In celebration of Vegetarian Awareness Month, Lukas Volger, author of Veggie Burgers Every Which Way and Vegetarian Entrees That Won’t Leave You Hungry, was invited to HBO’s Times Square headquarters on Tuesday to sign books as five of his delicious recipes were featured on the HBO employee lunch menu. The food caused quite a stir among the lunch-goers, many of whom stopped at Lukas’s table to compliment the dishes and, in some cases, buy his books. The kitchen staff also seemed more than happy to serve Lukas’s food. One of the cooks went home with a copy of Vegetarian Entrees and the head chef announced his plans to make some of the recipes regular staples of his menu.

Founded by the North American Vegetarian Society, Vegetarian Awareness Month–which kicks off on October 1st of each year with World Vegetarian Day and ends on November 1st with World Vegan Day–is intended to raise public awareness around the many health and environmental benefits of a vegetarian diet. The recipes featured on Tuesday–recipes such as Bulgur Salad with Kale and Feta and Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Roasted Squash Radicchio–perfectly demonstrate one of the key points of Vegetarian Awareness Month: that one can enjoy the benefits of a vegetarian diet without sacrificing taste. For proof of this, look no further than the self-professed meat-lovers who went home on Tuesday with Lukas’s books.

For more information on Lukas (who’s gearing up to run the New York City Marathon!) visit his blog.