Cookbook Reviews - The (Almost) No Fat Cookbook

The (Almost) No Fat Cookbook: Everyday Vegetarian Recipes

The (Almost) No Fat Cookbook
Publisher: The Book Publishing Company
© 1995 by Bryanna Clark Grogan
ISBN: 0913990124

Review This Cookbook

Try out a Sample Recipe: Chile Sin Carne

From the Author

Bryanna Clark Grogan:

I love to cook, I love to eat good food, I love the animals and the earth, and I want to keep myself and my husband healthy. Those are my motivations, and they are just about in that order of importance.

I've cooked since before I can even remember, according to my mother (and I'm a 54 year-old grandmother now!), so cooking has always been something I love-- love to read about, love to do, love to share, love to write about. It kind of defines me, or part of me, anyway.! (More...)

Nice Extras:

Information on fat.
Some remarks about nutrition.
Information on children, fat and vegetarian diets.
Tips for eating out at various style restaurants.
Ingredients for a low-fat, vegetarian diet.
Information on steam-frying.
Ingredient glossary.

Reviewer: Søren from Copenhagen, Denmark:

This is Bryanna Clark Grogan's first book - concentrating not only on everyday vegan cooking but on extremely low-fat vegan cooking! Some people may immediately think this sounds as awfully self-neglecting as can be, but this set of recipes are bound to prove you wrong! Bryanna's a very innovative cook, and her main goal is to turn familiar dishes into vegan alternatives that 'meat-and-potatoes' people will enjoy as well ... so you'll find quite a few meat-analogues in this book (tofu, textured soy protein, seitan, and sometimes tempeh) - not all vegetarians approve of this, though I don't see why - if it's tasty, if it's healthy, and if it saves the animals, then why not? Bryanna's book covers all aspects of cooking - how to establish a pantry and how to make basics for a vegan cuisine - and recipes from starters, sandwiches, breakfast, soups, salads, main and side dishes, and desserts. I'm a fan of her breast of tofu (a/k/a tofu chicken) recipe, this has long become a staple in my kitchen, there's a range of tasty dips and spreads (a low-fat guacamole made with green beans and silken tofu - nobody will miss the avocados), her long- cooking chile sin carne with beans, frozen tofu and cocoa powder is extremely rich-tasting, and the best-ever tofu burgers are meaty, chewy and juicy, just as you'd want your burger! The desserts include tofu cheesecakes, ice creams and puddings, this is definitely a great book for everyday cooking. The only reason for not awarding it 5 stars is just because Bryanna surpassed herself with her excellent Italian and Chinese cookbooks.
If you want a similar cookbook that focuses a little less on tofu and soyfoods, go for Jo Stepaniak's Vegan Vittles.