Big Vegan: More than 350 Recipes, No Meat/No Dairy All Delicious [Paperback]

Robin Asbell (Author), Kate Sears (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2011

Veganism has been steadily moving toward the mainstream as more and more people become aware of its many benefits. Even burger-loving omnivores are realizing that adding more plant-based foods to their diet is good for their health and the environment. Big Vegan satisfies both the casual meat eater and the dedicated herbivore with more than 350 delicious, easy-to-prepare vegan recipes covering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Highlighting the plentiful flavors that abound in natural foods, this comprehensive cookbook includes the fundamentals for adopting a meat-free, dairy-free lifestyle, plus a resource guide and glossary that readers can refer to time and again. Eat your veggies and go vegan!

Editorial Reviews

Review

This paperback has the counter appeal and substance of a hardcover book. The chef-author's emphasis is on balancing sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami.
-- Bonnie S. Benwick, The Washington Post

"Big Vegan is the book I want to give to those asking questions about vegan nutrition and what to cook! It answers all the most asked questions in such a clear way and then escorts the reader right into exciting and easy recipes. This is a truly valuable addition to the book shelf."
--Linda Long, author and photographer, Great Chefs Cook Vegan.

"In Big Vegan, Robin Asbell offers an exciting collection of healthy plant-based recipes, from simple to sophisticated, for everyone who loves high flavor food made with real ingredients. Big Vegan will keep new, merely curious, and longtime vegans supremely satisfied from breakfast to dessert."
--Fran Costigan, culinary instructor and author of More Great Good Dairy-free Desserts Naturally

"This cookbook isn't about narrow labels (vegan) or even intimidating expertise (cuisine) - it's about delicious, flavorful meals you make in your kitchen and eat with your family. In an age of ceaseless foodie hype, Robin delivers food you want to eat - Monday or any day!"
--Chris Elam, Program Director, Meatless Monday

If you had any doubts about the growth of veganism, pick up this book...if you can. Gorgeous, inviting, and amazingly well thought out, Big Vegan is a resource you'll be cooking from for years to come. It will also come in handy as a step stool when you need to fetch that rarely needed ingredient from the top shelf.
--Ten Must-Have Vegan Cookbooks of 2011, Joseph Connelly, VegNews

From the Author

Big Vegan is the "big tent" under which all stripes of plant-based eaters can meet and enjoy great tasting food. Whether you call yourself vegan or just want to eat great tasting, healthy food, Big Vegan welcomes you. This is food that nourishes you and respects the planet, all with tons of flavor, texture, color and aroma. Even if you love meat, you will find recipes here that will satisfy you and make you feel great.
As the author, I really wanted to put every trick, every technique, and every bit of knowledge I have gleaned over the years into crafting recipes with maximum flavor. In my work in restaurants and as a Private Chef, I have created many dishes to meet my clients needs and desires. Along the way I have learned about the chemistry of food, and how to coax the most from plants in their natural state. That knowledge is what I share in this big, big book, laying out how to harness techniques like reduction and caramelization, and the chemistry of umami.
If you are not familiar with umami, it's often called the fifth taste- a sensation of meatiness and satisfying mouthfeel. It's sparked on the tongue by certain chemicals, which are easily found in both meat and plants. It's my belief that omnivores and vegans alike will get more satisfaction from vegan foods if they use foods high in umami, and cook them in ways that amplify it.
I believe that the best way to convince people to eat their veggies is to seduce, to tempt with an alluring plate that delights the senses. I hope you will agree that Big Vegan does that and more.
Big Vegan is my third book, a follow-up to The New Vegetarian. New Vegetarian has all vegan desserts and half of the food is vegan, in part because even ovo-lacto vegetarians would do well to eat plant based meals often.
I've made these dishes for dedicated omnivores and vegans alike, and been delighted by their enjoyment of the food. When serving them, I may not even mention the word "vegan," at least until after my friends and family have tried the food with an open mind. You may find that letting go of labels and just calling it good, real food will help bring people together over your plant-based cuisine.
Bon Appetit!.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 7, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811874672
• ISBN-13: 978-0811874670
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 1.8 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #154,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robin Asbell has been immersed in whole, real foods cooking for most of her life, and has made a vocation of crafting delicious, healthy recipes and writing about it.
Her latest book, Sweet and Easy Vegan, Treats Made with Whole Grains and Natural Sweeteners (Chronicle Books) is the culmination of many years of baking for vegans.
Her last book, Big Vegan, Over 350 Recipes, No Meat, No Dairy, All Delicious, is a celebration of just how satisfying and alluring plant based cuisine can be.Robin's second book, The New Vegetarian Cookbook, brims with her creative and fresh takes on meatless cuisine.
Her first book, The New Whole Grains Cookbook, is filled with flavorful, beautiful food that just happens to be whole grain.
Robin has been cooking and creating recipes in the Natural foods business since the mid 80's. What began as a side job in college turned out to be a lifelong career, when she realized that her true passion lay in healing the Earth and the people around her with healthy, organic food. After baking and cooking with whole foods in restaurants, delis and Coops for many years, she started working as a Private Chef in the mid-90's, creating fabulous food for the fabulous.
She also writes for magazines like Better Homes and Gardens, Real Food, Vegetarian Times, Experience Life, Taunton's Fine Cooking, Mother Earth News, The Mix, and others. She blogs at robinasbell.com/robinwrites, and also posts a weekly soundbite at http://www.amillioncooks.com/bio---robin.html. Robin also teaches popular cooking classes in Minnesota and around the country. www.robinasbell.com,her website, is the place to go to find out if she is coming to a place near you!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars New dishes that should become vegan standards. September 20, 2011

