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justiceofkalr's review
4.0
First off: hell yes to all those desserts! But also, more pictures please? Maybe I'm being greedy, but I'd love to see pictures of all this epic sounding food, not just some of it. There were a few recipes that made me raise an eyebrow ("unicorn" french bread pizza where the rainbow just comes from edible flowers? pass.) but overall there was some really tasty sounding food in here that looks like real food and not just non-stop salads.
annieb123's review
5.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Epic Vegan is a cookbook full of hearty and satisfyingly tasty classic plant based recipes with an American slant by Dustin Harder. Released 9th July 2019 from Quarto on their Fair Winds Press imprint, it's 192 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats.
As the author says in the introduction, plant based dishes have an undeserved reputation for being bland and boring. People who love bacon, Philly cheese-steaks, pizza, fried chicken, and BBQ burgers tend to think that vegan cuisine has nothing to tempt them. This book has recipes for all of the above and more.
The book is laid out logically. Staples and recipes for ingredients are followed by categories like beads, appetizers/snacks, handheld food (burgers, sandwiches, etc), pizza, pasta, soups/bowls, drinks, desserts, etc.
Some of the ingredients could prove difficult to source unless the reader has access to vegetarian specific ingredients or specialty suppliers. The rest of the ingredients should be buy-able at any well stocked large grocery.
There's a lot of humor and whimsy in the instructions and recipe names: the pastabilities are endless, cheesus take the wheel, etc. I found it amusing; serious foodies might take exception (lighten up, it's supposed to be fun).
I really feel that moving toward a plant based diet will solve a lot of problems for our resource management as well as provide positive health benefits for all of us. I do think that there is room for a cookbook based on 'cheater' recipes which attempt to replicate meat heavy dishes. I've only tried a handful of the included recipes but we found them tasty and anything but bland. The cover photo is a good indication of the style of recipes included in this cookbook.
Many (but not all) of the dishes are photographed and the photography is lush, clear, and beautifully appealing. I must say, however, that many of these recipes require quite a bit of prep-time. They are mostly 'cooking on the weekend' type recipes and not so much 'I worked all day, the dog threw up in the lounge, and my toddler is naked and running around with her undies on her head for the 34th time today' type recipes. I feel better for having said that (no judging here).
This is the go-to book for veg*ns who want to convince their omnivorous friends and family that plant based meals are not boring and bland.
Five stars, very well done. The flower petal unicorn french bread pizza is -really- beautiful (but all my friends took the petals off before they ate the pizza, cowards).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Epic Vegan is a cookbook full of hearty and satisfyingly tasty classic plant based recipes with an American slant by Dustin Harder. Released 9th July 2019 from Quarto on their Fair Winds Press imprint, it's 192 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats.
As the author says in the introduction, plant based dishes have an undeserved reputation for being bland and boring. People who love bacon, Philly cheese-steaks, pizza, fried chicken, and BBQ burgers tend to think that vegan cuisine has nothing to tempt them. This book has recipes for all of the above and more.
The book is laid out logically. Staples and recipes for ingredients are followed by categories like beads, appetizers/snacks, handheld food (burgers, sandwiches, etc), pizza, pasta, soups/bowls, drinks, desserts, etc.
Some of the ingredients could prove difficult to source unless the reader has access to vegetarian specific ingredients or specialty suppliers. The rest of the ingredients should be buy-able at any well stocked large grocery.
There's a lot of humor and whimsy in the instructions and recipe names: the pastabilities are endless, cheesus take the wheel, etc. I found it amusing; serious foodies might take exception (lighten up, it's supposed to be fun).
I really feel that moving toward a plant based diet will solve a lot of problems for our resource management as well as provide positive health benefits for all of us. I do think that there is room for a cookbook based on 'cheater' recipes which attempt to replicate meat heavy dishes. I've only tried a handful of the included recipes but we found them tasty and anything but bland. The cover photo is a good indication of the style of recipes included in this cookbook.
Many (but not all) of the dishes are photographed and the photography is lush, clear, and beautifully appealing. I must say, however, that many of these recipes require quite a bit of prep-time. They are mostly 'cooking on the weekend' type recipes and not so much 'I worked all day, the dog threw up in the lounge, and my toddler is naked and running around with her undies on her head for the 34th time today' type recipes. I feel better for having said that (no judging here).
