Toasts (decades before the current rage for them). Her instructions are as clear as if she were looking over your shoulder: for the homey Winter Greens and Potatoes (Vegetable Hash), Madison tells us to cook past the pretty stage, until “everything is mixed and the colors are somewhat muddled” because this way “you can taste everything in your mouth at once.” And needless to say, that taste is delicious.