Shulman, Martha Rose 1948(?)-

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Shulman, Martha Rose 1948(?)-

PERSONAL:

Born c. 1948; married; husband's name Bill. Education: Attended Radcliffe College and the University of Texas.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Los Angeles, CA.

CAREER:

Food and cooking expert. During early career, worked as a caterer and taught cooking classes.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Tastemaker Award, International Association of Cooking Professionals, 1979.

WRITINGS:

COOKBOOKS AND DIET BOOKS

The Vegetarian Feast, illustrated by Beverly Leathers, Harper & Row (New York, NY), 1979, revised and updated edition, HarperPerennial (New York, NY), 1995.

Fast Vegetarian Feasts, Dial Press (New York, NY), 1982.

Garlic Cookery, illustrated by Rita Greer, Thorsons Publishers (New York, NY), 1984.

Herb and Honey Cookery, illustrated by Rita Greer, Thorsons Publishers (New York, NY), 1985.

The Spice of Vegetarian Cooking: Ethnic Recipes from India, China, Mexico, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, illustrated by Elaine Hull, Healing Arts Press (Colchester, VT), 1986.

Spicy Vegetarian Feasts: Gourmet Recipes Full of Flavor and Alluringly Aromatic, illustrated by Elaine Hull, Thorsons Publishing (Wellingborough, NY), 1986.

(With Lendon Smith) Dr. Lendon Smith's Diet Plan for Teenagers, McGraw-Hill (New York, NY), 1986.

Gourmet Vegetarian Feasts, illustrated by Elaine Hill, Thorsons (Rochester, VT), 1987, published as Gourmet Vegetarian Feasts: An International Selection of Appetizing Recipes for All Occasions, Healing Arts Press (Rochester, VT), 1990.

Supper Club Chez Martha Rose, illustrated by Peter Day, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1988.

Mediterranean Light: Delicious Recipes from the World's Healthiest Cuisine, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 1989, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2000.

Entertaining Light: Healthy Company Menus with Great Style, foreword by Patricia Wells, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 1991.

Little Vegetarian Feasts: Main-Dish Salads, illustrated by Debbie Drechsler, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 1992.

Little Vegetarian Feasts: Main-Dish Soups, illustrated by Debbie Drechsler, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 1992.

Martha Rose Shulman's Feasts and Fêtes: Elegantly Healthful Menus for Do-Ahead Entertaining, foreword by Julee Rosso, photographs by Teri Sandison, Chapters Publishing (Shelburne, VT), 1992.

Little Vegetarian Feasts: Main-Dish Grains, illustrated by Debbie Drechsler, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 1993.

Little Vegetarian Feasts: Main-Dish Tarts and Gratins, illustrated by Debbie Drechsler, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 1993.

Provençal Light, William Morrow (New York, NY), 1994.

Great Breads: Home-Baked Favorites from Europe, the British Isles, and North America, photographs by Steven Mark Needham, Chapters Publishing (Shelburne, VT), 1995.

The Classic Party Fare Cookbook, Dorling Kindersley (New York, NY), 1995.

Mexican Light: Exciting, Healthy Recipes from the Border and Beyond, William Morrow (New York, NY), 1996.

Light Basics Cookbook: The Only Cookbook You'll Ever Need If You Want to Cook Healthy, William Morrow (New York, NY), 1999.

The Best Vegetarian Recipes: From Greens to Grains, from Soups to Salads, 200 Bold-Flavored Recipes, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2001.

Foodlover's Atlas of the World, Firefly Books (Willowdale, Ontario, Canada), 2002.

(With Jane L. Davis) Every Woman's Guide to Eating during Pregnancy, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 2002.

Ready When You Are: A Compendium of Comforting One-Dish Meals, Clarkson Potter (New York, NY), 2003.

(With Wolfgang Puck) Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy: Delicious Recipes for Your Home Kitchen, photographs by Ron Manville, Rutledge Hill Press (Nashville, TN), 2004.

Culinary Boot Camp: Seven Days of Basic Training with the Culinary Institute of America, John Wiley (Hoboken, NJ), 2006.

(With Juan-Carlos Cruz) The Juan-Carlos Cruz Calorie Countdown: A Five-Week Strategy for Sustainable Weight Loss, Gotham Books (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Martha Rose Shulman first became interested in cooking when, as a young adult, she lived in Texas and was introduced to many authentic Mexican recipes. In her twenties Shulman began eating a vegetarian diet, and she became passionate about the connection between food and health. After several years of running a catering company, teaching vegetarian cooking classes, and hosting a weekly "supper club," Shulman published her first cookbook. Over the years, she has published dozens of cookbooks with a focus on cooking low fat and vegetarian fare, introducing basic cooking techniques, and surveying recipes from around the world.

