Customer Reviews

Eat, Drink & Be Vegan: Everyday Vegan Recipes Worth Celebrating

5 star:		(86)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I should have written a review of this cookbook long ago, but I finally just put my fork down (literally) after eating another one of ED&BV's fabulous recipes and said, "People must know how great this cookbook is!" And here I am :)

What did I just finish? The White Bean, Walnut, and Spinach Phyllo Rolls with the Traditional Cranberry Sauce. This is the second time I have made it. It is unbelievable. So easy, but so elegant and delicious. That's how I characterize a lot of Dreena's recipes - easy, elegant, delicious. This book is full of uncomplicated recipes with easy to find ingredients (at least, for me - I have a decently stocked Stop & Shop, Shaw's Supermarket, Whole Foods, and health food store within a 15-mile radius). The results have all been spectacular. I've also made (and LOVED) the Olive Oyl Pasta, White Bean & Rosemary Soup with Jumbo Croutons (OMG amazing), Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto with Toasted Almonds and Pine Nuts, Sweet Potato Lentil Chili, Rosemary Cornmeal Polenta Fries, Lentil Veggie Chimichangas with Hide the Lentils Tomato Sauce, Coconut Lime Basmati Rice, Cashew-Ginger Tofu, Thai Chick-Un Pizza, Orange Sesame Tofu, Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus, Savory French Lentils, Cimmamon Lime Quinoa with Apricots and Almonds, One Wild Chick Soup (honestly, it is as savory and filling as the best chicken and rice soup you would have eaten in your "omni" days), Veggie Tempeh Muffaletta (I think I'm in love...probably the most time-consuming recipe in the book, but it is sooooooo worth it!), Beats a BLT Sandwich! (sure does!), Spicy Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew with Polenta Croutons, Cumin Lime Tofu, Autumn Puree, Smoky Split Pea Soup, Quinoa Chickpea Confetti Casserole, Moroccan-Infused Phyllo Rolls with Balsamic Maple Sauce (mmmmmmm so good!), and Monkey Minestrone. I literally cannot believe how many more of the recipes I want to try. I think I am going to try almost every single one in the book! Dreena makes everything seem so accessible. I'd never made anything with tempeh before (despite began a vegan for a while now!) but with her clear, step by step instructions and sidebars, Dreena makes vegan cooking approachable for everyone, vegans and omnis alike. I can tell you, I have not even come close to using as many recipes in my other vegan cookbooks as I have with ED&BV. Let me be frank... I own several vegan cookbooks...all the major titles by all the major vegan cookbook authors...and this is, by FAR, the best of the bunch. If you own one vegan cookbook, make it ED&BV. You won't regret it!

(Originally posted at ananimalfriendlylife.com)

As our vegan cookbook selection expands--for that matter, as the selection of vegan cookbooks on the market expands--my wife and I find ourselves using certain cookbooks more and some less... or not at all. As with vegan restaurants in cities like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, simply existing isn't good enough anymore. You've got to be good to be competitive. This development is good for consumers and for veganism, since there's no tolerance for lousy, difficult vegan food when there is plenty of good eating to be had.

eat, drink & be vegan, Dreena Burton's latest cookbook, tops even her own first two books, The Everyday Vegan and Vive Le Vegan!. Dreena excels at concocting practical recipes that taste satisfying and--oh, by the way--happen to be pretty darn healthy. Bonus!

ED&BV is attractively designed and, like her previous books, focused on the practical, featuring dozens of helpful tips on getting your kitchen equipped (hint: none of these are fancy-schmancy Williams Sonoma items, and will serve you well no matter what book you're cooking from), food preparation, and cooking and baking notes. Most of the recipes come with helpful tips and recommendations on pairing with other recipes in the book, as well as serving suggestions. Dreena will have you putting meals together like a pro.

While some ingredients may not be available in just any store (quinoa, agave nectar, arrowroot powder, etc.), overall ED&BV is one of the more accessible vegan cookbooks out there. The book doesn't rely heavily on ingredients like these and, besides, most can be found at Whole Foods Markets, which are more ubiquitous than ever.

