Vegetarian Books

From the organizer of the first and second annual Santa Barbara vegan bake off:

I like to try lots of different baking books--vegan and non-vegan alike.

I was sitting down tonight with my King Arthur Baker's Companion (amazing but each recipe has at least a stick of butter in it) and even leafed through How it All Vegan (their choc chip recipe is pretty good) before I remembered I had picked up this little book. The book is well written and fun to look through. Perfect for those nights when you just want to make something fun after dinner without having to prepare with a ton of ingredients in advance.

I chose a red velvet cupcake recipe and a vegan cream cheese frosting.

What can I say, my boyfriend has already eaten half the batch so I must say it was a success!

My daughter has an egg and dairy allergy. It finally dawned on me to look at vegan recipes to find a way to make an edible dessert for her. These cupcakes are very easy and taste wonderful. You would never know there is no egg or dairy. I have tried the vanilla, chocolate, and peanut butter ones. The peanut butter cupcakes were the best ones I have ever had, vegan or not. I highly recommend this book.

I've only tried some of the more simple recipes in the book so far. They came out delicious. I've brought them to work, and my co-workers raved. And the best part...they're vegan!

I am not a vegan, and am not easily excited about vegan baked goods. However I do have a best friend who is a committed vegan and who very much is excited by vegan baked goods. When I purchased this book for her as a birthday gift, she was beyond thrilled. I guess she had another vegan cookbook by this same author, and had already fallen in love with her recipes. (Who knew?)
She later made chocolate-strawberry-something cupcakes from this book, and when I tasted them, they really weren't half bad. If you didn't really think about it, you almost couldn't tell that they were vegan. If all vegan baked goods tasted like these cupcakes, maybe vegan cupcakes really could take over the world.
As she told me, "This book is as good as it gets!"

It's a lovely book and will be a useful guide in getting the dairy out of baked goods, but I have to say I'm a bit stunned that a vegan cookbook is so full of white flour and white sugar. There are just so many healthier sweeteners and flours to use that I can't imagine why the recipes weren't developed to be really healthy instead of simply dairy free.

I bought this book as my fourth vegetarian cook book based on the good reviews and for some more variety. So far I've tried about six recipes. I'm not a picky eater and have actually had to throw out two because they were so bad! One was good and the rest ok. Some of the ingredient proportions also seem off. I like how the book is organized and the ingredients are not too exotic, but think there are better out there.

this is the cookbook of my dreams. so well written, well researched, and fun to read. it will certainly replace Joy of Cooking for me because of all the super general info about ingredients. and the recipes are DELICIOUS. this is a must have cook book for all, herbivores AND omnivores alike. a bargain at twice the price!

If your Vegan cookbook collection needs a benchmark book, this is it. If you're new to being a Vegan, this book will save you months of salad boredom. If you're an old timer and you don't have this book, you must live under a tempeh rock somewhere.

Buy this book. Do it now!

Love, love, love it. Easy to follow recipes that are SUPER-impressive. So entertaining at the same time! I'm addicted to the "Baja-Style Grilled Tempeh Tacos", I've made it at least 4 times already! Also has great chapters on the BASICS, like how to cook a vegetable and how to get ready for a dinner party. I've already purchased a copy for a friend, can't say enough good things about this book!

I am a vegetarian who found this book in the store and ended up sitting there for an hour going over all of the great information and recipes! The price in the store was a bit more so I came home and ordered it from Amazon. There are many options for making vegan food. And not just mediocre but just plain delicious! I have even made vegan patties that are great with rice and fresh veggies. It has opened up my kitchen to a new chapter in cooking.

I ordered The Food Revolution as a gift. I had absolutely "zero" problems with this transaction. PS. I love this book/author.
Wendy

The Food Revolution has a message for anyone who never thinks twice about the consequences of their food choices. It will even enlighten those who feel confident that they make the right food choices because they listen to their doctors. And its message is strong even to those who think vegetarians are prudes and are missing out on "the finer things." Robbins lays out the facts, using research articles as evidence, to criticize the food industry's claims and present the contradicting findings resulting from good sound science. Using this method he exposes the stark realities of the American diet that for the most part will get you to wonder why you have lived your life without ever wondering about such things as where your food comes from, how it was made, and what impact it has on the environment. Robbins explains to you the enormous impact that the single act of eating has on your body, the human population, and the planet itself. This book is huge in its scope and contains facts from hundreds of sources, and its rather objective delivery makes it a necessary read for anyone interested in studying diet, nutrition, disease, environmental protection, science, and agriculture. His sources are sometimes repetitive, be it the same person or organization, and as a result at these times his arguments lack clout. But these sources are solid and true, therefore not taking very much away from Robbins' message to America about the hazards of the current American diet.

