Reviewed by Carol LaLiberte

I first stumbled upon the original Moosewood cookbook in my college days, back when I couldn't tell the difference between cumin and crimini mushrooms. It didn't matter; I bought the cookbook back then and liked whatever I made from it. Now some twenty odd years later, my culinary knowledge has increased significantly, proportionate to the decrease in time to cook restaurant style entrees. I would love to eat fresh food that takes little to no time to prepare and can be taken to go for our on-the-go lifestyle. Moosewood must have read my mind! They have recently launched a line of soups and frozen entrees, which taste as if you were sitting in their restaurant in Ithaca, New York.

I have always been somewhat skeptical of frozen foods. Convenience often has its price and usually it is taste or healthy eating that is sacrificed. Thanks to Moosewood's expert preparation of these foods, this is no longer the case. All nine of the soups they offer are based on their cookbook recipes. They are slow simmered in small batches using fresh vegetables and herbs. But not only did I appreciate their awesome flavor, I loved their convenience. Each soup comes in a plastic seal tight bag, which is inside of a carton. You simply slit the bag, pour the soup into the carton, and heat it up in your microwave. What about leftovers? Just place the top back on the container and you have the next day's lunch ready and waiting for you. No cans or searching for can openers at your workplace. A great idea for school lunches as well. There are nine soups-all are vegetarian, five are also vegan. They range from Savannah Sweet Potato Bisque to Tucson White Bean and Vegetable to Creamy Potato and Corn Chowder.

Beyond the delicious soups, Moosewood offers frozen entrees as well. My family loved the macaroni and three cheeses, which is a far simpler way to dine on comfort food than to make it from scratch. But the farfalle and spinach pesto sauce was the winner in my book. Complete with baby portabellos, fresh spinach, and herbs, it is truly a delicacy that compared to no other frozen entrée I had ever tasted. If Moroccan Stew, Southwest Cornbread and Red Beans or Spicy Penne Puttanesca is what you are craving, don't head to your favorite restaurant, head to your frozen food aisle and select these Moosewood meals.

Fairfield Farm Kitchens deserves some credit here, as they are the ones producing these fine Moosewood soups and frozen foods. They use a "restaurant-style culinary approach" in preparing their outstanding food products. Their core brand is Organic Classics, which boasts the Organic Classics Toaster Muffins as well as other types of wholesome foods. The toaster muffins are perfect for those help-I-am-running-late-mornings. Overall my family preferred the Maple Oat toaster muffin to the Blueberry flavor. However, if you are prone to running low on cereal or toast in the morning, these can be kept in your freezer and are a nice alternative if your breakfast choices are becoming a bit humdrum.

If you can't make it to the Moosewood restaurant or have the ingredients on hand to make one of the great recipes in their classic cookbook, consider the next alternative to be just as satisfying-buying one of their quick soups or frozen meals. It will be the closest you'll get to homemade without the hours of preparation or the mess.

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