Vegan with a Vengeance

[Tigress]

Anyone got this book and if so is it worth buying ?

The writers are bringing out a book full of cupcake recipes end of Oct, I will buy that purely for the pictures :)

[absentmindedfan]

The recipes are very American, if that makes sense. Different cultural influences to the UK and the recipes reflect that.
However it is a good book, with some great recipes in it. It's a bit slim though for the money, La Dolce Vegan is better value for money IMO.

[Tigerlily]

I really want to get it.

[Wildflower]

I bought it and LOVE IT!

The recipes are just my style - pretty simple, simple ingredients, not a lot of fussiness. I hate it when I buy cookbooks that have recipes with 40 ingredients - all of which you just need a pinch or a tablespoon of - it is such a waste in my opinion, as I can't just go to the store and buy those quantities.

I also really like that the book doesn't have a lot of asian influence - many veg cookbooks have seaweed, umeboshi vinegar, soysauce, etc in every recipe. A lot of those things are hard to find, and I don't like them in absolutely everthing.

5 stars from me!

I should also add that the cookbook has no recipes that include packaged/processed foods like fake meat, fake cheese, etc. The author said she made a point not to include those because they are expensive, and not found everywhere. The only packaged foods are soymilk, tofu, tempeh and a few call for soy margarine. You technically can make these things at home, if needed. Also, there is a recipe for seiten in the book and a few recipes that call for it.

My favorite recipe so far is the Coconut-Macadamia Nut-Ginger-Carrot Cake with coconut cream frosting. It is to die for! I sent a cake with my boyfriend to work, and all the guys loved it. then he told them it was completely vegan and they were shocked! One guy even asked to borrow the cookbook for his veg daughter. Other recipes I have tried are the Tempeh Bacon, Portabella Mushroom, Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Red Peppers and Chipotle Black Bean, Corn and Potato Stew, and maybe a few others I can't think of right now. I just got this book a few weeks ago, and then was without it while my boyfriends co-worker was borrowing it, so I am still trying the recipes out. I really like it though!

[Tigerlily]

This book is on my wishlist. :D I'm going to coax my boyfriend into buying it for me.

[Wildflower]

Make him buy it for you Tigerlily!

I read the thing cover to cover, and keep carrying it around everywhere to look through! There are just soooo many recipes I want to try out!

[Tigerlily]

Are there any pictures?

[Wildflower]

Just a few in the middle section, but they are full color and beautiful ones.

Let's see...pictures include Tempeh Bacon and "Fronch" toast, Lemon Corn Waffles with Blueberry Sauce, Matzoh Ball soup, Spanakopita (spinach pies), Fresh Mango Summer Rolls, Mushroom and Sun Dried Tomato Risotto, Isa Pizza (with Tofu Basil Ricotta), Green Thai Curry, Faustess Cupcakes (a take off on those chocolate Hostess Cupcakes - Do they have those in Canada?), Lemon Gem Cupcakes and Ginger-Macadamia-Coconut-Carrot Cake.

So, yeah...not too many pics seeing as how the book has 150 recipes. I haven't found too many cookbooks with a lot of pics though, so I guess i am getting used to it!

On edit - there is a pic on the back of scrambled tofu and one on the front of some grilled tofu.

[Tigerlily]

I don't know if we have Hostess cupcakes! I rarely ate those sort of foods. If I did eat cupcakes they were like special treats at Halloween/Valentine's Day/Easter from the bakery or homemade.

Everything sounds yummy. Do the bake goods turn out right? How It All Vegan's desserts are very hit and miss with rising, taste, serving size, etc.

[Wildflower]

These are Hostess Cupcakes - they are really cheap and you know they must be nasty, but they taste pretty good anyway! Kinda the way I felt about Kraft Dinner / Macaroni and Cheese from a box. Not exactly "real food" but you can't help but like it? LOL - I don't know, it may be a US thing, and I never really ate Hostess Cupcakes very often anyway! As for the baked goods, I have only tried making the Coconut-Macadamia-Ginger Carrot Cake, and it rised up perfectly and tasted AWESOME! I may try one of the cupcake recipes next weekend - maybe the Lemon Gem cupcakes. YUM! http://www.twinkies.com/cupcakes.asp

[Mermaid07]

I also have this cookbook and I like it very much. The Banana Pecan pancakes are great and my boyfriend and vegetarian friend love them. The scarmbled tofu, Brocoli and chickpea casserole as well as others. The recipes are easy to follow with ingredients that can be found at the local grocery store. There are a few recipes that seem waay to long and kind of hard to follow sauce as "gravy" sauce and the faux hostess cupcakes and the pizzas. Other than that I highly recommend it. I also bought how it all vegan and I liked Vegan with a Vengance a lot better!

