***** While most vegan cookbooks are anemic, underfed volumes-some no-brainer pasta recipes, a few things to do with tofu, maybe some oddball desserts-this slam-bang effort from vegan chefs Moskowitz and Romero (Vegan with a Vengeance) is thorough and robust, making admirable use of every fruit and vegetable under the sun, without once asking readers to make do with fake meat products and egg replacements. Instead, the eccentric authors offer dozens of novel, delicious ways to get excited about eating meat-, dairy- and egg-free. Take Southwestern Corn Pudding, a winning casserole rich with coconut milk and an unexpected dash of maple syrup-a likely MVP at your next Thanksgiving (whether it's centered around turkey or tofu). Almost as addictive are Rustic White Beans and Mushrooms, which get their bite from fresh herbs, and Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions and Spiced Pita Crisps, a transcendent Middle Eastern comfort food. Vegan breakfasts get overdue attention: sitting in front of a hot stack of velvety Blueberry Corn Pancakes and hearty Blue Flannel Hash, who's going to miss the bacon? Best of all is the wide selection of terrific desserts: everything from Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies to decadent Caramel-Apple-Spice Cupcakes boldy fill the space where most eggless, milkless and butterless cookbooks fear to tread.

The recipes are amazing. The food is amazing. I feel like a genius borne from the flames from the fires of the kitchens of the vegans of the ancient worlds. Except, of course, the vegans of the ancient worlds didn't have such awesome inventions like food processors. If you want to become vegan, learn how to cook, and are willing to invest some time and money into quality groceries and (optionally) tools, this cookbook is a great addition to your library. ( )

This book was a revelation--fabulous recipes a notch up from most of my other vegan cookbooks. Moskowitz's humor comes through abundantly in the recipe chats, so there's no drudgery involved in following her recipes. Some of my favorites: lasagne, chick pea seitan, rosemary foccacia. My one disappointment is that, in my edition at least, the authors did not spend as much time on editing (or selecting a good editor) as on developing their recipes. There are a few typos and omissions that could lead to mistakes if the user is not careful. ( )

Veganomicon has a staggering number of recipes, mostly in the same vein and style as Vegan with a Vengeance. If you enjoyed Isa's first book, you'll enjoy this addition to the collection. ( )

Edited:

After owning this book for over a year, I am compelled to re-review it. It has had a lot less use than I thought it would. While the recipes look great in theory, many of them take an awful lot of time/are complicated. Now, I don't mind that kind of cooking now and then, but for a simple dinner it gets a bit much. Especially when there are plenty of alternatives out there that have easier, just as good, recipes. I think if I was going to recommend a vegan recipe book to friends, this would not be the first one that comes to mind.

Original review
I am tempted to label this as 'the only cook book a vegan will ever need' but most vegan cooks end up buying lots of cook books, so who am I kidding??

But if you do decide you are only going to have one cook book, this is the one. It covers everything you will need, including techniques and equipment, and is full of fantastic recipes. Unlike many other vegan recipe books, this is not full of recipes that call on 'meat substitutes' and the like, which is much appreciated by a non-US resident (yes, there are vegans outside of the US, and we may not have access to exactly the same ingredients as some others). But you don't really need 'meat substitutes' when you have access to this book.

I would also recommend this book as a gift to the family and friends of vegans, as I know they can often be a bit 'freaked out' at the thought of catering for vegans. The recipes in here are appetising and relatively easy - heck, even a non-vegan may list this one as a favourite! ( )