While it was vegan ultra-runner Scott Jurek who convinced me to change my diet, about 6 months later a friend recommended this book to me, and for the most part it's this man and this book that have convinced me plant-based nutrition is the future.

In answering a question for me that I submitted on his website, John Robbins led me to Vegsource and the rest of the gang. While it took a little time for a response to my question, when I did receive it, it came directly from John Robbins. I was quite surprised by this, and felt that I shouldn't "needlessly" bother him again, even with a thank you.

THANK YOU JOHN ROBBINSHealthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples

If this book doesn't make you want to go vegan, nothing will! Help save the Earth, prolong your life and go veg!

This book really opened my eyes to a healthly livestyle for myself, and also for the world. Please read this book!

There are not enough good things to say about this cookbook. We are now known as expert Vegan Bakers among our friends and relatives...and our secret is that we're not! We follow these recipes and everyone loves them! The best things about this cookbook are: the tips and tidbits that are tucked in on the pages and the indices that are very comprehensive. Everyone should have this cookbook!

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. It has made my transition to a vegan diet easier and I refer to it often. Not only is it full of great recipes (and I have tried several), but there are also tons of useful tips throughout the book. Definitely worth the investment!

This book has a lot of great familiar desserts that most people will not know are vegan. It includes one of the easiest and most delicious chocolate cake recipes I've seen, and chocolate chip cookies that are fabulous. A lot of great frosting recipes too that can go with anything and be modified in many ways. This book is essential for vegans who love classic desserts and want to impress their friends.

how delicious! i've been baking out of this book for a few months now, so i can honestly say its recipes are excellent. I've been wowing vegans and non-vegans alike since my first attempt (the fudge) straight through my most recent (the cinnamon coffee cake). In fact, I've had to buy two extra copies because I was getting tired of being asked for the recipes and will give the book instead.

I want to start out by saying that I really do enjoy this cookbook, and I use it often, however I believe that is because it is one of the only dedicated vegan baking books out there at the moment.

I was very excited when this came out and I was able to purchase it. It has a wide range of recipes that also includes breads and ethnic treats. Here is the slight problem I have with it. Nearly every recipe requires the use of Egg Replacer, Vegan margarine, regular sugar, and basic all purpose flower. Although in the beginning of the book I believe it talks about the use of substitutes for these items, it doesn't really give many examples of it. In some recipes it uses large quantities of vegan margarine. Basically you can take any non-vegan recipe, look at it and substitute milk for soymilk, butter for vegan margarine and eggs with egg replacer. It does not make the recipes unique, it does not give them much more thought, it doesn't really show off what vegan baking can be in its creativity and health benefits.

Until a better vegan baking book comes out, it is worth the purchase. You can always try your hand at playing around with the recipe ingredients.

This is a beautiful book, with pictures and quotes that are lovely and inspiring. Not to mention that the recipes are really fabulous! Great for entertaining vegan and non-vegan guests and having everyone feeling satisfied and complimenting the chef. The restaurant in Portland, Oregon is well worth the trip, as I'm sure the one in Hawai'i is as well. A must-have for any vegan kitchen.

I'm a vegan living outside NYC. I am a huge fan of your book, the hardcover, it's actually my favorite cookbook. It is beautifully photographed and just a lovely book to own and use in your kitchen!

I've tried about half of these recipes and had good success. Breads, pastas, pizzas, salads, dressings, deserts - it's all here. This is vegan heaven!

When my husband and I started following a plant based diet 19 months ago I never thought we'd make it. We borrowed about 10 vegan cookbooks from a doctor we know and most everything was awful. For a whole month I flat out did not enjoy eating. We then found 4 vegan cookbooks that were o.k. and I could finally enjoy what I had made.

Then, in March my husband stumbled upon Vegan Fusion. The cookie lover in me thinks the chocolate chip cookie recipe is worth the cost of the book in itself! Vegan Fusion is my "go to" cookbook every week. I have made quite a few recipes and all that I can say is, "YUMMMMY!". My 4 year old picky, "I just want a meat sandwich" daughter said of the split pea parsnip soup, "This is the best soup ever!" and had 2 helpings.

