I agree with the ATK book posted here by /u/PM_ME_A_FACT, but would also like to add the book "Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi." The ATK book is more of a begginers book than Plenty, but both are great resources.
100%. My wife is the most hardcore recycler I know, she knows what they actually recycle, what stuff can't be recycled, and what stuff she has to load into the car and haul off to the specialty recycler by the airport, which she does a couple times a month (styrofoam, etc). She knows it's a drop in the bucket, she knows that for-all-she-knows half of it ends up in a landfill, but she's like "At least I'm doing something", and we're both really conscious about choosing things that are less wasteful. And the big one for us, both serious cooks, trying to only do meat a couple times a week. Re-learning to cook vegetarian and still have awesome meals? That's a "journey" for sure (but thanks Ottoleghi!!)
(She's also like "This is a FOIL-COATED PLASTIC BAG, it does NOT go in the recycling!!!" She's awesome so I just say "yes dear" a lot around here!)
Ottolenghi’s books are all great. Beautiful to look at and very creative. He has a new one out, but my favorite (and probably his bestselling) is Plenty. Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi https://www.amazon.com/dp/1452101248/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_i_4d42FbT24HSZH
Yotam Ottolenghi has several great cookbooks for health conscious people who enjoy tasty food. I particularly like Plenty. Vegetarians also tend to like his work. He has meat dishes, but he's super good at elevating veggies and making complex, tasty dishes.
I just got Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbook Plenty, which is all about vegetables, and I'm really liking it so far. The recipes are great and the pictures are beautiful.
Whatever you end up getting, I hope it works out well. Congratulations on a year together!
It's not entirely French based but I highly recommend Yottom Ottolenghi's Plenty. Tons of great vegetarian options in that book, all exquisite.
Plenty (or any of the Ottolenghi) books sounds like a good fit based on her previous dishes. It's vegetable focused, healthy, not too complicated, and will definitely make her a better cook by introducing new techniques.
Plenty and Plenty More by Yottam Ottolenghi are vegetarian and vegetable focused cookbooks. Chez Panisse Vegetables is also a classic and will have more information about the vegetables themselves, but the recipe are often simple. Vegetable Literacy is another, more recent classic on vegetables and may be giving you the kind of information you're looking for.
Plenty & the follow up Plenty More
Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi https://www.amazon.com/dp/1452101248/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_DAJBNAKKBT48PBE398D8
Gjelina
Gjelina: Cooking from Venice, California (California Cooking, Restaurant Cookbooks, Cal-Med Cookbook) https://www.amazon.com/dp/145212809X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_R224PVYZ96K3HA3RYPM0
I love Plenty.
Thanks ill check it out!
https://www.amazon.com/Plenty-Vibrant-Vegetable-Recipes-Ottolenghi/dp/1452101248
is this one good? do you know?
I recommend Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty.
Or if you know that your friend likes Indian cuisine, here’s the bible on the subject: Pushpesh Pant’s India: The Cookbook.
I'm a vegetarian that is always craving variety too! Some of my favorite websites for inspiration are:
https://smittenkitchen.com/ (one of the originals, she is GREAT)
http://www.veganricha.com/ (a lot of Indian and international cuisine)
http://www.isachandra.com/recipes/
Finally, I recommend Plenty and Plenty More - two cookbooks celebrating vegetables from the famed Ottolenghi. His cooking is fantastic (ignore the pomegranate seeds on the front cover, I promise it's so much more than that, he just happens to be middle eastern!)