By Kathryn R. Weber

Format:Paperback

After purchasing this over a week ago, this book is really capturing my heart. It relies on whole food ingredients, does use some of the more unusual ingredients without going overboard, so I feel like I'm stretching myself without being overwhelmed. Most of the recipes also feel simple, though I could imagine they might be overwhelming a touch for a novice cook. This is also a rather large compendium, much like 500 Vegan Recipes or 1000 Vegan Recipes, and it covers a variety of basics, but it doesn't spend too much time or space re-making a lot of the basic vegan dishes there are dozens of recipes for everywhere. Yes, there are some of those the author offer her spin on, but a greater percentage is offering recipes that seem like they should be vegan standbys already.
I've already made a recipe out of each one of the chapters; so far the French lentil soup, blueberry wild rice salad, pistachio tabbouleh with pomegranate, pita bread, and slow cooker farratto have been favorites of mine, and the apple-beet slaw has been a favorite of my husband. I'm looking forward to making Korean tacos with "instant" kim chee for dinner tomorrow.
If you're looking to cut back on oils, many of the recipes I've tried have held up well to reducing the amount of oil called for. If you're gluten free there are quite a few choices available. For a vegan looking to make more than just the newest macaroni and "cheese" dish however, this book offers a lot of new choices to try and while some may require a trip to Whole Foods or a global cuisines grocery, the technique, for the most part, isn't overly fussy for someone with moderate kitchen experience.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, bold flavors! September 22, 2011

By Paul R. Jacobs

Format:Paperback

What I really want to stress about this cookbook is that these recipes aren't some meek, vegan compromise. Robin Asbell really commits to her choices and I love how bold her dishes taste. I'm not a vegan. I love all kinds of food and I've been around the world many times and tasted a lot of it :). Our son became interested in vegan cooking and we bought this cookbook for him, resigned to just eat whatever bland pablum it churned out and keep quiet about it. But, happily, we were SO wrong!
Again... Bottom line - this food tastes great!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Be Afraid October 18, 2011

By Lynn LaFroth

Format:Kindle Edition

Robin's passion is food, GOOD FOOD, healthy food. This book with "no meat, no dairy" might be scary to those who use cheese (for example) to flavor their dishes. You do have to shop "whole" foods; you do need to have access to a co-op or good supermarket with an organic and/or healthy foods section. And if you're a traditional everyday cook, such as I, you do need to enter boldly and fearlessly to expand your repertoire of how to cook healthfully. I consider cooking vegan like finding a new place to explore, meeting new people, trying something new. The book is content-full, quite beautiful and covers the gamut from breakfasts to desserts and everything in between. Highly recommended.