There are so many aspects of this book that I like. Of course the recipes are fabulous! Being new to the whole vegan scene, it has a lot to offer a novice vegan i.e. the legume cooking chart, tips on roasting everything from veggies to nuts, startling statistics on "global footprints" of the different diets people follow.

I live in a small town (<2,500 people) and I can find most of the ingredients at our local healthfood store. The only thing I'm sure I can't get locally is green coconuts. I guess I'll just have to go to Kuaui - oh, darn!

I recommend this book to every vegan and health conscious friend I know!

this cookbook, over any other, has the power to show omnivorous foodies that vegan food can be just as delightful as their common fare. highly recommended!

As a health-conscious omnivore, I was looking for a book to help me get past the sandwich-rut in my lunch box. I don't have kids, but I can attest that my husband and I love the recipes in this book, and I feel even better about my health with these vegan recipes. Even if you're not vegan, you're sure to get great ideas.

This is exactly the book to get for any vegan who brings a lunch to school or work. The meals are geared towards young children and the book is geared towards their parents, but the content is suitable for any vegan who makes sack lunches and is tired of PB&J all the time.

They need to make two more books:
1. The Vegan Children's Cookbook - the easy stuff that kids can prepare themselves
2. The Vegan Worker - more adult sack lunch and picnic foods

Vegan Lunch Box really doesn't need yet another stellar review, but it's getting one anyway! This book is full of more than great recipes, it is full of great complete meals, each one balanced and fulfilling. I have only had a chance to try a few of the meals so far, but I don't think I could be without this book now. Everything I have tried tastes great and is easy to make. Now all I need is one of those bento boxes or stackable stainless steel things and I'm set! Thanks so much to Jennifer and her family for publishing this wonderful book.

Having looked at the blog at [...]a number of times, or should I say drooled over the blog, I finally purchased the book. I have to say this is an amazing book with fantastic recipes, photos, ideas, tips and hints that are great for kids and adults. I can't wait to fill my new lunchbox with some of these vegan goodies!!!

This book has made me excited about packing a lunch! All the recipes look delicious and I can't wait to try them all out! Jennifer McCann has done such a wonderful job of showing that vegan meals (specifically lunches) can be diverse, healthy and fun! No one has to feel deprived when eating from home after reading this book!

Being raised 1st generation Italian, I had some problems finding some of the old authentic recipes my family used to cook. Not any longer. This book brought me home. I love, love, love it and every time I have a dinner party, this is the book I turn to for a special meal that my guests rave about for weeks.

This is by far, my favorite cookbook. I am a vegan, but have no problems replacing the cheese and egg ingredients, without sacrificing the taste.

Jack Bishop is a genius.

Tina Volpe
Author, The Fast Food Craze

For medical reasons, my husband and I had to stop eating meat and we were completely lost as to what we could eat besides veggies. I stumbled across this cookbook and purchased it for a friend who's an established vegetarian. After I gave it to her, I found myself reading through it. I love it so much, I decided to purchase a copy for myself. The recipes are easy to make (and I'm a horrible cook), the selections are quite broad (especially when you're clueless as to what to fix) and the manner in which the book is organized makes it easy to follow (all the pizzas are together). I highly recommend this book regardless of your status as a vegetarian: novice or experienced.

This cookbook is amazing. Some of the recipes are so simple you think, "Wait a minute. . . this is a RECIPE? Broil asparagus and drizzle vinagrette over it?" But try it . . . and asparagus never tasted so tartly and meltingly delicious. In every single recipe, the flavor of the vegetable itself is intensified and highlighted. The tomato tart is worth buying the book for all by itself! The very simplicity means the recipes are relatively easy and fast projects, and I've yet to find one that didn't bring rave reviews from company. They're so reliable that I often try one I've never tried before for guests -- we all get to be amazed together! Totally terrific, whether you're a prinicpled vegetarian or (like me) just like vegs as part of an omnivore diet!

No one in our family is a vegetarian, but the recipes are so good that we prefer some of them as written, without meat (pancetta, sausage, prosciutto, etc) with which we usually add to "improve" vegetarian recpies. Risotto recipes are particularly outstanding! The picky, more carnivorous members who avoid anything green actually LOVE the risotto with spinach and herbs as well as the soups. They now eat their vegetables!

I've cooked five or six recipes out of the book and found them to be as advertised, simple but with delicious results.

Though I appreciate her effort to label each recipe, when appropriate, "wheat free," these wheat free recipes generally use spelt as a replacement. Though it is correct that spelt is not wheat, spelt does contain gluten, so these recipes, while more appropriate for those with a wheat intolerance, would not be appropriate for someone with Celiac disease.

