1. There are many vegetarian food blogs out there. What makes your blog stand out from the rest?

There are a lot of wonderful vegetarian food blogs. I think what makes “Herbivoracious” a little different is that I incorporate a certain amount of fine dining sensibility and technique along with regular comfort food recipes. For example, I'll add flavor to cornbread by using brown butter instead of plain, and make that brown butter even tastier by incorporating non-fat milk solids. The proteins in those solids are what brown and create that amazing aroma. A very simple technique but the results are spectacular.

2. Most people aren’t attracted to normal vegetarian meals. How do you come up with delicious vegetarian dishes?

I think vegetarian food got a bad rap in the 1970s and 80s, when there were a lot of tasteless, mushy things like lentil loaves and bad fake meat that no-one in their right mind would like to eat. More recently, people have come to realize that there is a tradition of delicious meatless foods in just about every culture. Starting with those well-developed ideas instead of trying to mimic a plate of meat or starch, vegetarian means that there is no shortage of great inspiration.

3. What special ingredients do you use to add mouth watering flavor to your vegetarian meals?

One of my favorite ingredients that isn't so well known by American home cooks is smoked Spanish paprika. It comes in a few varieties, like ‘pimenton dulce’ and ‘pimenton de la vera.’ It has a mild heat and a ton of smoky flavor that you can use to kick up anything from a quesadilla to a soup.

4. What special cooking techniques do you use to make your recipesdelicious and attractive?

I think the fundamentals of technique are the same regardless of whether your food is vegetarian or omnivorous. Use great, fresh ingredients, preferably from local farmers and artisans such as bread bakers and cheese makers. Develop your knife skills. Season food correctly with salt. (I wrote a whole piece about this: http://www.herbivoracious.com/2010/01/crunch-acid-salt-fat-1.html). Don't overcook vegetables. When you are browning food, go ahead and get it really caramelized so that it has maximum flavor. Pay attention to having a variety of textures within a dish. Serve foods together that go together culturally, at least until you are confident enough to attempt fusion. I could go on and on, but basically it comes down to paying attention and putting love into your food, which might be the same thing!

5. What sort of nutrition value do you offer with your vegetarian recipes?

My philosophy has always been not to worry too much about counting up grams of protein and fat, for example. I've been vegetarian for over 25 years and always in excellent health. I believe that if you eat a wide variety of wholesome, intact, mostly unprocessed foods, you will get all of the nutrients you need. Vegans, who don't eat dairy products and eggs, need to be a little bit more conscientious about getting their protein and vitamin B12. I also believe that being a vegetarian actually gives you a little more leeway. When you aren't eating a big fat-filled burger a few times a week, maybe you can afford a nice bar of dark chocolate or plate of perfect, crispy french fries!

6. Please give our readers some tips on how to come up with simple vegetarian recipes.

One easy way to start is to look at some of your existing favorite things to eat and search the web for vegetarian versions. For example, you could search for "vegetarian minestrone" or "vegetarian tacos" and come up with dozens of options. You can either follow those recipes as is or tweak them to your own preferences. I tend to prefer recipes from sites where I can see a picture of the prepared food so that I can be sure it looks delicious before I make it.

7. Some people say that regardless of how tasty vegetarian meals are, there’s always something missing in them, which is meat. Do you think that’s true? Is considerable effort needed for a meat eater to convert to a vegetarian lifestyle?

For me personally, I made the switch during my senior year in high school. I went from eating at McDonalds on a daily basis to being vegetarian, literally overnight. That was 25 years ago and I've never looked back. So I've never felt that anything was missing. Good food is good food. Whether it is vegetarian or contains meat, it has the potential to be beautiful, tasty, well seasoned, and satisfying. That said, there are lots of folks who aren't planning on going vegetarian who are still looking to incorporate a lot more meatless meals into their diet, so I think even the most dedicated carnivore will find dishes they would enjoy on “Herbivoracious.”

8. What is the recipe of your most delicious vegetarian dish?

It is hard to choose just one! This soba noodle soup has a really rich broth made from dried shiitake mushrooms. The recipe is below, and you can read more introduction to it at: http://www.herbivoracious.com/2009/04/soba-in-shoyu-broth-with-asparagus-leeks-and-tofu-recipe.html.

Soba in Shoyu Broth with Asparagus, Leeks and Tofu

Vegetarian; vegan if you omit the eggs; not gluten-free

Serves 4

• 2 cups dried shiitake mushrooms

• 1 healthy piece of kombu seaweed (about 6"-8" long)

• 1 small piece (1/2") fresh ginger, peeled

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely choppd

• 4 leeks, white parts only, halved lengthwise and carefully cleaned

• 4 eggs

• 12 oz. silken or soft tofu, cubed

• 1 large bunch of thick asparagus, tough parts removed and lightly peeled

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• salt

• 2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

• shoyu (Japanese soy sauce; see note above about best brand)

• 1 lb. dry soba noodles

• toasted sesame oil

1. Briefly rinse the dried shiitakes and bring them, along with the kombu, ginger and garlic to a simmer in 8 cups of water. Simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Add the leeks and simmer for 10 more minutes or until the leeks are tender. Remove the leeks with a slotted spoon and reserve. Discard the kombu. Strain the broth, squeezing out as much from the mushrooms as possible. Slice some of the shiitake caps thinly for service, and discard the rest.

3. Add 3 tablspoons of the shoyu to the broth. Taste and add more if needed.

4. Meanwhile, put the eggs in a small pot, covered with cold water by ½ inch. Bring the pot to a boil over a high flame, then cover and remove from the heat. Let sit for exactly 8 minutes, then shock in cold water and peel.

5. Brush the asparagus with oil and grill in a single layer (a grill pan works fine). If you can't grill, do them in a single layer in a large skillet. Cook until tender and charred spots are appearing on all sides.

6. Boil the soba noodles according to the package directions and strain. Bring the broth back to a simmer.

7. To serve, put about 1 cup of noodles in each of 4 heated bowls. Cut the eggs in half. Top the noodles with the leeks, eggs, asparagus, sliced shiitake caps, tofu and green onions. Take your time to make an attractive arrangement. Ladle in about 1.5 cups of the broth. Drizzle in a few drops of the sesame oil and serve it forth.