In The Occasional Vegetarian, Elaine Louie provides pieces from her popular New York Times column, "The Temporary Vegetarian," which features recipes from a wide variety of chefs who reveal the vegetarian dishes they like to cook at their restaurants and at home. You'll find a recipe for cranberry bean and kale soup from one chef's mother; an almond grape "white" gazpacho recipe brought back from Catalonia, Spain; and an endive cheese tart inspired by a Frenchwoman who one cook and his wife met aboard a train.

Other tempting recipes include Catalan-Style Radicchio and White Beans; Persian Herb Frittata; Corn Fritters; Chana Punjabi (Chickpea Stew); Leek Tart with Oil-Cured Olives; Fragrant Mushroom Spring Rolls, Wrapped in Lettuce Cups; and Sugar Snap Pea Salad. Louie proves that cooking meat-free is not only easy, but also incredibly tasty and satisfying.