Cookbook

You can get a copy of the cookbook The Joy of an Empty Pot on Amazon or on Ebay. 

The Vichara Buddhist Monastery Vegetarian Cookbook

Our members and visitors frequently ask for recipes for food that we serve here at the monastery. This cookbook is an answer to those requests. This Zen Buddhist vegetarian cookbook has a hardcover with plastic comb binding so that it is both durable and will lie flat on the kitchen counter. It has 365 recipes and 245 pages. This blog is a supplement to the cookbook.

Recipes from a Zen Buddhist Vegetarian Kitchen

Early Zen monastic kitchens were famous for turning out great meals with limited supplies and a tight budget. This is still true during these modern times. The Joy of an Empty Pot is filled with everyday recipes that are economical, simple, and easy to prepare. The diet at the monastery is lacto-ovo vegetarian. However, many of the recipes are vegan or can be easily converted to vegan.

A number of the recipes use vegetarian substitutes where meat would normally be expected or required. Chili with Ground Beef Tofu is what first comes to mind. Besides tofu, there are also recipes that use seitan (gluten), and TVP (textured vegetable protein). But these make up just a small portion of the wide variety of recipes available. The table of contents shows that this Zen Buddhist vegetarian cookbook is arranged like any ordinary cookbook. In addition to the chapters on salads to desserts, there is a chapter on jellies and jams and another on making candy.

Table of Contents

• • Salads
  • Sauces and Gravies
  • Soups
  • Main dishes
  • Tofu
  • Side Dishes
  • Bread
  • Desserts
  • Jellies, Jams, ….
  • Candy
  • This and That

Special Offer:

Special inventory-reduction price discount.  A Black Friday sale for the new year.

For a limited time you can get The Joy of an Empty Pot cookbook on Amazon for the reduced price of  $9.95 plus shipping. That is a 66% discount on the regular cover price of $30.00. You can also get the The Joy of an Empty Pot  for the same price on Ebay.

What others have to say about The Joy Of an Empty Pot.

From Amazon:

“Instructions are easy to follow and can be modified if you have special dietary needs. Interesting and tasty food for lacto-ovo vegetarians. The recipes include step-by-step instructions. I highly recommend the Eggplant Parmesan, the Chiles Rellenos, and the Guacamole Tostado. The Fried Sweet Potato Turnovers are to die for.” ——- Louis

“The book is clearly written with plenty of details where needed. My favorite recipes are Baked Ziti, Beef-Like Tofu, Spaghetti Sauce, and Blueberry Pie which is extremely easy and the best I have ever had.” —– Helen

From Facebook:

“The Joy of an Empty Pot is a fantastic recipe book for anyone new to vegetarianism. Rev. McKinney explains not just the ingredients to use, but HOW to use them and when. He has included simple notes that help with each dish. All in all, The Joy of an Empty Pot is an excellent choice in cookbooks.” —– Beverly

If you purchase the cookbook and like the recipes, please consider giving us a five-star rating on Amazon. You can also like us or share our recipes on Facebook, pin us on Pinterest, follow us on Twitter, or sign up for the newsletter.