This is the go-to book for veg*ns who want to convince their omnivorous friends and family that plant based meals are not boring and bland.
Five stars, very well done. The flower petal unicorn french bread pizza is -really- beautiful (but all my friends took the petals off before they ate the pizza, cowards).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
thewoollygeek's review
5.0
I am not a vegan or a vegetarian even, but oh my God these recipes look amazing. This book is full of food that looks amazing, sounds amazing and from the ingredients you can tell will be tasty. I tried the ‘fried chicken’ noodle soup tonight and it’s so tasty. The book is well laid out, easy to navigate with clear chapters and subheadings. It’s bright and attractive with appealing photos. I think this is one of the best cook books I’ve seen in a long time. Highly recommended (and this is from a non vegan). I think this will be great to encourage nay-sayers who pull their faces when you say vegan. Brilliant.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
khoar's review
3.0
Full disclosure: I am not a vegan, nor I am even a vegetarian. I am trying to eat less meat and a more plant-based diet.
The Quinoa Bacon Bits sound intriguing and the Avocado Sour Cream and Cinnadiction Rolls sound fantastic! The Garlicky Cheddar Biscuits sound like a great substitute for anyone who loves Red Lobster's biscuits. The Keepin' It Clean Bowl looks delicious, as do the Wonton Bowls with Garlic-Fried Quinoa.
(NetGalley ebook - I received a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
The Quinoa Bacon Bits sound intriguing and the Avocado Sour Cream and Cinnadiction Rolls sound fantastic! The Garlicky Cheddar Biscuits sound like a great substitute for anyone who loves Red Lobster's biscuits. The Keepin' It Clean Bowl looks delicious, as do the Wonton Bowls with Garlic-Fried Quinoa.
(NetGalley ebook - I received a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
gothicvamperstein's review
5.0
I found this vegan cookbook totally awesome, especially as it's a bit over the top at times. It basically shows that vegan food can be a lot of fun. It's basically "dedicated to all of the adults who still like to play with their food" and has recipes such as Unicorn French Bread Pizza, among other things.
annarella's review
5.0
I'm not a vegan but I'm on a semi-vegetarian diet and this book was full of interesting new ideas I will surely try.
The recipes are clear and well explained, the pictured gorgeous, the recipes mouthwatering.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
The recipes are clear and well explained, the pictured gorgeous, the recipes mouthwatering.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
loufillari's review
4.0
The descriptions of the dishes were mostly very amusing. Versatile recipes, wonderful pictures. Most importantly, this author is trying to feed me and these stunt foods all look and sound stellar.
crystalisreading's review
3.0
Epic Vegan is an ebullient, playful, fun cookbook, full of whimsical photography of the food and the author, and recipes that sound delightfully, unhealthily delicious, from the creator and host of The Vegan Roadie. This isn't a cookbook for people in a rush on a weeknight who need something easy to make, as the author states in his introduction. Instead, it's a joyful love letter to the fun of playing with food and to the decadent flavor possibilities of vegan food, flavors that are meant to be accessible to vegans and carnivores and every human in between. Harder calls this "stunt food", food that is extravagantly delicious and attention-getting. His playful, non-judgmental exuberance rings throughout the text and photos of the book and in his personal stories of life with his husband and his extended family and friends.
The only part of the book that didn't really strike me as consistent with its fun and joyful theme was the simple, sometimes dense, black font throughout the book. I gave up on trying to read the electronic advance copy I had, and waited til it came to my library instead. Even so, it can be hard on the eyes. As much photography as there is throughout the book, many recipes don't actually have an accompanying photo, so there can be page after page of dense black and white text.
The only other possible party pooping element of this book is if you have food allergies or other dietary restrictions. The author has apparently attempted to include less soy in his creations, but manages to do so by relying HEAVILY on gluten-containing products. Vital wheat gluten, all-purpose flour, bread crumbs, baked goods, and seitan are on heavy rotation in the recipes. Nuts, especially cashews, also figure heavily in the recipes. I wouldn't recommend these recipes to anyone who is trying to eat vegan for health reasons, either--they are full of refined and/or saturated fats, such as vegan mayo and coconut milk, and processed foods (although there are also many recipes for basic items that can be used in recipes throughout the book). These recipes are wild and over-the-top, as the cover says, and are meant to be fun and decadent and delicious, not healthy. There's no shame in that. It's just a consideration for any reader of the book.