Many of Shulman's books were strongly influenced by the twelve years that she and her husband spent living in Paris. "Nothing influenced and improved my cooking more than living in France," she explained on her Web site. "France lightened my touch, refined my palate, broadened my repertoire. My dishes became less complicated and my menus more imaginative…. I was inspired by the good food that was everywhere; gastronomy was part of everyday life." Several collections, including Provençal Light, Martha Rose Shulman's Feasts and Fêtes: Elegantly Healthful Menus for Do-Ahead Entertaining, and Supper Club Chez Martha Rose, are the results of her time in France. Sunset reviewer Elaine Johnson noted that Provençal Light "kept all the vibrant flavors of southern France while judiciously trimming the fat." Writing of Martha Rose Shulman's Feasts and Fêtes, a contributor to Publishers Weekly commented: "Shulman's instructions are explicit, and she has done an admirable job of reducing fat content."

While living in France, Shulman had the opportunity to travel extensively, including holidays in Italy, Greece, Spain, North Africa, and Egypt. These Mediterranean cultures inspired several of Shulman's cookbooks, including Mediterranean Light: Delicious Recipes from the World's Healthiest Cuisine. In Foodlover's Atlas of the World, Shulman also presents recipes that are representative of many world cultures. The cookbook was described as a "a colorful, entertaining look at food in its geographical context" by Library Journal reviewer John Charles. Bookshelf reviewer Stacy Hollister called the book "part history lesson, part cookbook" and "richly illustrated." A Publishers Weekly contributor commented: "The volume covers a surprising amount of ground in reasonable depth … and the recipes live up to Shulman's usual high quality." Claudia Moore added in a review for School Library Journal that the book is an "excellent resource for geography, foreign language, and home-economics students."

An overarching theme of many of Shulman's books is the creation of recipes that are not only "light" (healthy and low fat) but also taste as good—if not better—than the original recipes. Cookbooks utilizing healthy techniques and ingredients include Entertaining Light: Healthy Company Menus with Great Style, Mexican Light: Exciting, Healthy Recipes from the Border and Beyond, and Light Basics Cookbook: The Only Cookbook You'll Ever Need If You Want to Cook Healthy. Regarding Entertaining Light, Sada Fretz wrote in an Entertainment Weekly review: "In a season of retrograde excess, she [Shulman] keeps our balance." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly described the book as "a masterpiece of food writing and recipe development." In her assessment of Light Basics Cookbook, Library Journal contributor Judith C. Sutton asserted that the author's "thoughtful and imaginative new book will not be limited in appeal to those looking for low-fat food."

In 2006 Shulman released Culinary Boot Camp: Seven Days of Basic Training with the Culinary Institute of America. The book is about several weeks she spent at the Culinary Institute of America, where she was introduced to a number of fundamental cooking techniques that she did not encounter every day. In addition to sharing about her day-to-day experience at the workshop, Shulman includes recipes and techniques gathered during her time there. A writer for Publishers Weekly reported that the book is "packed with good insider info, and most of the seventy-five recipes … are time-honored yet contemporary, rigorous yet approachable." Judith C. Sutton concluded in Library Journal: "Her readable book should be of interest to anyone considering cooking school."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Bookshelf, December, 2002, Stacy Hollister, review of Foodlover's Atlas of the World, p. 228.

Entertainment Weekly, February 28, 1992, Sada Fretz, review of Entertaining Light: Healthy Company Menus with Great Style, p. 51.

Library Journal, December, 1998, Judith C. Sutton, review of Light Basics: The Only Cookbook You'll Ever Need If You Want to Cook Healthy, p. 146; October 15, 2002, John Charles, review of Foodlover's Atlas of the World, p. 66; April 15, 2006, Judith C. Sutton, review of Culinary Boot Camp: Five Days of Basic Training at the Culinary Institute of America, p. 106.

Publishers Weekly, October 25, 1991, review of Entertaining Light, p. 62; April 20, 1992, review of Martha Rose Shulman's Feasts and Fêtes: Elegantly Healthful Menus for Do-Ahead Entertaining, p. 52; August 5, 2002, review of Foodlover's Atlas of the World, p. 69; March 13, 2006, review of Culinary Boot Camp, p. 59.

School Library Journal, July, 2003, Claudia Moore, review of The Foodlover's Atlas of the World, p. 153.

Sunset, March, 1996, Elaine Johnson, "Adding Zest to Your Cookbook Library," review of Provençal Light, p. 116.