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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
This cookbook is probably the only reason why I can cook. Make any of these recipes and you'll feel like you can open a restaurant, no problem.
i am mostly interested in vegan food that doesn't contain a whole bunch of items that either i don't already have in my pantry or are completely unfamiliar with. this book is pretty good in that arena, although it tends to be on the gourmet side, which is not entirely practical for everyday use. if i find three recipes that become staples, it'll have been worth it for me. so far, i can count "baked potatoes & greens soup" as #1. that was very, very yummy.
everything i've made update:
the chickpea cutlets are ACES!!!
the mushroom gravy goes well with them.
i found the chocolate chocolate chip cookies to be a bit too oily, but tasty.
the almost all american seitan pot pie was good--the filling was nice; the crust would have been better had i rolled it thinner. BUT it's a major timesuck if you try to make it all in one day.
the recipe for homemade seitan, used in the pot pie & on its own, seemed too loose, so i added about another 1/3 cup of gluten flour. my seitan ended up okay, but not as good as storebought, and i'm wondering if it would have been better had i boiled it when it was looser. i wish there was a helpful phrasing to let me know, such as "dough should be the consistency of batter"--or not.
i used the garlic roasting instructions provided in the intro & it worked great.
the caesar salad dressing was way too garlicky for my tastes; i would half the garlic for regular use, but it's perfect as is for the medicinal qualities, say if you're trying to fend off a cold with raw garlic intake.
i didn't care for the way the homestyle potato rolls recipe was written; it was a little difficult to follow toward the end. i didn't understand that they were making pullapart rolls, so putting three balls in each hole of a muffin tin boggled my mind. also, the instructions say to roll the dough out to two ropes about 14 to 16 inches long, and then cut them into 1 1/2 to 2 inch slices, forming into balls the size of walnuts. when i did this, my ropes must have been WAY fatter, because my balls (heh heh) were the size of tennis balls. i ended up ditching the instructions, making them into buns, and had a bunch of flat buns. they were tasty enough, but a bit burned underneath, and oily, like too much vegan baking seems to be.
the banana-wheat germ muffins were good, but had a little acidity or something to them, almost like you could taste the baking powder. still edible.
wow, i guess i made a lot! and the good thing is that there's still more that i'm excited to try. definitely a 5-star book.
everything i've made update:
the chickpea cutlets are ACES!!!
the mushroom gravy goes well with them.
i found the chocolate chocolate chip cookies to be a bit too oily, but tasty.
the almost all american seitan pot pie was good--the filling was nice; the crust would have been better had i rolled it thinner. BUT it's a major timesuck if you try to make it all in one day.
the recipe for homemade seitan, used in the pot pie & on its own, seemed too loose, so i added about another 1/3 cup of gluten flour. my seitan ended up okay, but not as good as storebought, and i'm wondering if it would have been better had i boiled it when it was looser. i wish there was a helpful phrasing to let me know, such as "dough should be the consistency of batter"--or not.
i used the garlic roasting instructions provided in the intro & it worked great.
the caesar salad dressing was way too garlicky for my tastes; i would half the garlic for regular use, but it's perfect as is for the medicinal qualities, say if you're trying to fend off a cold with raw garlic intake.
i didn't care for the way the homestyle potato rolls recipe was written; it was a little difficult to follow toward the end. i didn't understand that they were making pullapart rolls, so putting three balls in each hole of a muffin tin boggled my mind. also, the instructions say to roll the dough out to two ropes about 14 to 16 inches long, and then cut them into 1 1/2 to 2 inch slices, forming into balls the size of walnuts. when i did this, my ropes must have been WAY fatter, because my balls (heh heh) were the size of tennis balls. i ended up ditching the instructions, making them into buns, and had a bunch of flat buns. they were tasty enough, but a bit burned underneath, and oily, like too much vegan baking seems to be.
the banana-wheat germ muffins were good, but had a little acidity or something to them, almost like you could taste the baking powder. still edible.
wow, i guess i made a lot! and the good thing is that there's still more that i'm excited to try. definitely a 5-star book.
So much information and yummy recipes packed into this volume! Can't wait to get cooking.
Really good recipes and easy to find things format, but complicated to make. For me, at least. Would be great if I had more time.
I like this book. Yes, you read it correctly. I like it. I'm not in love with it as I have seen many other reviews. There have been some recipes that, in my opinion, are staples and this book does not cover them. Also, at times I think it assumes that you are experienced in the kitchen and forgets the basics. So, as a new vegan I do use it but I have been forced at times, not that I'm upset about it..... I have been forced to "make things up."
Having said that, I recommend the book. It's a good source for the new vegan. There are some staples in the vegan kitchen that I would have had no clue where to buy.
Having said that, I recommend the book. It's a good source for the new vegan. There are some staples in the vegan kitchen that I would have had no clue where to buy.
I like this cookbook. It has lots of things that I want to cook in it. Of course I habitually add cheese so I am not exactly cooking in the spirit of the cookbook. but yummy stuff.
love this. its absolutely wonderful. i love that the entire beginning of the book is dedicated to keeping a well stocked kitchen with how-tos on lots of vegan "staples." i have a long list of recipes that i still need to try, but it must go back to the library now.
going on my book-to-buy list.
going on my book-to-buy list.
this is a good one, just wish there was less soy shit, because I'm trying to stay away from soy. But you can always substitute rice milk for soy. :)
I haven't had the chance to make nearly as many recipes as I'd like to from this book yet, but I'm giving it a tentative five stars and will amend that if necessary.
I tried to test a variety of recipes from different sections of the book so I could get a good overall feel for it. If there's a dud in this book, I ain't found it yet!
I especially enjoy the additions of unique ingredients and textures that give the recipes more complex flavors.
I also appreciate that the cooking times in the recipes are just about right on. So many cookbooks I've used are just wrong as far a times to saute and simmer and so on.
The one drawback for me is that the book is heavy on tofu, tempeh, and seitan recipes. I can't even stand to be in the same room with seitan! But I can't fault the authors for including these recipes, because many vegans eat a lot of these products. I only eat tofu and tempeh occasionally, but I'm sure I'll enjoy those recipes when I try them.
I tried to test a variety of recipes from different sections of the book so I could get a good overall feel for it. If there's a dud in this book, I ain't found it yet!
I especially enjoy the additions of unique ingredients and textures that give the recipes more complex flavors.
I also appreciate that the cooking times in the recipes are just about right on. So many cookbooks I've used are just wrong as far a times to saute and simmer and so on.
The one drawback for me is that the book is heavy on tofu, tempeh, and seitan recipes. I can't even stand to be in the same room with seitan! But I can't fault the authors for including these recipes, because many vegans eat a lot of these products. I only eat tofu and tempeh occasionally, but I'm sure I'll enjoy those recipes when I try them.
This is not just a great vegan cookbook; it's a great cookbook in general. I am a sometimes vegan/vegetarian and when I do eat meat, I eat it on the side. I am always looking for great cookbooks that focus on a plant-based diet that will satisfy both me and my meat loving boyfriend. If you think you don't like vegan cooking, this book will change your mind. So many interesting and flavorful recipes and the tips and instructions are quite detailed, so it leaves very little room for error. The asparagus and lemongrass risotto was a hit at our house and I'm making the lemon bars today. Can't wait to get through(and enjoy) more of the recipes.