Plenty of inspiration

Hope the holidays treated you well. I know they did for us. Now I'm trying to get back into somewhat of a routine after a long weekend offline. I've been cleaning the apartment, working a bit, running, and visiting with friends that are still in town. Since I had my fair share of heavier holiday foods, I've been eating a lot of fruit (see above) and vegetable salads this week. And this new cookbook gave me plenty of inspiration.

I received this awesome vegetarian cookbook, Plenty, for Christmas. These guys aren't vegetarians, but they know how to make delicious and beautiful vegetable dishes. I mean read this excerpt about their philosophy from their website: So in order to drag you into our world, we make a conscientious effort to renew and re-craft, to astound in looks and flavours, to open-handedly present our creations in a seductive manner, to serve it impeccably and with integrity. 

Wow, right? I read through the entire cookbook and wanted to fold down every corner of each page. Their flavor combinations are exquisite and their dishes are inspirational. Yotam Ottolenghi also writes a weekly column in the Guardian. The next time I get to London, I'll definitely include a visit to their restaurants.

I made their recipe for sweet winter slaw this week. Aren't those colors beautiful? The lime juice-maple syrup dressing gives the salad it's sweetness, and the cabbage and nuts give it texture. Instead of mangos and papayas, I used oranges. I love citrus flavors in the winter.

What are you munching on post-holidays? Are you ready for the New Year? I'll be celebrating with close friends and toasting to our health and happiness for 2012. Have a happy new year and I'll see you in 2012!