Here are some short reviews of the cookbooks pictured above.
Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar (co-authored)
- The tiny square trilogy of vegan dessert cookbooks are amazing as
well as being cute. Recipe include drop cookies, wholesome cookies,
bar cookies, fancy cookies and rolled cookies. This is THE book for
vegan cookie monsters. Favourite Recipe: Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip
Cookies
Vegan Pie in the Sky (co-authored) - This book
came out while both authors were working on independent projects and
it shows in the quality and breadth of recipes included. Most of
these recipes are actually cobblers and not pies. Additionally, most
are fruit pies which are easy for the home cook to veganize from
traditional recipes. I purchased this book to complete the trilogy!
Favourite Recipe: Pucker Up Raspberry Pie
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (co-authored)
- This is the first in the dessert trilogy and by far the best.
Published in the height of cupcake mania it includes a vast array of
cupcake and frosting recipes. It may seem passe now but this cookbook
really revolutionized vegan desserts. Favourite Recipe: Mucho
Margarita Cupcakes
Vegan Brunch (Isa Chandra Moskowitz) - I
pre-ordered this cookbook (first time I have ever done that) and was
very disappointed in the quality and creativity of the recipes
included in this cookbook. The recipes appeared poorly tested and I
experienced many disappointments in the kitchen. So many in fact that
I have traded this book for another! Favourite Recipe: Buckwheat
Waffles
Vegan with A Vengeance (Isa Chandra Moskowitz) - This
is a well used cookbook and was the first of Isa's cookbooks. It is a
funny basic cookbook that covers a wide variety of different food
styles from Jerk Seitan to Green Thai Curry. Favourite Recipe:
Chocolate Pudding
Veganomicon (co-authored) - The subtitle of this
tome is 'The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook'. The depth and breadth of the
recipes in this cookbook make it a modern classic. Additionally, the
index in this book is great which makes it very easy to look up a
recipe. If you are going to buy just one cookbook, this is the one!
Favourite Recipe: Chile Cornmeal-Cursted Tofu Po'Boy
Viva Vegan! (Terry Hope Romero) - Terry's
first solo cookbook is a Latin Dream with recipes tamales, tortillas,
and churros. I have really enjoyed cooking new-to-me recipes such as
tamales (which have become a comfort food staple!) Favourite Recipe:
Pickled Red Onions
Vegan Eats World (Terry Hope Romero) - A
recent publication Vegan Eats World is full of interesting classic
international recipes that allows vegans to travel the world through
the kitchen. I have not made that many dishes from this book but
those I have have been interesting with complex flavours. One thing I
do not understand is her decisions regarding the naming of dishes.
She refers to the French flatbread Socca as 'chickpea crepes' while
both naan and roti are called as such. It seems arbitrary.
Favourite Recipe: Potato Pierogi with Fried Onions
Isa has another cookbook - Appetite for Reduction
- which after my disappointment with Vegan Brunch I have not
purchased. (She also has a soon-to-be-released Isa Does It.)
When I leafed through Appetite it seemed similar in style and
coverage to Veganomicon and also included ideas for salads and bowls
that I can create without a recipe. I enjoy Terry's solo books of
international recipes as they challenge the palate and the mind.
While the creativity of these authors (especially Isa) has waned
in recent years perhaps due to publishing deadlines, as a duo they
can still rock the vegan cookbook world! Cookbooks like Veganomicon
and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World have encouraged vegans with
tasty, approachable, and reliable recipes for years.
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