Easy Vegan Cooking by Leah Leneman

[Risker]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Easy-Vegan-C...6003682&sr=8-1

After my latest experience with a recipe from this book I thought I'd post what a disappointment I find it.

Today I tried the hummus recipe, usually I just make up it up off the top of my head but my brain wasn't in gear today so I decided I needed a cookbook to tell me what to do. The recipe was all pretty standard except that it included 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds. This seemed a bit much to me so I didn't even put the whole lot in. Despite thorough blending the end result was crunchy and not very nice hummus.

Thinking back, I don't think I've had a single recipe from this book that I've really been pleased with, not that it gets used often as the dishes all seem to be either uninspired or require obscure food items that you're not going to have to hand.

One of the biggest disappointments with this book is the picture of the chocolate cake on the front cover. Unfortunately the recipe for this and all other desserts requiring flour in this book state wholemeal flour... yuck. I don't want healthy dessert, it's missing the point.

[Buddha Belly]

The only Leah Leneman recipe I can ever remember making was for toad in the hole and I had to change a lot of that one too.Thinking about it we may of used it a bit when first vegan and was never too inspired.

[Buddha Belly]

^ maybe as we have books that are that much better that the original seems naff

[cobweb]

that choclate cake in the book is lush - just make it with white flour though!
the icing was fiddly but worth it
don't think i ever made anything else out of that book, i am constantly disappointed by vegan recipe books!.

[vgnwitch]

I've made a few recipes from this book and they've all been very nice.

[Buddha Belly]

that choclate cake in the book is lush - just make it with white flour though!
the icing was fiddly but worth it
don't think i ever made anything else out of that book, i am constantly disappointed by vegan recipe books!.

Best one we got was for a fiver from a little book fair in St Albans. Nearly everything is good and inspires further meals from it.

[fiamma]

^ maybe as we have books that are that much better that the original seems naff

I don't think that really counts, BB... the first vegan recipe book I ever bought was Rose Elliot's Vegan Feasts, and it's falling apart I've used it so much. Although other more "trendy" vegan cookbooks have come out in the fifteen or so years since I bought this, I still love Rose's recipes - they've very simple and use ingredients that are easy to find, yet they encompass the spirit of vegan food beautifully.

I have none of Leah's books, but have heard nothing but negative comments about them.

[crazy_4_veg]

Hrm I have two of her books and find them good enough. I've only ever used cooking books as an insperation though and not do them to the letter.

If I didn't have the book said about in this thread I would never have had 'cheesecake' since going vegan over 4 years ago for example - okay I've only made it twice but I'm not in the position to buy such things in shops as they are too expencive so it's nice to know I can make it when I have the money for the ingredients instead. At the time I was without the internet at home so it really helped as I couldn't just look up a recipe on the net like I can now.
I think it depends how you view cooking books as to the letter or just as guidance as people have different tastes.

[veganvoo]

I've had Easy Vegan for a couple of years now and use it more than ever. My first vegan meals came from more elaborate reciepe books as I jumped in at the deep end. As time progressed I made staples like pies, quiches and stews. Now, however I'm taking this book back off the shelf a couple of times a week as the reciepes fit in with my hectic family life and deliver ok meals.

[rainbow]

My first two vegan cookbooks were Vegan Feasts by Rose Elliott, and The Single Vegan by Leah Leneman. Since then, someone has bought me Easy Vegan Cooking. I have never made any of Leneman's recipes as they all sound so boring, worthy and completely uninspiring. I pick up her cookbook every couple of years, flick through it, remember why I have never made anything from it and put it back on the shelf.
Meanwhile, Vegan Feasts remains my favourite vegan cookbook ever, and is still my go-to cookbook.

[MarkAnthony]

Her other book, Vegan cooking for one, is a brilliant introduction to vegan cooking, and the really handy thing is how it comes with shopping lists, weekly meal planners and quantities for one in a practical way. Like Easy cooking, the recipes are bland and uninspired, but as someone who basically couldn't cook before, cooking for one was a great first step into the culinary world. There's only one recipe in it I'd make now though.

In short, Vegan cooking for one is good for new vegans. Everything else Leneman has written is rubbish.

[harpy]

I used to have her "Slimming the Vegetarian Way" (which was mostly vegan I think) and thought that was quite good - in fact maybe I should dig around and see if I still have it. I think I did used to spice up the recipes a bit, but there are a lot of people who like things to be bland for one reason or another so maybe she was aiming at them.

[Firestorm]

If anyone is looking for a cheap copy of this book "The works" bookshop is selling it for £0.99. There is a slight mistake in it (about 20 pages are printed twice so you get a weird sense of deja vu when reading through it) but its still a bargain for the price

[Manchineel]

In short, Vegan cooking for one is good for new vegans. Everything else Leneman has written is rubbish.

I'm glad you said that, I just bought this book, saw this thread and my heart sank. But I love the fact it gives me shopping lists. I'm so busy all the time not having to think about what I'm going to cook seems like a great idea.