Despite the elaborate, if playful recipes, this cookbook is actually quite practical. The kitchen equipment called for is fairly simple and standard--some pots and pans and a blender and food processor. There's a list of the more obscure ingredients mentioned throughout the book, with suggestions for acquisition or substitution, and cooking hacks featured throughout as well. The recipes are written up in an orderly and easy to understand way, with simpler recipes featured in the first section of the book, with progressively more complicated recipes in the following two sections. Many of the basic recipes, for sauces and other ingredients to later dishes, can be used on multiple recipes throughout the book, so you shouldn't be left standing with the remnant of a batch of Cheesiest Cheese Sauce or Aquafaba Whip that you don't know what to do with.
These recipes remind me somewhat of recipes by Chef Chloe Coscarelli, who has written several cookbooks I enjoyed and now has an eponymous line of fast casual restaurants. While they aren't healthful exactly, they offer a painless way ahead for those who want to eat vegan without sacrificing favorite tastes and textures, and may, as Harder says, serve as a guide to a healthier lifestyle. He says, "Vegans can create fun, irreverent, and exciting food too!"
While my health and dietary restrictions mean that I won't be trying the vast majority of these recipes, there are some, especially many basic recipes, that do sound worth trying for me. I'm especially intrigued by Quinoa Bacon Bits, Dreamy Creamy Cream Cheese, Carrot Lox, "Lobster" Rolls, Silky Sunflower Caramel Sauce, Carby Carbonara, Keep It Clean Bowl (a lettuce bowl! how have I not thought of that sooner?!), and I Try to Think About Elvis Ice Cream. I look forward to trying them and hopefully incorporating them into my plant-focused diet.
Thank you to #Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for letting me read an advanced copy of #EpicVegan in exchange for my honest opinion. If you're looking for fun and fanciful vegan dishes, and don't have a lot of dietary restrictions, I hope that you too will pick up a copy and check these recipes out.
The only part of the book that didn't really strike me as consistent with its fun and joyful theme was the simple, sometimes dense, black font throughout the book. I gave up on trying to read the electronic advance copy I had, and waited til it came to my library instead. Even so, it can be hard on the eyes. As much photography as there is throughout the book, many recipes don't actually have an accompanying photo, so there can be page after page of dense black and white text.
The only other possible party pooping element of this book is if you have food allergies or other dietary restrictions. The author has apparently attempted to include less soy in his creations, but manages to do so by relying HEAVILY on gluten-containing products. Vital wheat gluten, all-purpose flour, bread crumbs, baked goods, and seitan are on heavy rotation in the recipes. Nuts, especially cashews, also figure heavily in the recipes. I wouldn't recommend these recipes to anyone who is trying to eat vegan for health reasons, either--they are full of refined and/or saturated fats, such as vegan mayo and coconut milk, and processed foods (although there are also many recipes for basic items that can be used in recipes throughout the book). These recipes are wild and over-the-top, as the cover says, and are meant to be fun and decadent and delicious, not healthy. There's no shame in that. It's just a consideration for any reader of the book.
Despite the elaborate, if playful recipes, this cookbook is actually quite practical. The kitchen equipment called for is fairly simple and standard--some pots and pans and a blender and food processor. There's a list of the more obscure ingredients mentioned throughout the book, with suggestions for acquisition or substitution, and cooking hacks featured throughout as well. The recipes are written up in an orderly and easy to understand way, with simpler recipes featured in the first section of the book, with progressively more complicated recipes in the following two sections. Many of the basic recipes, for sauces and other ingredients to later dishes, can be used on multiple recipes throughout the book, so you shouldn't be left standing with the remnant of a batch of Cheesiest Cheese Sauce or Aquafaba Whip that you don't know what to do with.
