After work this evening, I met my absolute favorite cookbook author ever: Mollie Katzen! 
With over 6 million books in print, [Mollie Katzen] is listed by the New York Times as one of the best-selling cookbook authors of all time. A 2007 inductee into the prestigious James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame, and largely credited with moving healthful vegetarian food from the “fringe” to the center of the American dinner plate, Ms. Katzen has been named by Health Magazine as one of “The Five Women Who Changed the Way We Eat.”
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to meet Mollie and chat with her for about 15 minutes. Mollie was in town for a number of Harvard-related events and activities, including tonight’s “Beans, Grains & Veggies” cooking demo at one of the dining halls on campus. Mollie was incredibly friendly, down-to-earth, and even asked me a number of questions about my blog! I gave her my Carrots ‘N’ Cake business card and she said that she would check it out! 
So cool!
The menu tonight included various recipes from Mollie’s cookbook,The Vegetable Dishes I Can’t Live Without. I’m sure you guys remember seeing this cookbook a few (hundred) times on my blog!
- Gingered Asparagus (not pictured)
- Black Beans in Mango Sauce
- Mediterranean French Lentil Salad
- Couscous with Orange and Dill (on my plate below)
- Feta & Walnut Stuffed Cukes
The undergrads really enjoyed the “Beans, Grains & Veggies” cooking demo and dug right into the food.
I wasn’t all that hungry, but, of course, I needed to taste some of Mollie’s recipes! I especially liked the Feta & Walnut Stuffed Cukes! They were so delish, and I can’t wait to make them myself! 
Check out the dining hall where this event was held! Impressive, right? It reminds me of the “Great Hall” in the Harry Potter movie where the “sorting ceremony” took place!
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And if meeting Mollie wasn’t enough, she autographed a copy of her The Vegetable Dishes I Can’t Live Without cookbook for me!
Check out her nice message!
I love that she wrote: “Eat many more leaves! Stems, too!” It reminds me a lot of Michael Pollan’s advice: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” I think they’re onto something!
Time for dinner and dessert! Josh and Danielle brought us homemade baked goods from Vermont! Good night, blog friends!
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
Tina,
I have ALL of Mollie Katzen’s cookbooks and just love them! How awesome that you were able to meet her AND have her sign your book!!!!
Tina – this is so amazing. Such an honor for you. Thanks for sharing it on your blog for all of us!
zesty
SO COOL! I love that she had questions for you! The food looks amazing – and I love her “autograph”!!!!!
What a great night! I love Mollie’s cookbooks too! I wish I knew about this event, I live just right across the river!
SO COOL!! Love her tag line message
What a gorgeous hall – an incredible place to hold this awesome event!
That is so cool Tina! All of her dishes sound incredible- I have to get that book!
that is awesome Tina!!! That Hall is really cool – it does look like the one in Harry Potter!
That is so cool that you got to meet her! You’ve been meeting lots of celebs lately ha!
SO WONDERFUL!!
color me jealous! I love Mollie Katzen!
Wow!!! That is so awesome, I love her and her cookbooks!!!
Oh man, and that hall is SO FABULOUS!
How awesome, her dishes look fantastic!
What a fun night! Glad you had fun!
that is so awesome! i do love the harvard campus… when i visit harvard square for shopping with friends on weekends we will walk through the campus for fun
that is by far the coolest autograph by the way! LOVE her advice! easier said than done for me though..
Wow…way cool! Have you found that a business card for your blog is helpful? When do you use it?
SO Cool!! Wish I could of been there! I am so fascinated with Harvard;s campus. I go there all the time (to the square that is), and always just want to go around with a student for a day haha!
That is so awesome. I am beyond jealous. What a neat experience!!!
That is so awesome Tina! And look at all that yummy food.
I, too, have every one of Mollie Katzen’s cookbooks and they are very dear to me. I’ve even sent her fan mail when I’ve been particularly wow’ed by one of her dishes — and she writes back! I’m a fan for life
that is SO awesome! and you’re right – that hall DOES look like it’s out of the harry potter movie!
So cool! And the food looks fab!
How cool!
How fun! I would have been there for sure…if I wasn’t about 3000 miles away. I’ve been to the Moosewood restaurant in Ithaca, NY, although I’d love to go back now that I am a more adventurous and healthy eater.
Wow! I would be in (veggie) heaven!
so awesome! That hall really does remind my of Harry Potter, too! Beautiful!
The food looks fantastic! What a great memory you’ll now cherish
How cool that you got to meet Mollie – I have two of her cookbooks and have loved the recipes I’ve made. The food looks super tasty!
The dining hall really does look Harry Potter-esque
So cool that you were able to meet Mollie. I’ve actually never seen/heard of her cookbooks, but I’ll have to check the out now. All of the dishes sound/look amazing!
I agree, the dining hall screams Harry Potter.
That must have been so exciting. I love how she signed your book! That hall definitely looks like Harry Potter, it’s gorgeous!
wow that is so exciting!!! i love what she wrote in your book
How jealous am I??? She is one of my favs, too!
I just spent like … 1/2 hour browsing that site!! Yummy recipes!
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