I used her first cookbook quite a lot before needing to stop eating gluten because her muffin recipes, especially, were excellent. Admittedly, I haven't had much luck trying many recipes in this cookbook because of needing gluten-free recipes (not just wheat free) but I think this would be a good buy for vegans without other restrictions.

This book has a little of everything-- appetizers, soups, salads, main courses, side dishes, desserts and drinks. I love how it's organized, and I have had great success with many of the recipes.

The absolute best recipe in this book are the Chocolate Peanut Butter cookies. You need to buy this book for that recipe because they are SO GOOD!

I love dreena burton! She is so creative in the ingredients she uses and the dishes she creates. She has a lot of options with each recipe so you can keep your diet varied. I have only tried a few recipes, but the ones i have are great: several types of hummus, cashew-banana ice cream, and the maple pecan blondies.

I completely enjoy using this cookbook to discover new vegan recipes and learn new ways of looking at time tested ones. The recipes are generally very simple, easy-to-follow and very tasty.

My only wish is that she included more photos. Otherwise, it's a great cookbook for vegans and the folks who love them. I highly recommend it.

While I am not a vegan, I do dabble in vegan/vegetarian cooking. So far this cookbook has blown me away! The ingredients are focused on healthy fats and sugars and, of course, the emphasis on whole grains and organic veggies, which is really key for me. The Supercharge Me! cookies are mouth watering! They passed the "kid test" at home and with 2.5 grams of fiber per cookie, no proccessed sugar and loads of whole grain, passed the mom test also. :) Thank you Dreena for creating easy and delicious recipes!

I just wanted some good vegetarian dish ideas. This book impressed the heck out of me when it showed you how to make your own tofu, soy milk and other vegetarian stuff. Though I am not a vegetarian, I am amazed with the details on how to make some of the stuff. Oh yeah, and the recipes seem to be easy enough to follow! :)

I am new to vegetarian eating. I have been looking for ways to make some of the foundation items in a veggie lifestyle. this book tells you how to make tofu, soymilk, seitan (or gluten), etc. I was grateful to read how to make them. I know many people would just prefer to buy the ingredients at the store, but there are some of us out there that want to learn how to make the items. It will involve more of my time to make the food, but it will cost much less than to buy it from the store.

I definitely don't use all the recipes in here and frankly some are just weird like Roberta's Really Good Soup (even though it's kinda good). It's a great reference guide for tofu and certain vegan substitutes. Try the French toast recipe or the chocolate tofu pie! Super-Good!

A good book to add to the shelf. Needs some updating to reflect the vast variety of vegan items now available in supermarkets.

There are two main categories of vegan food, I think -- well, surely there are more, but there's two common in western pop culture. There's the vegan food you like to eat with your non-vegetarian friends, to change their minds: veggie burgers that look like meat, salad dressings where you'd never suspect the cream was tofu, and classy, restaurant-ready fare that seems so 'normal' your friends say things like "I guess the days of lentil loaf and bean sprouts are over!" And then there's this stuff.

And this is the truly good stuff. The people on The Farm, I don't know how they did it... a great mail-order business, Ina May's pioneering work in midwifery (Ina May's Guide to Childbirth), and a cookbook that helped push forward the vegan movement way back in 1975. These people had a huge cultural effect for one little hippy commune. Anyway, on to the food:

If you read the New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook from cover to cover (which, unlike most cookbooks, you can) you'll learn how to:
- prepare beans
- make TVP meatballs
- make tortillas, bake bread, pizza dough
- sprout seeds
- make knishes
- make gluten
- prepare soymilk
- skim yuba from cooking soymilk
- make tempeh from scratch (fascinating; looks very difficult)

The food prep instructions and recipes in the New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook make up a vegan 101 I wouldn't have been willing to read and absorb until fairly recently. It'll be popular with you if you're (1) already health-minded, (2) value non-processed foods enough to do the work, (3) organized food-wise, and willing to do things like leave the beans to soak the night before. There are some quick recipes, but if you're more of a ten-minute cook I'd recommend instead you get How It All Vegan! or (even simpler) the Soy, Not Oi! cook-zine.

Recipes in the Farm book include Soysage, Tofu Onion Quiche, Gluten Roast, Tempeh Sauerbraten, Millet And Peas, Granola and many other hippie classics plus lots of other great soups, spreads, main dishes, desserts, breads, and a small section about pregnancy and having kids as a vegan.

