Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero, Isa Moskowitz, Terry Romero
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Book Reviews of Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook
Book Review: Vegan or Not, Try this cookbook!
Summary: 5 Stars
When we purchased this cookbook, my wife was a vegetarian, and I was your standard omnivore. I do all the cooking in the house, and thought I would purchase this book to expand our horizons. Wow, great recipes, very detailed instructions and some valuable basic cooking information that has been helpful in developing my skills in the kitchen. Since buying the book, I am now a devoted vegetarian and have not looked back. We use the book for basic recipe structure, and then either leave the recipe as vegan or add some extra items that render it vegetarian. Either way, amazing! Give the book a shot, you won't regret it. Book Review: For gourmet vegans only
Summary: 3 Stars
I was disappointed, primarily because I'm a new Vegan, and a busy mom. If I was young, single and hip (and living in New York City) I would probably have loved this book. I did get some great information from the first few chapters about Vegan staples and how to prepare vegetables, etc. The book also provides some good background information about "alternative" grains like millet and quinoa. Other than that I've made 1 recipe. This is gourmet cooking for the long time Vegan who's looking to add some variety or wants to cook for other people and impress them with amazing dishes. In fairness, it looks like many of the dishes would be fantastic is that's what you're looking for. Be prepared to visit several specialty stores (again, fine if you're in NYC, impossible if you're in rural America) and spend a lot of time. "Quick recipes" are marked with a special symbol when they take less than 45 minutes. As a mother of a young child I don't spend that much time cooking dinner unless it's Thanksgiving. In addition, much of the humor is aimed at people who live in NYC (which I have visited many times. It's the best city in the world, and in my opinon has the friendliest people - if that's a shocker you haven't spent enough time there. Go Yankees!) or people who read the first book and care about what Isa's grandmother thinks. It's a lovely book, but only for a limited audience.Book Review: Eat this -- you'll like it
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this book for a couple of weeks, and I kept flipping through it, unsure of what to make. I'm a vegetarian, but not a vegan, and this is my first vegan cookbook. Perhaps subsequently, it was the first time I realized that you can actually *make* seitan, as opposed to buying it. Once I saw that, I ordered the few ingredients necessary to make it, and then purchased the other ingredients needed to complete the seitan picatta recipe. I spent three hours last night making first the seitan, and then the seitan picatta. Some might say that's too time consuming, but I enjoyed the process. Also, it wouldn't have taken nearly as long if I'd made the seitan ahead of time.
Anyway, I don't know what made me pick picatta as the first recipe to try, seeing as how I'm not a huge fan of shallots or capers, and I hate olives. But...it was OUT OF THIS WORLD! The combination of homemade seitan, breaded and panfried, and then this sauce...this amazing sauce! Put a bunch of things together that I don't like, and they somehow make something I fell in love with -- that's a magical book. :) I would completely and unreservedly make this recipe for a meat-eater, fully expecting them to love it, too.
I can't wait to try other recipes. Don't be intimidated by the recipes that seem a little complicated or foreign, just give them a try. Also, if you're someone who actually enjoys the process of cooking (or wants to) as opposed to someone who tries to slam out meals quickly in order to be done with it, that's a further recommendation for Veganomicon. I really can't say enough wonderful things about this amazing book.
Book Review: fabulous cookbook
Summary: 4 Stars
this cookbook is comprehensive, full of wonderful vegan recipes and is well written (and funny). I am so glad i bought it!!Book Review: Buy it. Read it. Laugh. Cook. Eat. Smile!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is not just a cookbook, it is a fun-to-read, text-book-sized instruction manual on how to use your vegan kitchen and almost everything in it. Not only are these recipes tasty (the ones I've had time to try, listed below), they are thoroughly explained, step-by-step, in a delightfully humorous fashion. My boyfriend was teasing me for "reading" a cookbook, but I just couldn't put it down! I have read it cover to cover since last Friday when I received it, and I am thoroughly impressed.
As a relatively new vegan, I'd been suffering through trying to "veganize" standard recipes with fake meats and fake cheeses with marginal success. This book moves beyond using store-bought fake ground beef, etc and gives you home-made, unique, and delicious alternatives. So far I have made the Almesan (vegan parmesan topping - YUM!), marinara sauce (so delicious and easy that I will never buy sauce in a jar again!), tofu ricotta (wow, it even looks like ricotta!), spinach lasagna (my omni boyfriend LOVED it), and jelly donut cupcakes (big hit at work).
The book starts out with an introduction on the terminology and a description of some of the "unusual" ingredients with which a new-ish vegan may not be familiar. Then there are 3 sections on basic things you need to know to be successful in the kitchen before you try a recipe - "How to cook a bean," "How to cook a grain," and "How to cook a vegetable." If you don't learn something from these sections, then you probably don't need to buy a cookbook to begin with and should just open your own restaurant immediately!
While some of the recipes are decidedly "gourmet," this manual is filled with so many great tips that go along with the plethora of recipes, and tips for vegan kitchen use in general that you should be successful even if you've never boiled water before. However, the style of the writing makes the in-depth descriptions interesting even if you are an advanced cook who doesn't need all the details provided.
My recommendation: Buy it. Read it. Laugh. Cook. Eat. Smile!
Update (8/28/2008): I have since originally writing this review made the Cashew Ricotta (used it in manicotti), Tempeh Shepherdess Pie, and Mac Daddy MacnCheese - I really enjoyed all of them.