[claireyveg]

I am really excited i am getting this cookbook tmorrow for my birthday!! Yay, i'll keep you posted when i make something and then i'll give a rating :)

[pavotrouge]

I dare say I'm addicted to this cookbook... it has started me baking, though I hated it before.

I make at least one thing from the book once in two days.

Among my favourites are the home-made gnocci, the various scones recipes, Isa's pizza, the roasted garlic + white bean soup, the Phad Thai... too many to list them all up...I haven't found a recipe I didn't like so far.

[claireyveg]

I love this book, I cooked one of my first recipes from it tonight, easy to adjust to cook for one aswell, i made parsnip/scallion pancakes! yum yum :)

[Wildflower]

I made the Asparagus and Sun-dried Tomato Tofu Fritatta yesterday for brunch - it was AMAZING!

I used cremini mushrooms instead of the asparagus though, the 1 cup sliced suggested. And I had regular dried sundried tomatoes instead of the oil packed ones the recipe calls for, so I just ground them up with a tablespoon or so of oil in the food processor with the garlic - making a paste out of them so the flavor would be throughout (i don't really like the texture of a whole sundried tomato - too chewy and bitter). I also used fresh thyme instead of the dried.

YUM YUM YUM! This was so good! I served it with pan fried potatoes and coffee.

I also made the Roasted Butternut Squash soup on Monday, which tasted great until I added in all the garlic I used. It called for 2 cloves so I used too insanely huge cloves that were VERY strong (i got them from the organic grocer) and it was a bit overpowering in the soup. My fault though - I have never added too much garlic to anything before as I really like it! So just a warning to be ware that the garlic really kills the sweet roasted squash taste - so use smallish cloves. I still ate it though, and it tasted better the next day (not as garlicky), but I was tasting the soup before I mixed the garlic in and it was so much better!

[vgnwitch]

At one time we did have Hostess cupcakes in Canada. I remember eating them when I was a kid. Haven't seen them in years, but I haven't really looked.

Currently, I have my eye on the carrot cake recipe in VwaV. The picture is incredible! My kids don't like carrot cake though, so I think I'll halve the recipe and make cupcakes instead. I have a big appetite, but I can't eat an entire cake by myself! LOL

[Aims]

This is my most used cookbook. It's all bent out of shape and certain pages are warped and splattered with food stains. :D

[Soul Rebel]

My wife made the carrot coconut cake out of the cookbook and it was wonderful.

[Wildflower]

Are there any pictures?


I came across this site where someone posted their own pics from recipes made - http://www.flickr.com/photos/squashbuckler/sets/72157594321879960/detail/

[Annie]

Oh...my...god those pictures look insanely delicious! I officially am adding this cookbook to my bday and xmas wishlist :D

[Aims]

Oh YUM @ those pictures!
I have a major craving for broccoli chickpea casserole now.. that stuff is awesome.

They have a flickr thing for the cupcake book now too. It's not a good idea to look through it in the middle of a work day when the only food you have with you is a grotty banana and peanut butter sandwiches.....:(

[Tigerlily]

A library in my province carries this cookbook. But someone has it checked out. When it becomes available, I'll ask my local library if I can get it. I can't wait!

[Wildflower]

wow, that's so cool tigerlily! It's good to get cookbooks from the library, because then you can try them out, and if you find a recipe you like you can write it down (allthough I guess technically you should buy it, but I think that's OK).

Let me know when you try out a recipe, I hope you like them as much as I do. :)

[Tigerlily]

My library has a few vegetarian and a couple of vegan cookbooks. But they are old school 70's and 80's style cookbooks. They don't really appeal to me. I don't want to take 2 hours cooking some bean casserole or nut loaf when I would much rather be eating something exciting. Like vegan twists on Japanese food or cupcakes! :p

[niallmc]

I love this book, again like 'How it all vegan' it is written with a great attitude and that to me is the winner