Customer Reviews

Friendly Foods (Gourmet Vegetarian Cuisine)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many times I have eaten vegan recipies which are not only bland but unimaginative. When I bought friendly foods over 7 years ago (when I was just turning to a vegetarian lifestyle) I thought I had died and gone to heaven!

The recipies in here are not only nutritionaly well balanced, they are easy on the stomach, delicious and rather easy to make! This book was one of the few that convinced me that eating a non dairy/meat diet would not only be easy, but very satisfying.

Some of the best recipies in this book are the Carob Cake with the Peanut Butter frosting, Tofu Spinach Pie, Hazelnut Glennie and the Carrot Pate.

This book is not only well versed in well tasting vegetarian/vegan recipies, but is chock full of good nutritional advice as well. Although I have not tried all of the recipies in this book, every single one I have tried has been relatively easy to make and the ingredients are relatively easy to get at your local helth food store (and some more enlightened grocery store chains)

My husband and I (both vegetarians) were lucky enough to be on a cruise in 1998 on which Mr. Pickarski was our chef. I had more delicious food during those six days than I ever had before or since! After we got home I ordered every Pickarski item I could get my hands on, this book included.

Bear in mind, these distinctive, gourmet vegan recipes aren't your everyday fare. This is the book you'll want to pull out when you need to wow your non-vegetarian friends. My favorite is the Chocolate Cream Couscous Cake (page 220). Vegan or not, this is one of the most elegant and delicious desserts you can ever hope to taste. Happy eating!

I'm vegan and this is my favorite cookbook. The recipes are simple to make, elegant, and delicious - it's perfection. Ron Picarski is a genius. I have sworn to try out every single recipe before I die. I'm about a third of the way there so I know I've still got some great food ahead of me!

Try it out, there's something in it for anyone and everyone.

When I used to eat meat, I dined at many 5 star gourmet restaurants. Many of these recipes belong in that category. The food is delicious. The only downside is that some of the recipes may take a long time to make and for the average 8 to 5er, you won't have time to make them after work. You will also need access to a descent health food store as some of the ingredients such as miso and agar flakes are not going to be in your average grocery store. I still highly recommend this book. Besides the excellent recipes, there is some good nutritional information about cooking and food quality. There is also a good glossary in the back for the less common ingredients describing where they come from and what they are used for. Great book for any vegan.

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for instructions on eating great food that is quick and easy to make. Even if you are not a vegetarian, "Friendly Foods" is the a great gourmet helper. My husband is not a vegetarian and he is crazy about the recipes!

I've loved this book for a good while, and just didn't purchase it til now. I'd borrowed a copy from a friend a few times, and really enjoyed the recipes. The desserts are especially yummy!

If you already have Veganomicon and Vegan with a Vengeance, you will want to expand your vegan library to include this book. It was the first vegan gourmet cookbook, and I still use it today when I want something impressive. The seitan stroganof recipe alone is worth the price. (I prefer the cauliflower and cashew variation for the sauce.)

Many recipes require complicated preparation and skill or exotic ingredients, but the results are fantastic.