What I liked most about the recipes I read through and tried was how healthy the focus was. Dreena keeps it simple and focused on feeding yourself well without too much fuss. Even the sauces and gravies recommended to season things up rely on maple syrup instead of refined sugar, for instance. I feel like I could eat anything from this book and not have to worry that I'm splurging all the time.

My wife and tried a few entrees, including the Quinoa Chickpea Confetti Casserole (p. 140) with Balsamic Maple Sauce (p. 76). All I can say about that sauce is, move over teriyaki! It really made the dish. While the casserole itself is hearty and filling, it was relatively plain, but the recommended sauce knocked it out of the park.

I also really enjoyed the Roasted Red Kuri Squash with Gnocchi (p. 141). We did have one hiccup on this one, as the directions offer a range of 1-3 pounds of squash without adjusting the recipe according to the amount you have on hand. For people as literal as my wife and I, this meant that our 1 pound of squash was slightly overwhelmed by the rest of the recipe, particularly the lemon. However, it was still really good (we used linguine instead of gnocchi), and the Back to Basics Balsamic Vinaigrette (p. 77) we had with our side salad was the best I've ever had from a recipe, so I think we're finally ready to stop buying bottles of dressing.

ED&BV is definitely another everyday classic. I know my wife and I will be exploring this book from cover to cover for a long time to come, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to develop his or her repertoire of tasty, wholesome dishes you can feel good about, both for the animals and for your health.

With the recent release also of Veganomicon and The Joy of Vegan Baking, 2007 has proven to be a watershed year for vegan cookbooks. And, hey, just in time for the holidays!

This is her best cookbook yet. Dreena is such a genius. I have her other two books and I have to say that everything I've made has been wonderful. You know you will get something incredible when it comes from Dreena. She knows how to feed your vegan family healthy foods. Even her desserts are healthy--lots of good stuff and very little sweetener.

What I love most about ED&BV (as well as her other two) are Dreena's "notes," her ideas on how to serve many of the dishes, substitutions, all the little tidbits of info she offers. She truly does talk you through the recipes. It is so much more than a book full of recipes and that's what sets her apart from other cookbook authors. Plus I know that whatever I make, my family is getting a healthy meal or snack, and even dessert. I love the different flours she uses, the spices, the use of nuts and seeds, her addition of nutritional yeast, and the limited amount of sweetener in the desserts. Oh, and the Hummus section in ED&BV is the best! We love hummus and can this woman make hummus!!! She even offers ideas on using the various hummus' on pizza. She always has your kids in mind and gives you many ideas on creating foods for them. She really makes my life as a Mom trying to feed my family healthy vegan foods so much easier.

I enjoy Dreena's books so much--like her I have a little girl (she has two) and a husband to cook for, so the dishes need to please everybody and not taste too spicy, too "out there", etc. When I read her books I feel like I have a vegan girlfriend giving me advice and sharing recipes, supporting me in my efforts to be vegan. Dreena's recipes are terrific because she gets you trying new ingredients (I had never used agave nectar before, or made cookies with 5-spice powder, or a smoothie with hemp seed nuts) but the results are things that are new and interesting without being strange.

Here's what I've made from the book--

Banana Pecan Rice Pudding Pie--My husband and I loved this. Easy to make--just make extra brown rice when you make the Spicoli Burgers so that's ready to go, and as she says, you can put this together in a snap!

Kinda Corny Muffins--loved these! Very filling and satisyfing without being too heavy. Great with soup or stew.

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Scones--my daughter really liked these

Raspberry Cornmeal Pancakes--Yummy. Again, very satisfying since they are made with whole grains instead of white flour.

Tomato Basil Breakfast Quesadilla--have to give this fair justice--I didn't have any basil when I made this, and obviously that's an important ingredient. Even so I will probably modify this recipe in the future. You include Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Hummus in this, and I just did not care for the almond (cherry?) flavor in the hummus. But I liked the idea of a savory "quesadilla" for breakfast, so this will help inspire new ideas.

Simplest Garlic Bread--rubbing a clove of fresh garlic on frozen bread didn't work so well for me. Maybe I did something wrong. What I did instead was take a cube of frozen minced garlic like they sell at the grocery store and rub that on the bread. Much easier.

