Happy Book Club Monday!

Every Monday I offer a book review and recommendation for my readers. I found that I was interrogating new acquaintances about books they recommended and decided that perhaps I should start a more socially acceptable forum for my cookbook and food book obsession.

(And consider this my public apology if I have ever cornered you and started demanding book titles. I am a writer and sometimes my social skills are lacking). 

Thus the Badger Girl Book Club was formed.

To read past books, check out the Badger Girl Book Shelf. I would also love to hear what you are reading and perhaps, what you would like to read in the future. So many books and so little time!

And with that, let’s get started…

This week’s book:

We are getting a bit of a late start in the Badger Girl household.

Here are the facts:

Manatee gave me a Kindle for Christmas.

Manatee wanted a Kindle for Christmas.

I bought a hot pink cover for said Kindle.

I guess you could say I was marking my territory.

It didn’t work.

Apparently, Manatee is man enough to read from a bright pink Kindle.

So, I was going to review In Defense of Eating this week but alas, it was on the hot pink Kindle which Manatee had no problem taking to work today, so instead we will do one of my favorite reference/cookbooks: Veganomicon.

I knew of this book for months. It was recommended to me by friends, it was referenced by other books I read, I knew it would be inevitable.

I signed up for it on BookSwim and when I received it, I sat down to look at it. Before I realized what was happening, I realized that I was reading it from cover-to-cover and I couldn’t stop. Isa and Terry were not only hilarious, but full of information about cooking and baking vegan-style.

I was hooked. I started experimenting with recipes and quickly realized that this was a must-buy for my cookbook collection. So I did and I think you should too.

Book Layout and Summary

The book begins with a short and to-the-point introduction. Immediately, you can tell that the authors are knowledgeable but don’t take themselves too seriously.

“Veganomicon. What does it mean? Is it the economic theory of eating tofu-dogs? Maybe an all meat-less convention? Of was it from that movie…that book Bruce Campbell finds in the woods and accidentally reads aloud, and then his dead girlfriend is flying laughing inside the cabin, and he suddenly has a chain-saw instead of a hand?”

The next forty pages are dedicated to reference material from stocking a vegan pantry (minus all the chemical-laden food substitutes!) to cooking terminology and some great information on cooking grains, beans, and vegetables. 

Then the recipes begin and things really get interesting. There are over 250 recipes in this bad boy. There are not pictures for every recipe and I would even go as far to say that pictures selected do not add much value to the cookbook. The recipes provide all of the value you need.

I also want to point out that Isa and Terry both strive to use all-natural ingredients whenever possible. This was a huge selling point for me!

Recipes

When I look back to trace the recipes I have made, I realize that I haven’t made any of the recipes to a tee. I have used this book more as a reference than an actual cookbook. When I want to make something, I start with Veganomicon and then cross-reference it with Millenium and online sources. From there, I develop my own creations.

Here are some of the recipes that were derived from Veganomicon originals without too much modification:

Marinated Mushrooms

 

Double Chocolate Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

 

So even though I haven’t made a ton of recipes to a tee, it is a go-to whenever I am doing my own cooking.

Points of Contention

I don’t have many points of contention. I think the recipes are great starting points and provide a great reference for anyone new to vegan cooking.

The baking sections rely on a lot of oil and use a lot of sugar. Many times I reduce the sugar and swap in applesauce for the oil.

There are some color pictures in my edition, but I think they look dated and don’t add a lot of value to the book. 

In Conclusion

If you have any interest in cooking vegan or dairy-free, this is a must-have reference book for your collection. Even when I don’t follow recipes to a tee, I always check with Terry and Isa first. And the best part? This book doesn’t make you feel stupid. You feel like you are in the kitchen, cooking with friends, and these friends have made the same mistakes you have made, only more times.

***************************

Have you used Veganomicon before? What are your favorite recipes?

Do you have any favorite reference cooking books? 

 


Print Friendly, PDF & Email