[.ca] The Voluptuous Vegan: More Than 200 Sinfully Delicious ... (ISBN 0609804898)

From Amazon.com:
Sound like an oxymoron? Myra Kornfeld argues that choosing to be a vegan does not mean you have to deprive yourself--rather, you can pamper your palate with luscious, healthy food. There are those who advocate salt-free, fat-free, flavor-free food, but Kornfeld sets the record straight right from the beginning. She uses salt for seasoning, and reminds us, thank goodness, that you need fat in a healthy diet. Clear instructions, a chapter on ingredients (including sections on grains, greens, and beans--how to buy them, cook them, and use them), and a short primer on equipment make this a good book for beginners. More accomplished cooks will appreciate Kornfeld's innovation. She isn't afraid to use herbs and spices, and she knows the capabilities of her ingredients. In a simple Rich Stock recipe, for instance, she calls for celery root, and explains in a note that you can substitute celery, but that the root gives a much deeper flavor. Kornfeld's food is voluptuous in presentation, too: Smoky Chestnut and Sweet Potato Soup calls for a dash of rum, and it's served with toasted, chopped hazelnuts and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg; Hominy, Tomatillo, and Squash Stew is topped with Ginger and Lime Cream made from tofu; and a Fennel, Orange, and Pomegranate Salad is so beautiful and the flavor so complex, you'll swear you're eating four-star cuisine. The book is a little difficult to navigate, as it's divided into "meals." So if all you're looking for is a side dish, you'll need to set some time aside to peruse the whole book. Every recipe starts with a few words of wisdom, usually information on the ingredients or a description of the final product. The final chapter is on desserts, and here Kornfeld really gets voluptuous. The recipes include Cranberry Orange Tart, Chocolate Pudding Tart, and Lemon Pudding Cake with Blueberry Glaze--there's no depriving anyone of anything here! Vegans will appreciate the creative and inventive approach, but this cookbook is also useful for nonvegans. Everyone knows someone who's trying to avoid meat, dairy, or eggs, and with loads of ideas for light meals and interesting side dishes, we can entertain our friends and eat healthy at the same time. --Leora Y. Bloom

voluptuous in name only:
As a longtime vegan and cooking enthusiast, I was drawn to this book because it claimed to offer mouthwatering and "voluptuous" vegan recipes. It is indeed a very well organized cookbook and many of recipes are very creative. Unfortunately, the recipes did not meet my standards in terms of taste. Many of the main dishes are needlessly complex and take hours to make. I made the Moussaka tonight and, after hours of preparation, was disappointed with the result, which was only mediocre. This was also the case with the Mushroom, French Lentil, and Chesnut Ragu, the Shepherd's Pie, and the Mushroom Filo Triangles with Delicata-Porcini Sauce. I've found the simpler dishes, such as the African Groundnut Stew, the Succotash, and the Broccoli Rabe Polenta, to be more satisfying. I have avoided making most of the Latin-themed recipes (and there are quite a few) because they call for too many types of chilis. The Chili and Corn-biscuit Casserole, for example, requires three types of chilis; this seems unreasonable. This is not a book for a half-hearted cook who is not prepared to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. This book may be useful for dinner parties, if one is planning to make the entire suggested menu, but individual dishes didn't seem strong enough on their own. For simpler, more time-efficient, and tasty dishes, I recommend The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen.

Worth It!:
I confess to never buying a cookbook without taking a copy home from the library for a test spin. In the end I find most cookbooks don't translate well from dreams to dinner! As a "working cookbook", The Voluptuous Vegan truly shines! In practice I have found the recipes come together quite easily and their flavor is fantastic! Brand new cooks may be intimidated by the look of some recipes, as they tend to look harder or more futsy then they actually come off in the kitchen. One of the reasons for this is the author's detailed explanations of steps--which is actually a nice feature. Also, ingredient lists are longer than non-vegan/vegetarian recipes because the deep rich flavors of the recipes don't rely on meat to prop them up. I would recommend this cookbook to anyone, vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore! It's just tasty, tasty, tasty!

wow:
I am writing this because of the person who said the recipes were bland -- i couldn't believe it! So far I am not only impressed with this book, but genuinely thrilled to have found a really gourmet cookbook for balanced, healthy vegan meals. If I'm having people over they don't even notice there's no meat. It's so elegant, and the ingredients come from across the globe (you do have to carry a lot of groceries for some of them!). The issue I think someone would have is, one must have access to good health food and specialty stores and special produce. You have to have a food processor, blender, spice grinder etc. and the recipes have many elements so it takes a while to complete. But the results for me, so far, are wonderful. I wonder if the person who found it bland was using old spices and substituting ingredients? I am a trained chef, and I think the recipes are somewhat complicated, so can imagine that the average cook might find some of them time-consuming to reproduce adequately. If that is the case, my advice is, make sure you've got the necessary equipment, get fresh organic produce, grind your own spices (or use brand-new ones) and leave yourself an entire afternoon to do it right.

best yet:
I've only been vegan for seven years but in that time alone the artistry and sophistication of vegan cooking has grown enormously. This cookbook however, is more than a product or evidence of that growth. It is brilliant! Who ever heard of a vegan cookbook in which everything was good? My non-vegan, sarcastic loved ones have swooned in rapture over the pumpkin ravioli and a friend of mine was proposed to after serving the awsome latkes.

Best Book for Vegan Cooking:
This is one of the best Recipe books I own (out of 30)! I do not eat dairy and seldom eat meat, but my boyfriend who was born and raised in Dallas, Texas loves meat and dairy! The fact that he loves everything I cook out of this book is a huge compliment to the writers. The Africa Ground Nut Stew and the Split Pea Soup are his favorites and I loved them both myself. The Tomatillo, Hominy, Squash Soup in my favorite. The Gingerbread with Blood Orange sauce is divine as are the other desserts. The recipes are not bland at all, in fact all the recipes I tried are very flavorful. I always feel totally satisfied and healthy after eating a meal I cook out of this book.