Broccoli Cashew Teriyaki Tofu Stir-Fry--Delicious!!! In fact we are having this today. I buy a container of Asian stir-fry veggies at the store that has a good mix of carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, white onion, mushrooms, snow peas, etc. for a really tasty variety (and added convenience)

Polenta Casserole--good, but has a hint of flavor that doesn't seem to belong. Maybe the red wine vinegar?

Spicoli Burgers--Delicious!! Does take a bit of labor making the patties, so do this when you have some time.

Thai Chick-Un Pizza--Really interesting flavors. A fresh tasting pizza that makes you feel good after eating, not like "ugh" after a typical pizza. My husband (who still eats meat) loved this and requested I make this again. I thought the peanut butter flavor was a tad too much for me so I will try using a little less next time.

Warm Potato Spinach Salad with Pine Nut Dressing--OH MY GOD!!! This was fabulous!!! I had to force myself to put the fork down and walk away! As Dreena says this tastes best when it is freshly made and served warm.

5-Star Ice-Cream Cookie Sandwiches--Loved these!! Such a neat flavor for a cookie. Again--new and different, but not strange. I would make these again but I am trying to lose weight and can't be trusted with these in the freezer.

Acai Antioxidant Smoothie--Really like this. I leave out the agave nectar entirely--I don't think this needs any sweetener personally. Looks like acai is going to be the next big thing--been hearing more about it lately.

I highly recommend this book, as well as her other ones. It will have you eating healthy vegan foods without too much fuss. Dreena's recipes are always easy to follow, and the ingredients are not hard to find if you have access to a health food store.

Once again, a wonderful cookbook. I've so far only made the raspberry chocolate chip scones and they were fantastic. As with her other cookbooks, the layout of the recipes is really well done and easy to read. I also like how she gives substitution suggestions and other spice/flavor options in the margin. Dreena's recipes are always great and use lots of healthy, wholesome ingredients that make the food a guiltless pleasure to enjoy.

I received ED&BV for my birthday last month. It wasn't even on my wish list but it caught my stepdaughter's attention and I'm thrilled that it did! I've made about 7 or 8 of the recipes so far and they've all ranged from "Huh, that's pretty darn good" to "HOLY SMOKES! That's the most insanely delicious thing I've ever tasted!!!" (If you want an example of the latter, make the Rawesome Dip. It will blow your mind. You've been warned.) A BIG bonus for me: I also got an immersion blender for my birthday, and ED&BV provides a ton of opportunities for me to use it.

Pros:
--The notes in the margin are extremely helpful and detailed, and offer great ideas for variations, serving suggestions, etc.
--The recipes are all user-friendly enough for a less-experienced home cook
--A lot of the recipes will freeze and reheat well, which is great for moms who work full-time or anyone who's just short on time
--Many of the recipes are downright surprising (Cocoa Coconut Chili??? Yes. Really.) and genuinely unique, which is fun for any cookbook junkie who's gotten to the "Been there, cooked that" stage. Flipping through the pages of ED&BV, I lost track of the number of times I thought "Wow, I've never seen anything quite like that before ..."

Cons:
--No nutritional info.
--A significant amount of obscure ingredients that you will probably only find in specialty ethnic shops. I already had fenugreek seeds in my pantry, but that's only because I'm lucky enough to have an Indian grocery store near my job. But neither my favorite well-stocked supermarket nor the local health food store carries these. (There are other authors, however, who are far worse in this regard.)
--Poor index. If you look up "chickpeas," for example, you'll get a list of the page numbers where chickpea recipes can be found, but not a list of the specific recipe names and their page numbers.

Overall, a definite must-have for anybody who loves veg or vegan cooking, or even an adventurous non-veg who just wants ideas for easy-to-make dishes that are as delicious as they are different. I am extremely impressed with this book, and I'm putting Dreena Burton's other books at the very top of my wish list right away.

This is my go-to cookbook when I want something I know I will enjoy. I feel like this book was meant just for me. This book uses limited wheat, refined sweetners and plenty of sweet potatoes, tempeh, quickpeas, chocolate - all my favorite foods wrapped in a cute, colorful and modern looking little book. I have never made anything I didn't enjoy from this book but here are my favorites with recommendations:

Hemp-anola: This is way better and healthier than any granola you could buy at Whole Foods. I use quinoa flakes instead of barley flakes and a little extra blackstrap molasses and leave the nuts out (I feel like the hemp seed nuts are a lot) and serve with lots of blueberries or bananas and vanilla hemp or soymilk!

