Cookbook Reviews - The Everyday Vegan

The Everyday Vegan
Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press, Limited
© 2001 by Dreena Burton
ISBN: 1551521067

Try out Sample Recipes: As-You-Like Muffins and Spicy Thai Stew

From the Author

Dreena Burton:

In my cookbook, The Everyday Vegan, I show that vegan foods can be incredibly delicious, and no more difficult to prepare than standard meals. I encourage people to have fun with my recipes and use their own creativity. This is how I cook. I often come up with new recipes by experimenting with different ingredients and combining flavors that I love.

These recipes offer something for everyone, including appetizers, hearty soups, comforting entrees, and truly delicious desserts! Try a few favorites like Sweet and Sour Neat Balls, Ginger Hoisin Rice Noodles, and Triple Layer Chocolate Cream Cake, and you’ll see why Ingrid Newkirk of PETA calls The Everyday Vegan “A flavor feast!”

Nice Extras:

Beautiful photographs of some of the dishes.
Personal stories about the author, her husband's parents and her friend Tanya. Describing their transition towards a more vegan diet and the health benefits associated with it.
Detailed information on ingredients (herbs, grains, flours, nuts, seeds, soy products, spices, seasonings, condiments, sweeteners and chocolate).
Nice cooking tips (preparing and marinating tofu, choosing potatoes, roasting garlic and peppers, cooking pasta, making breadcrumbs, toasting nuts and seeds, etc.).
Menu plans and quick meal ideas. Includes sample menus for special meals, a holiday feast and for picnics, potlucks and kids' birthday parties. Also includes great tips on how to make a quick potato, rice or pasta meal.
Nutritional information concerning the vegan diet. Includes information about protein, calcium, iron, vitamin B12 and heart disease.

Reviewer: Stacey Foley, Canada:

I picked up a copy of the Everyday Vegan at my local bookstore about 8 months ago when I was first learning to cook Vegan. As someone who loves to cook (and eat!)

I was eager to find a good vegan cookbook that could assist me with my family’s recent lifestyle change. As I leafed through the many books in the Vegetarian Section, I was drawn to Dreena’s book for a couple of reasons: 1. As someone with a notorious sweet tooth, I was drawn instantly to the last chapter where she features a great selection of wonderful desserts. 2. Her introduction, menu plans, and review of ingredients are excellent for someone like me who is just starting out in "re-outfitting" their kitchen. 3. And finally, in my belief of "shop locally," I was proud to be supporting a local author, from White Rock, BC (my hometown)!

Listed below are some of Dreena’s creations, which I have sampled over the past few months. I must confess right here and now that I have tended to make more of the recipes from the dessert section, but I will try to highlight some of the recipes from each section.

1. Divine Tofu Spread/Dip: Having many non-veg friends, I always try to bring along an appy or dish when invited out to a social gathering, as my non-veg friends are always quite stressed out as to what to make for the "veguns." I brought this tofu dip to a friend’s birthday party and no one even guessed it was tofu! (We all know how strange some people can get over tofu!). The trick with this dip as with most, is to make it a day before so the flavors have a chance to meld together. I didn’t bake this one, but give it a try as Dreena suggests, as I am sure it would turn out even tastier!

2. Eggless Sandwich Filling: This has quickly become an excellent standby for quick lunches! Make ahead and keep handy in the fridge. Don’t be afraid to test out variations.

3. Roasted Red Pepper Sauce: This is a delicious pasta sauce. I love it with rotini and some lightly sautéed vegetables and olives! This is a great recipe for this time of year when red peppers are bountiful and relatively inexpensive at the farm markets. Add a little firm tofu and seasonings to any leftover pasta sauce, and voila you have an excellent dip for fresh veggies!

4. Roasted Veggie Feast: I didn’t have all of the ingredients this recipe called for, but it did inspire me to play around and come up some wonderful variations. A roasted veggie feast makes for a nice and simple meal on those cold winter nights. I like to add lots of potatoes, squash and yams so I get my comfort food quotient in. Don’t be afraid to make extra, as leftover roasted veggies are great the next day in salads and sandwiches.

5. Sweet ’n Sour Neat Balls: I haven’t actually made this recipe but a few of my fellow vegan friends have tried this one out and have told me that this is definitely a winner!

Now on to the desserts! Here are some definite winners, which were fairly easy to make and have turned out fabulous. I have to admit that some vegan cookbooks feature dessert recipes that seem quite complicated, or have bizarre ingredients. Furthermore, some of the recipes I have tried out either online or from other cookbooks have had terrible results! All of Dreena’s desserts consistently have turned out how they should be —delicious, without the heaviness, chewiness, or strange aftertaste that some of my previous failed vegan dessert recipes have had.

The sweet tooth winners are (in no particular order): Maple Banana Loaf, Blueberry Ice Cream, Bill-Friendly Cookies, Marie’s More-ish Brownies and la pièce de résistance — the Triple Layer Chocolate Cream Cake! Now don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying that the other dessert recipes are not winners, I just haven’t tried them yet!

All in all, I would definitely recommend picking up a copy of The Everyday Vegan. Her recipes are easy to follow, well explained, and offer great suggestions and variations on the side panels. This is a must have if you like to entertain as her recipes are easily presented to look and taste great on any dinner table! Now I’m just waiting for her to come out with another book!