These recipes remind me somewhat of recipes by Chef Chloe Coscarelli, who has written several cookbooks I enjoyed and now has an eponymous line of fast casual restaurants. While they aren't healthful exactly, they offer a painless way ahead for those who want to eat vegan without sacrificing favorite tastes and textures, and may, as Harder says, serve as a guide to a healthier lifestyle. He says, "Vegans can create fun, irreverent, and exciting food too!"
While my health and dietary restrictions mean that I won't be trying the vast majority of these recipes, there are some, especially many basic recipes, that do sound worth trying for me. I'm especially intrigued by Quinoa Bacon Bits, Dreamy Creamy Cream Cheese, Carrot Lox, "Lobster" Rolls, Silky Sunflower Caramel Sauce, Carby Carbonara, Keep It Clean Bowl (a lettuce bowl! how have I not thought of that sooner?!), and I Try to Think About Elvis Ice Cream. I look forward to trying them and hopefully incorporating them into my plant-focused diet.
Thank you to #Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for letting me read an advanced copy of #EpicVegan in exchange for my honest opinion. If you're looking for fun and fanciful vegan dishes, and don't have a lot of dietary restrictions, I hope that you too will pick up a copy and check these recipes out.
cate_ninetails's review
4.0
Full disclosure: I'm not a vegan. I'm not even a vegetarian, but admittedly I do enjoy working plant based meals into my repertoire. Even though I've never heard of Dustin Harder nor his TV show I was very much drawn to the cover and description of this book, which reminded me so much of the American diners that I enjoyed as a child. In fact as an adult living abroad I still gleefully visit retro American style diners that have sprouted up all over the UK. Epic Vegan is a love letter to that kind of jaw dropping, technicolour food. There are riffs on high street favourites like Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Auntie Anne's pretzels and a legendary cheddar biscuit that I'm almost certain is inspired by Red Lobster. I also loved the nostalgic comfort foods such as mac and cheese with a suggested topping of potato crisps or my personal favourite crab rangoon.
Alongside all the fun stackable foods I really appreciate the more refined recipes included for dinner party wow factor. A small gripe is that I would have liked more than just a lettuce bowl as a healthier option since surely healthy can be fun too? And I do wish that more recipes had their own accompanying photo however the ones that are included are both eye catching and fun. Because let's face it, if you're making a carbonara the final step is always to live your best Lady And The Tramp fantasy.
Alongside all the fun stackable foods I really appreciate the more refined recipes included for dinner party wow factor. A small gripe is that I would have liked more than just a lettuce bowl as a healthier option since surely healthy can be fun too? And I do wish that more recipes had their own accompanying photo however the ones that are included are both eye catching and fun. Because let's face it, if you're making a carbonara the final step is always to live your best Lady And The Tramp fantasy.
leolikesbooks's review
4.0
With its delicious looking recipes, this book helps making vegan cooking and baking more accessible, especially for people who aren’t used to cooking completely plant-based.
The recipes are - even while sometimes being over the top - more simple than many vegan recipes I’ve seen out there. In a good way. An example: a recipe calls for (vegan) mayonnaise. This cookbook just tells you to use store-bought (vegan) mayo instead of explaining how to make mayonnaise yourself. I loved that. Vegans don’t need to know how to diy all of their sauces, there’s stores for that. Most stores - at least here in Germany - already offer a lot of vegan products, and telling people how to make everything themselves overcomplicates things and makes veganism look more difficult than it actually is. Okay, done ranting.
While I wished there were a bit more pictures of the recipes, I’m really happy about this book and will definitely try out the „cinnadiction rolls“ soon.
- I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. -
The recipes are - even while sometimes being over the top - more simple than many vegan recipes I’ve seen out there. In a good way. An example: a recipe calls for (vegan) mayonnaise. This cookbook just tells you to use store-bought (vegan) mayo instead of explaining how to make mayonnaise yourself. I loved that. Vegans don’t need to know how to diy all of their sauces, there’s stores for that. Most stores - at least here in Germany - already offer a lot of vegan products, and telling people how to make everything themselves overcomplicates things and makes veganism look more difficult than it actually is. Okay, done ranting.
While I wished there were a bit more pictures of the recipes, I’m really happy about this book and will definitely try out the „cinnadiction rolls“ soon.
- I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. -