Review by Booklist Review
When people adopt a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, they often find they miss those dishes they enjoyed in their processed foods and meat eating days. One can try making their favorite dishes by substituting vegetables or grains, but they don't always come out quite right. Even basic dishes like mac and cheese, spaghetti, ice cream, brownies, potato skins, and whipped cream can taste off when the right ingredients are not used. Then along comes a cookbook like Easy. Whole. Vegan. by Melissa King, and everything changes. Recipes become easier and dishes tastier. Ingredients are easy to get, and dishes are fun to make. The suggested kitchen tools, if one does not already have them, are simple to acquire. Explore the salted caramel sauce drizzled over the peach crumble and topped with the coconut whipped cream: delicious! These are just a few of the awesome recipes that vegans and vegetarians will swoon over.--Gibson, Gerri Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
After both daughters endured harrowing digestive-related illnesses as infants and toddlers, King (DIY Nut Milks, Nut Butters & More), vegetarian for years, in 2012 switched to vegan, "clean" eating-a plant-based diet eschewing processed foods. King claims improved health for all four family members, notably younger daughter Olive, who had the most serious issues. The insistence on whole foods distinguishes the book, a nice change from the reliance on packaged and processed found in others mining a similar vein. Recipes are sensibly classified as "Easy" (slow-cooker), "Make Ahead," or "Entertain." The "Make It Yummy" chapter covers some of the most vital vegan preparations, such as macadamia nut cheese sauce, cashew cream, and coconut whipped cream. A few problems persist, most concerning cooking nuts and bolts-e.g., a vegetable stock recipe calling for six hours' cooking over high heat, specifying "medium saucepan" rather than griddle or similar for pancakes, or suggesting Hatch chiles, which can be very hot indeed, as a no-heat substitute. These missteps will be discouraging for beginning cooks, likely the book's target audience. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
By adopting a gluten-free and vegan diet devoid of processed foods, King (DIY Nut Milks, Nut Butters & More) says, she and her family were able to overcome several serious health conditions. Here, the author shares quick and make-ahead recipes including Moroccan carrot salad, cinnamon roll muffins, white bean and zucchini burgers, and macadamia nut cheese sauce that encourage busy readers to try a similar lifestyle. There are whole chapters devoted to slow cooker and refrigerator-friendly recipes, as well as chapters on sauces, smoothies, and dishes that will feed a crowd. King's focus on low-stress, time-saving techniques recalls titles such as Katie Workman's Dinner Solved!, but the author's recipes are geared toward a very specific audience. VERDICT A nice selection of everyday recipes for those who can't eat dairy or gluten and are interested in ingredients such as chia and flax seeds, coconut oil, and hemp hearts. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
