The My Cooking Class Series takes a refreshing approach to learning the art of home cooking. The recipes are presented in complete visual sequences from start to finish, and every ingredient and every step is shown from above in full color so it's as true to life as possible -- just like a real cooking course. Written instructions accompany each recipe, and specialized tasks, such as making homemade pasta, are clearly demonstrated. Variations, notes and glossaries are welcome additions to each "class."

My Cooking Class replicates a professional cooking course and will transform how home cooks learn to prepare dishes and meals. Every ingredient, pot, pan and tool is shown, not just described, making this new visual cookbook format deliciously simple.

Coming up with new ways to cook vegetables is a challenge, and the tastier and easier to prepare they are the better. Vegetable Basics has an eclectic mix of satisfying recipes that will appeal to everyone, even those most dedicated to avoiding their greens.

The book is divided into:

• Root vegetables and tubers

• Vegetable-like fruits, such as tomatoes and avocados

• Cabbages

• Stalks and thistles, including asparagus, artichoke and fennel

• Mushrooms

• Onions

• Leafy vegetables

• Pod and seed vegetables

• Desserts

The tasty, satisfying recipes include:

• Potato dauphinois

• Carrot hummus

• Beet and goat cheese salad

• Indian vegetable curry

• Gazpacho

• Eggplant parmigiana

• Guacamole

• Braised fennel

• Mushroom risotto

• Shallots au gratin

• Arugula and coriander pesto

• Pea soup with ham

• Greek braised beans

• Corn and chicken soup

• Pumpkin pie

• Chocolate zucchini cake