What Would You Recommend?
Posted by larisuena on Nov 27, 2009 · Member since Jun 2009 · 461 posts
What would you recommend for two starter cookbooks? I'm going on 5-6 months of veganism and own Cooking The Whole Foods Way by Cristina Pirelllo. I rarely use it though because I find it to complicated and have trouble finding ingredients. I want a book that has easy to find ingredients with easy steps. I love to cook and bake but, I get antsy when something has a lot of steps to it. Also, I want a book that uses mainly whole foods and not a lot of tofu because I rarely eat or buy it. I value your opinions. Thanks to everybody. I was kinda looking at the Peta Student Handbook.
I think the Sarah Kramer books "How It All Vegan", La Dolce Vegan and The Garden of Vegan are relatively uncomplicated.
The Accidental Vegan has relatively easy recipes as well.
I'm giving away my age, but an oldie, but goodie is "Simply Vegan" by Debra Wasserman......lives up to it's title. My copy is from the early 90's but I think it's been revised over the years.
i second how it all vegan or the garden of vegan. how it all vegan was my first vegan cookbook and i used it allll the time. i'd also recommend vegan planet. it is just so huge (400 recipes) that you are bound to find several in there that could become staples. and theyre all so basic too. really easy to make.
Thanks
Veganomicion
"Conveniently Vegan" by Debra Wasserman is a great cookbook for fast, easy meals. All of the recipes have only a few very simple, straightforward instructions. The recipes use convenience foods like canned beans and frozen vegetables, but of course you could make those fresh if you like (and have the time).
This isn't a comprehensive vegan cookbook with recipes for everything, though. just a nice collection of recipes. There are main dish recipes using seitan, tempeh and tofu, but they are not the bulk of the recipes. She gives some menu suggestions for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a list of recipes high in calcium and iron. The book says it has 150 recipes in it.
How It All Vegan. It was my first vegan cookbook and is still well-used and well-loved.
veganomicon is GREAT! i <3 it
I started with How It All Vegan, and thats a great one, I still use it. Also Vegan With A Vengeance, or Vegancomicon. both are good.
If you want quick vegan meals I think you can't go past "The 30 Minute Vegan" by Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray. You may find a few more that you like at a blog I have put together that reviews vegetarian and vegan cookbooks. www.vegetariancookbooksite.com
I'll put in another vote for Veganomicon. I gave it to my mentee's family as a gift when they decided to go vegan a few months ago, and his mom shared with me nothing but rave reviews. She's cooking for a 10 y/o and 12 y/o too, so that really says something! I love that book.
Thank You. Any ideas for Raw books?
I'd say Ani's Raw Food Kitchen, Ani's Raw Desserts, or the Raw UnCookbook. I don't have any myself, but I too am interested in getting them...and they're the ones I've been looking into :)
Veganomicion
This is my favorite book, but if she has troubles finding ingredients in "cooking the whole foods way" she will certainly have troubles finding ingredients in this book too.