"Meat the Green" is a vegetarian cookbook by Hiltl

In Switzerland, the term “vegetarian butchery” is no oxymoron.

That’s because Hiltl, the world’s oldest vegetarian restaurant, is constantly pushing the boundaries. In 2013, after having been in business for 115 years, Hiltl opened a vegetarian “butchery” in Zürich dedicated solely to vegetables, tofu and non-animal products. We have been there several times and it is truly a “must visit” shop – even for carnivores. What we like about Hiltl is that they do not make a religion out of the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle.

“Nice to meet you, Meat the Green!”

Now, it was only a matter of time until a full-fledged vegetarian cookbook would follow. In the aptly named Meat the Green, the Hiltls have reinterpreted 60 meat and fish dishes without using meat or fish. (The only blood in your kitchen will be that of the beet root.) For instance, have you ever imagined fixing vegetarian meatloaf, or even tartare?

At the end of each chapter, there is a mise en place portrait photograph as well as a short essay. Take Susy, 56, who “loves to paint in every color and is a passionate director of a community theater”:

From starters and mains to sandwiches, snacks and even treats for the barbecue, Hiltl’s vegetarian butchery cookbook will put meat on the bones of vegetarian cooking. The recipes range from “Portobello Road Sandwich” with vegan ciabatta rolls to tofu teriyaki skewers with spiced mango.

Those who would like to give vegetarian meat production a try receive step by step instructions. Using soy milk, okara soy pulp and tofu, some delicious alternatives can be made in your own kitchen. The process for wheat gluten, for instance, starts with the preparation and raising of the dough. The remaining steps to tasty seitan take a little more than an hour.