AllPhoneDeals.com

Delicious and approachable, even for omnivores

Customer Rating:
I am not vegan or even vegetarian. However, like many other Americans I am not a huge meat lover and for environmental and ethical reasons, am trying to cut down on the number of animal products I consume. Because of these intentions, I found this cookbook to be right up my alley. The book is quite approachable and is not overly preachy about veganism, which as an omni I find welcoming. What I love about these dishes is that they showcase that vegan dishes are not a poor man's substitute for meat, but in fact meals that are fantastic in their own right. These are meals that I gladly serve to my other meat eating friends without fear that the dishes might be labeled "weird" or "obscure." I have had great results with such dishes as the green tea ice cream, pineapple-cashew-quinoa-stir-fry, and chocolate chip brownie waffles. Meals like these will surely show vegan and non-vegan eaters that animal product free food can be indulgent, interesting, and all around delicious.
Taste value is usually number one to me when rating a cookbook, but there are other positives about this book that I think readers will appreciate. For one, there are quite a range of recipes influenced by a range of cultures and flavors. In addition, these recipes also range in the amount of time needed and their corresponding level of difficulty. As a result, there are recipes that could easily be tackled by beginning cooks as well as those that will appeal to more seasoned foodies. There is also a pretty in-depth section on kitchen basics covering everything from stocking a vegan pantry to cooking appliances to how to cook basics like beans and grains. This leads to a book that is part reference and part recipes. The result is a cookbook that will not just sit on your shelf, but will prove useful for both special occasion and everyday meals. I highly recommend it for vegans and non-vegans of all skill levels who want to make great animal product free meals that explode with flavor.

Amazing cookbook!

Customer Rating:
I love this book. I'm not vegan but I am about 99% vegetarian. I find veg*n food to be so versatile and interesting, and this book is no exception. My faves are pretty typical: chickpea cutlets, lemony roasted potatoes (I can't even find a Greek restaurant that makes better taters than these!), and the peanut eggplant soup. Oh, that soup is so good I could eat an entire pot by myself! Plus, it freezes well!

I also like that it's funny and includes a lot of kitchen tips. If you are not vegan, don't be afraid. You can "de-veganize" any of the recipes (although I'm sure it's frowned upon!) by using cow's milk and cheese where substitutes are called for.

So much fun!

Customer Rating:
I bought this book, along with Isa's 2 other cookbooks, and I love them all. The only downside is since I'm new to this lifestyle (vegan), I'm buying stuff that I dont normally keep on hand. I've made a handful of things out of here already...the corn chowder and the hot sauce glazed tempeh are AWESOME! I would definitely recommend this book!

Tired and True Cookbook!!

Customer Rating:
As a vegetarian cooking for my dairy allergic son, I found myself lost in the sea of "meat" substitutes. Enter VEGANMONICON. Every recipe I've tried has been fantastic, fairly easy to prepare, and did I mention, fantastic! I have always been curious about vegan cooking and now I have tried and true recipes to satisfy my curiosity and appetite- yum.

not a single recipe that includes cabbage. not a one!

Customer Rating:
I could not find a single recipe that includes cheap, eco-friendly, uber-healthful cabbage. Not a one! There isn't even a single entry for cabbage in the index! To put this into perspective, there are 19 index entires for potatoes, 9 for pumpkin, 4 for yuca, 3 for dill, 2 for lemongrass, 2 for dates, and 2 for agave nectar. But not a single entry for the veggie many cost-conscious vegan northerners use more frequently than many other, much more expensive options. Crazy!