Several months ago, on a trip to Martha’s Vineyard, I discovered the best Veggie Burger I’ve ever had at Espresso Love Cafe. When I tried to steal the recipe, owner Carol McManus told me she had a cook book coming out in August. So I trekked back to the island this past weekend for another taste and the secret ingredients to make my very own best Veggie Burgers.

Truth be told, I would have bought Table Talk for just that one recipe, but as I stood in the café I couldn’t help but devour the entire book. The pages are full of warm, authentic Vineyard photographs, and unintimidating recipes.

The food is simple, but unique, and most of the ingredients are pantry staples. The book is organized into useful categories: dinner, breakfast, healthy food, weekend meals and dessert. Eighty recipes include fat-free muffins, spicy shrimp wrap, butternut-apple soup, spinach meatloaf, bread and easy brownies. The book is sprinkled with interesting stories about how the recipes came about, along with time-saving tips, cooking quotes and dinner conversation starters.

McManus’ basic theme isn’t food, but family and food. Owning her own business and raising 5 children, McManus has experience juggling a lot on her plate. So she designed her cookbook to help bring busy families back to the table.

The fabulous photographs make this a great gift, but the recipes definitely deserve a spot on your own shelf too.

And you definitely have to try the Veggie Burger.

Previous Post: The Glass Castle