Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I love Vegetarian Times. I assumed I'd love this book. I wanted to love this book. But I just don't. I didn't even notice the mistake with the eggs yet (as I've learned from other reviews), so it has nothing to do with that. I think that if your main focus in eating vegan is simply to avoid animal products, you might be OK with this. But part of why I eat vegan is for the health benefits, and for me that includes reducing my dependence on processed or prepared foods -- even vegan processed or prepared foods. There was just too much of that in here. I can figure out on my own how to substitute veggie crumbles for ground beef. I can grasp how to substitute vegan mozzarella shreds or vegan Parmesan for real mozzarella or real Parmesan. I don't need a cookbook for that. I felt very much like some of these recipes were simply pulled from the VT archives and converted. They're not vegan, they're veganized. Big difference. I'm not saying that every recipe includes processed stuff, but a lot of them do.
Many also rely on frozen veggies. I'm sure the intention there is to speed things up. But the fact is, I personally dislike the taste and texture of most frozen vegetables (except peas and edamame) so I prefer to cook with fresh.
Overall - apart from the issues I've already mentioned - I was surprised that very little in this collection excited me or fired up my imagination or made say "Wow! I can't wait to try that!" It just wasn't there for me. Even the pictures, which are nice, didn't help me shake my overall lack of enthusiasm for the recipes. I own dozens of veg and vegan cookbooks. And it's never even crossed my mind to return one before. But I see very little point in keeping this one. (Although that Morning Glory loaf does look pretty decent.)
Interestingly, I bought another newly released vegan cookbook at the same time, and my reaction has been the complete opposite - I can barely put the darn thing down before I wind up picking it up again and daydreaming about what to try next. Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes, has really knocked my socks off, and my 3-week-old copy is already covered in cooking spatters. I've made at least 15 of the recipes, every one good. They aren't fancy-schmantzy for the most part. Just good, easy, straightforward, super-tasty stuff that you could actually make on a Wednesday night after work with the stuff you already have on hand (assuming that stuff like quinoa and nutritional yeast are things you typically have on hand). To my amazement, even my omnivore spouse and my uber-picky omnivore mother have given the thumbs up to the recipes I've made from it. I can't recommend it enough.
But I'm sad that I didn't have that kind of chemistry with VT's Everything Vegan.
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A diverse and delicious collection of vegan recipes from the experts at Vegetarian Times magazine
Whether they're vegan for a day, a week, a lifetime, or even just for lunch hour, the demand among vegans for deliciously satisfying animal-free recipes has never been greater. Vegetarian Times Everything Vegan is the something-for-everyone vegan cookbook with hundreds of tasty, healthful recipes that will woo omnivores to the possiblities of plant-based eating while wowing committed vegans and vegetarians.
Beautifully illustrated and accompanied by a thoughtful and informative Foreword by noted authority Neal D. Barnard, MD, Vegetarian Times Everything Vegan is a must-have resource for anyone who lives vegan, loves cooking, or is looking for healthy meal ideas with proven weight-loss benefits. Inside, you'll find:• 250+ easy, healthful recipes with nutrition information• 50+ beautiful full-color photos• Features, tips, and sidebars that provide helpful hints on food shopping, prepping ingredients, and speeding up cooking times
Sample Recipes Seitan Satay with Peanut Sauce
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