Linda McCartney's Home Cooking: Quick, Easy, and Economical Vegetarian Dishes for Today

by Linda McCartney

Presents a collection of meatless recipes aimed at meat lovers, including beefless stroganoff, moussaka without lamb, shepherd's pie, and other treats.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Vegetarian, Nonfiction, Reference

170 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Linda Louise, Lady McCartney (née Eastman, previously See) was an American photographer, musician, and animal rights activist. She married Paul McCartney of The Beatles on 12 March 1969, and was a member of Wings. The McCartneys had four children together: Heather Louise (from her previous marriage, whom McCartney adopted in 1969), Mary Anna, Stella Nina, and James Louis McCartney. Linda became Lady McCartney when her husband was knighted in 1997.

The McCartneys shared an Oscar nomination for the song "Live and Let Die", which they co-wrote, and she authored several vegetarian cookbooks, became a business entrepreneur (starting the Linda McCartney Foods company) and was a professional photographer, publishing Linda McCartney's Sixties: Portrait of an Era.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995, and died at the age of 56 on 17 April 1998, at the McCartney family ranch in Tucson, Arizona. She left her entire estate to McCartney through a Qualified Domestic Trust Fund.

Reviews

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the cookbook that enabled me to become a vegetarian. In 1991 I was trying to become a vegetarian after being a meat-eating Southerner for all my twenty-eight years. I did not know very much about cooking and I knew nothing, nothing, about vegetarian cooking. I just knew that I no longer wanted to eat animals.

The problem was that after subscribing to Vegetarian Times, I still disliked most of the vegetarian dishes that I had prepared. They almost always tasted like birdseed mixed with onions, olive oil and kelp. I drove by Wendy's and drooled at the thought of a burger. My nascent vegetarian diet was likely to collapse.

Then, a vegetarian friend introduced me to this cookbook. Greek stew, Beefless Stroganoff, Beefless Burguignon, and other meat-replacement (grillers and the like) recipes enabled me to become a vegetarian without feeling the urge to eat meat. The vegetarian shepherd's pie became a winter-time staple in my diet and I wore out the original copy of this book and had to buy another.

Though I am not especially fond of Paul McCartney's music, his wife changed my life. For that, I am grateful.

[Sandra Springstorm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the fist edition, the very best cookbook I bought, and I still use most of its recipes, though I veganized them now, but it was my life saviour, it was with this book that I became a vegetarian and then a vegan. I will always be grateful to Linda for showing me the way to live cruelty free.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely lady and missed. Have purchased several of her books and incorporated myself into the same lifestyle for my health and happiness. Linda McCartney just makes you feel at home as a vegetarian. Makes you think she's right there with you every step in the books. Also bringing out the feeling of experiment with vegetarian meals changing over meals your used to into plant based. Where you may mess up once but you'll eventually get what your looking for to replace what you grew up with. Can't wait to read more of the books of her's that I have ordered.

[Rose Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this cookbook when it first came out and still use it to this day.

[Jill Dancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really simple recipes. Almost everything looks great.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some great vegetarian recipes in this, including appetizers and desserts. She relies heavily on TVP, but it's an excellent alternative to meat.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for anyone who wants to have vegetarian dishes. Also if they entertain vegetarians or just want to go one day a week vegetarian. The Seventh Day Adventists are vegetarians that overall live longer than their carnivore counterparts. A good habit at least a few days a week. This includes dairy and eggs which can be substituted by vegans with other products.

[Mark Desrosiers · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Home cooking" I think means "vegetarian food for gluttonous carnivores": lots of great unhealthy, starchy, greasy meat-substitute-and-potato recipes in here. Five stars for the cauliflower gratin recipe alone.

[Think-On-It]

If you'd like to know what I thought of this book, please contact me directly and I'd be happy to discuss it with you.

All the best,

- TB

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My all-time favorite cookbook!