Vegetarian Books

The Little Vegan Monsters' cookbook has fast become an essential element of my house's vegan kitchen. Despite an enormous library of other vegetarian cookbooks, I find myself referencing the Little Vegan Monsters' book again and again because of its ease of use, common ingredients (which are magically turned into incredible, creative meals), variety, and finished products. The recipes in the book range from traditional home-cooked favorites (think corn chowder, homemade tomato sauce) to eclectic and exciting new additions to your vegan recipe repertoire (an elegant tofu-mushroom quiche is a newly-discovered favorite). There are even a number of unique components to the book, including a children's recipe section, a plethora of gluten-free recipes, and heartwarming stories of the animals whom the authors have rescued. Canas-Jovel and Acock should be extremely proud of their efforts, and _everyone_ should consider this a must-have for his or her vegetarian kitchen.

I have used this cookbook for many years and have never been disappointed with the results. I even gave it as a gift to an aspiring vegetarian because I thought she would find what I have found that the recipes are consistently delicious and always gain praise from my family.

this is one of the foundational books on the biological basis and necessity of eating raw (ie, "living") foods in order to detox and maintain good health. cooking foods is great for flavor but kills all enzymes and hence places the body in an untenable position. the book very clearly shows not only why meat and dairy are poisons, but also shows how "cooked" veggies and vegans on seemingly "healthy" diets are missing the basic biological point. brian clement is the head of the world famous hippocrates institute and one of the spiritual heirs of dr ann wigmore, so this book speaks with great authority. cheers, jg

This book completely demystifies how to cook vegetarian/vegan with some of the more unusual ingredients, and why to buy from local organic farmers. The recipes are excellent, and the reference information expansive. Definitely add this one to your collection.

Since the publication of Love Your Body in 1972 (I still have my store-bought first edition), there have been many non-cook cookbooks - all welcome. I recently saw one - at Whole Foods (where the wealthy shop in California - good thing it's worker-owned - one might feel guilty - I always think about Fallujah when I'm there - esp. in the sumptuous Mill Valley store) pictures of a beautiful couple preparing live food dishes - lavish production. Cost : $40.00 something. I personally entertain no doubt that, one day, when we get over the `have/have not' hump (maybe `before', if we actually could plant enough fruit trees), we will all be thriving on diets of `living food' - perhaps Viktoras coined that phrase also. I am of the firm conviction that humanity will relegate flesh-food eating to the scrap-heap of obsolete practices - and, like its terrifying derivative, cannibalism, meat-eating will be practiced in but few remote regions of the planet. But, I also feel that such a transition will not be painless (i.e., there is a logical necessity impelling such a change). That being said, promulgators and inveterate customers of such high-minded, liberal institutions as Weinerschnitzal and McDonalds will inevitably find themselves pleasantly ensconced in such tranquil venues as cocytis as Dante envisioned it - icy rivers of innocently shed blood. Plus c'est change, plus ca meme.

The question which the book raises and eloquently and precisely answers in the affirmative is: Is there more to health than the moral basis of veganism? There is more - and that is where Viktoras Kulvinskas - in my opinion, the most profound biochemical researcher of the twentieth century, rises, unheralded to this day (much in the way of Thoreau - whom I sense must have had a similar presence), to our rescue. Of course, there is a moral afflatus. When Viktoras says, "Love your Body or leave it", he is stating categorical spiritual truth as well as material fact.

Viktoras' mastery of the facts is not to be discounted. This book not only changed my life, but saved it. When I first started eating primarily according to the regime suggested in Love Your Body, I was dying (not metaphorically) of a debilitating intestinal disorder. This disease had raged through my body and being for four years (ages 22 - 26). I had experienced the tortures of traditional slash and burn medicine to the nth degree cubed, deep down. Alone I stood, daily peering into the crack of doom. When I picked up Love Your Body, as simple and svelte as the volume is, I did not realize what would take me years to understand. For instance, I had to be physically shown how to make rejuvelac and grow wheatgrass. Yet, the instructions are clearly given here. When I first read the book, I didn't understand the importance of every aspect of the diet being described. However, by simply using the basic recipes - and eating strictly fresh and raw - with a lot of prayer - and a minimal degree of self-control - I began to heal. My testimonial is but one. Yet, know that I was desperate - and a high-enzyme diet of live food, juicy fruit (citrus, pineapple, watermelon juice - I learned to grate pineapple and watermelon to juice them from J. Lovewisdom - an old mentor of Viktoras), freshly juiced wheatgrass and sprouts, is the only diet that have I found to provide the biological equilibrium in which healing can occur. From my perspective, a live food diet appears to be pre-requisite to true health.

Love Your Body is much more than the first and best "post-modern" live food preparation manual - the book initiated a revolution not yet close to completion or fulfillment. If you are investigating the possibility of a live-food diet because you are sick - please, please buy this book - the information here is priceless. I would also say that perhaps the only way to survive a nuclear holocaust is through indoor gardening, breatharianism, and some form of yoga, and love (Viktoras' recipe). But who knows? Eh? All I know is, despite cooked food binges, and decades of stress, I'm still eating sprout soup - and I believe I always will. As they used to say in those letters - Thanks Vik! thank you for all the love love love love love love love thru lovein service ... forever.

LOVED THIS LITTLE BOOK WITH WONDERFULL RECEIPES, IMAGINATIVE AND IMPOSSIBLE. WHO EVER HEARD OF BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND GARLIC SAUCE, OR FAT FREE FRIED ONIONS, SPICY LENTIL AND ROOT VEGETABLE STEW. UNHEARD.

Nicely written book, easy to understand and with receipes that anyone could do. The ingredients are not too hard to get. The pictures are a bonus and make you feel excited about getting going. I like the durability of the book, it isnt going to fall apart with use.

This book was first published as 'Fast, Fresh and Fabulous' which was a much better title but presumably the publisher told the author that getting on the 'low-gi' bandwagon would help sales. Anyway, the recipes are great. My wife is a vegetarian but I am not and this is a cookbook that we both enjoy. The first chapter about nutrition for vegetarians is quite good and includes tips for pregnant women and for feeding babies and children.

Anyone who thinks that Vegans and Vegetarians have a bland diet has obviously not read this book. Far from your typical cook book, this will give you ideas that will take you to places that no other vegan resource has up until now. The author recognizes that vegetarians and vegans still crave variety. He also recognizes that they also want to enjoy traditional favorites, such as vegan hot dogs and hamburgers - and he shows you how to make them practically indistingusihible from the "real thing" in terms of taste. Vishny is the Lord Byron of the Vegan/Vegatarian world!

Everything about this book is delightful: the design, the writing, and, not least of all, the recipes. It is more than a book about African vegetarian cuisine, for Weisel also skillfully blends personal and cultural perspectives into the book. I especially like the story she tells of growing up in Liberia where "The Beautiful Girls are All Fat!" (p. 47). When Weisel came to America, she was glad she was appreciated for being thin. All the recipes seem to use only natural foods, and they all look great. It is a relatively short book, but a tremendous amount of love and thought went into it. The seeming simplicity of the book is one of the things that makes it so remarkable.