THE author was not joking when he titled his book Veggie Burgers Every Which Way.
Who would have thought there were more than 30 burger recipes out there, let alone purely vegetarian?
- Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, by Lukas Volger. Wakefield Press, rrp $24.95
In this colourful 170-page book you won't find even a whiff of a lamb burger or mince pattie.
Instead, there's ginger-soy tempeh burgers, a tofu and chard variety, one with baked cauliflower and even a Thai carrot version.
There's your stock, standard pub grub veggie burger; a tribute to Middle Eastern fare with a baked felafel one; and the most simple of all, easy bean burgers.
And, because no burger is complete without condiments and salads, there's a chapter devoted to each.
The salads and fries section ranges from the basic red cabbage slaw to the more creative watermelon and citrus salad.
Condiments and toppings cover quick pickles, frizzled shallots, homemade mango barbecue sauce and simple yoghurt sauces.
"In many ways, veggie burgers are a simple endeavour: take beans, grains, tofu, a vegetable and using binders ... make the mixture malleable and form it into patties," writes the New York author.
"The trick is to get the balance right. Too many bread crumbs, for example, will wash out the flavour; too few and you run the risk of the burger squeezing out the other end of the bun."
The author provides an overview of ingredients, how best to use them, and advice on adapting for wheat and gluten-free.
But a warning to the unwary: recipes - with their emphasis on beans and legumes - could well result in gaseous eruptions.
For those lusting after a hearty, traditional meat burger, this is clearly not the book for you.
For those content with a more earthy version, get set for burger nirvana.
