The author recounts a past struggles with vegetarian cookbooks. They specifically remember the tragedy of 70s stuffed peppers in the UK. These were bell peppers filled with various grains, nuts, and vegetables. The author even made them in university, channeling their parents' old vegetarian cookbooks. The recipes often included ingredients like buckwheat groats and yeast extract. The memory of these peppers still evokes negative flashbacks for the author. This is a shame, as stuffed vegetables don't have to be so unappealing. The author contrasts this with the delightful complexity of chiles rellenos. This Mexican dish involves a meticulous process of preparing and cooking the poblano pepper. The preparation of chiles rellenos is a testament to the potential of stuffed vegetables.