Whoever said vegetarian fare is to be dull and tasteless, has obviously never savoured anything made by one of Canada’s most widely recognized vegetarian cooks, Nettie Cronish. With three vegetarian tomes under her belt: Nettie’s Vegetarian Kitchen (1996), New Vegetarian Basics (1999), and Becoming Vegetarian in Canada (2000). She’s currently working on her fourth book which promises to be unique and not just for vegetarians.
In her varied career, Nettie has worked as a health spa chef, as the owner of “Vegetarian Gourmet Delights”- a vegetarian catering company based in Toronto and a health food store called “Goldberries.” She also created a vegetarian frozen food business and currently teaches cooking classes where ever the need arises.
The Road to Choosing Vegetarianism
When asked why she chose to become vegetarian, Nettie replied, “I travelled a lot and decided I wanted to live a little lower on the food chain. People all over the world eat like this and it just made sense to me.” Having said that, prior to starting the class, Nettie told us that her children and husband are not vegetarian- so she’s had to learn the fine art of being flexible in her home cooking.
Vegetarian Party Menu
At a recent summertime inspired cooking class at Nella Cucina, Nettie offered up a spate of party-worthy treats fit for any patio. A few really caught the taste buds by happy surprise including the Ginger Almond Dip and the Tempeh Sloppy Joes (sooo good- even your carnivores will ask for seconds).