Kids Dynamo Hummus: I'm 20 but the title appealed to me. The addition of cashews really adds creamyness. My only recommendation is to add more garlic. I also use Vega oil instead of flax oil.

Balsamic Maple Sauce & Back to Basics Balsamic Vinaigrette: Dreena knows her balsamic vinegar. I use these all the time. I recommend using maple syrup with the dressing and I use extra virgin olive oil.

Thick n Rich Gravy: This is just delicious. Its a cross between gravy and a "cheezy" sauce. I add a little extra nutritional yeast and use sweet white miso. My only problem is the thickness doesn't hold when I added it to hot pasta. It worked better the next day after refridgerating and drizzling over tofu and rice.

Beats a BLT Sandwich!: My favorite sandwich. Period. I use basil, veganaise, romaine and big slices of Whole Wheat.

Sweet & Sour Chipotle Tempeh with Sweet Potatoes: I love how healthy this sweet and sour sauce is. Sweet potatoes and tempeh go well together and it tastes even better cold the next day.

Seared Portobello Mushrooms: Basic but really impressive. Its worth using a little extra oil (I fry in coconut oil)

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie: 2 of my favorites foods combined and so easy to make. It might be a little spicy or "different" tasting for some.

"Nicer" Krispie Squares: You could shock someone with the ingredients of these but they taste so authentic. Macadamia nut butter and agar powder (seaweed)?!

Super-Charge Me! Cookies: No sugar, healthy, easy to mix-and match ingredients.

I also make the Acai Antioxidant & Drink Your Greens Smoothie (tastes way better than it sounds trust me) often.

I'm really thankful for books like these that make being vegan that much easier.

I'm a self-professed vegan cookbook junkie. This one has some really good recipes in it and if you don't rely on your index for your searches...it's worth every penny.

I tend to search through my cookbooks for ideas/recipes based on ingredient For instance, if I've got squash and I'm looking to try something new. I'll browse my collection starting in the index for recipes using squash. Most cookbook indexes list recipes by ingredient and it makes finding just the right thing a breeze. This cookbook lists single ingredients and page numbers only...which means that you've got to go to each page to see what the recipes are for. As a result, this cookbook gets passed over time and time again in my browsing.

This may be a non-issue for most people and it doesn't mean I don't use and enjoy the recipes in this book, BUT because of the way I cook, I need a comprehensive index for a cookbook to make my most loved and frequented list.

The recipes in the book easily translate into a meat-eaters diet. Strange but true. The array of hummus, appetizer and soup recipes are so good - no one will notice they are meat and dairy free. The entrees are easy and flavorful and often elegant. I haven't attempted the desserts yet. Still savoring the Morrocan Infused Vegetable Rolls with Maple Balsamic Sauce - delish!! We try a new hummus recipe every week. Her ideas for pizza are yummy too. I can't wait until our baby is old enough to start sampling these wonderful flavors. So much better than boring meat and potatoes.
Contrary to the 1 star reviewer, I found her ingredients quite normal and very easy to substitute. I'm able to find everything at our regular grocery store and I live in Nebraska! If you're not a strict vegan and have a problem with agave nectar - just use honey. Don't have tamari? Use soy sauce. The meat substitues are just a suggestion and she offers alternatives for every recipe.
This cookbook changed our way of eating. I think Dreena is awesome!!!!

One of the first cookbooks I got after going vegan. Dreena's recipes showcase the fresh, flavorful foods that comprise a healthful vegan diet. My favorites so far are the Tempeh Hashbrown Cassarole (perfect brunch food), the Orange Sesame Tofu (perfect with brown rice and swiss chard), the spelt Breakfast Crepes (heavenly with grilled fruit inside), and the Raspberry Cornmeal Pancakes with Celestial Cream (comfort food at its best - I could eat the Celestial Cream with a spoon). This is as good as it gets. I recommend this cookbook to anyone just starting to explore vegan cooking because these recipes always win people over!