I just made their macaroni and 'cheese' made with nutritional yeast (Nutritional Yeast, Shaker (Red Star), 5 oz._; a product I've never used much of before but which features in this book prominently. It was much, much better than the OK (but more convenient) boxed stuff Roads End Organics sells: Road's End Organics Dairy-Free Pasta Shells & Chreese, Cheddar Style, 6.5-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12). I was glad the recipe worked out because I'd been kind of daunted by nutritional yeast for awhile.

After the utility of this book I think I most appreciate the earnestness. Lentil loaf is good. Do not be ashamed! The Farm cooks also understand you don't want to support the corporate food giants, get your B12 from a pill or fortified anything, or buy a soy product you can't describe the manufacture of. If How It All Vegan is high school, the Farm Cookbook is college. The photograps of commune cooks stirring the baked beans in their mumus are also great.

One more point -- if you were to wholeheartedly adopt these recipes and food lifestyle as the book lays out, you would save a lot of money. (You can tell the Farm folks cooked for economy when they warn you to watch out for added mercury if you buy your soybeans at an animal-feed supply store.) The way most vegans and vegetarians in the west eat today doesn't represent much in the way of savings, because our processed foods, even if they're made of cheap ingredients, cost quite a bit. (Think of Yves slices, or commercial fake parmesan.) These people made awesome food at home from the cheapest, most straightforward and whole foods available. That's cool. Thank you hippies.

I originally bought American Wholefoods Cuisine in the early 80's when my children were small. It quickly became our favourite cookbook. I like their philosophy, the recipes are very good and it has one of the most complete indexes I've ever seen. The introduction explains how to be sure you are getting complete protien when you eliminate animal protien from your diet. There is a section on food handling and storage as well as cooking techniques. I was pleased to see that it was available again. My current copy is much loved and I wanted to give a copy to each of my girls so they can recreate the favourite recipes of their childhood. In the past 20 years, hardly a week goes by without my consulting it.

we are not vegetarians, but purchased this book as a part of our effort to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our weekly menu. i really appreciate that they mark the recipes with major, minor or protein complement so you can build a nutritionally sound meal that is also satisfying. i also like to short-list of themed menus at the back that makes planning meals easier. not all recipes have been winners, but we have enjoyed several quite a bit and nothing has been inedible. i dropped it from 5 to 4 stars bc the nutritional content of the meals is not provided and thus i have to do a lot of math in order to figure out how much fat/calories are in each dish.

My sister-in-law recommended this book. She had prepared one recipe for a meal we shared during a recent visit and it was great. I asked for the receipe and she provided the title and said she had not found a bad recipe yet. I immediately ordered the book when I got home. My wife and I love this book. We keep going through it and writing down recipes we want to try. We have yet to find one that we don't like. Each is a repeat for the future

If you buy only one vegetarian cookbook, this is the one. There are no fancy pictures and the recipes are very basic, but I wore out my first copy and am now on my second. This must say something for it! It has not changed, either, for which I am thankful. The recipes cover a wide range of ethnic and North American dishes and there should be something there for everyone.

Trying to find a good all round vegetarian cookbook is quite a difficult task. Many of the vegetarian cookbooks I've come across are either gourmet and not really suitable for everyday meals or full of bland tofu recipes that resemble cardboard in taste and texture. Finding recipes that use only whole foods is even more difficult. I've only come across one or two good ones that had maybe a half dozen recipes that I could actually use in daily life. The rest were either extremely laborious or required fresh foods that weren't readily available in my area.

Then I stumbled across American Wholefoods Cuisine. I was intrigued with the notion of vegetarian recipes that contained all whole foods. I expected and would have been quite happy with a cookbook that gave me a dozen decent dishes to try. Therefore, when I received the book and it contained 1300 meatless whole foods recipes, I was thrilled beyond belief.

American Wholefoods Cuisine has already become one of my staple cookbooks, along with a few old standbys given to me by my mother and mother-in-law. This book has a lot of everything from quick tasty snacks that I can make in a few minutes to full gourmet meals that I can make when I'm in the mood. In between there are all sorts of appetizers, soups, sauces, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and baking treats. All easy to create with ingredients that I already have in my kitchen.

Most importantly, the food made from these recipes actually tastes good. For the first time in my life, I can eat completely healthy and not feel like I'm missing out on something. What's more, I have an ever-expanding group of young adults that are devouring everything I make as fast as I can cook.