Customer Reviews

New Soy Cookbook : Tempting Recipes for Soybeans, Soy Milk, Tofu, Tempeh, Miso and Soy Sauce

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I thought that the final results of many of the recipes were tasty and aesthetically pleasing. However, many are also quite time-consuming, and use hard-to-find and/or expensive ingredients (lemongrass, Herbs de Provence, fermented black beans, chipotles in adobe, etc.) Some recipes use another recipe as one of the ingredients, making the dish a afternoon-long project. I can see how someone just beginning a vegetarian lifestyle would be very intimidated by this book. I wasn't thrilled with the presentation. There aren't as many photographs as the review led me to believe, and the lists of ingredients are very hard to read. It's strange that the measurements are in bold type (1 TABLESPOON!) and the ingredients are in small, fine print (olive oil). I was also disappointed to find a total of only forty-two recipes in the book, several of which include seafood. I will refer to this book for holidays or Sunday dinners, and I'll keep looking for an "everyday" soy cookbook.

Exotic spices, fresh ideas on how to prepare soy products! My own cooking taste like someone else cooked dinner! Terrific soup recipes to warm a dark winters night. Very tasty deserts. Love the glossary that describes how to handle tempeh, miso and cooking with soymilk, helpful for a new vegan cook.

This is a book with a good section explaining the various types of soy, how to select them and some beautiful pictures. However, I found some ingredients difficult to find and I was disappointed in the lack of recipes. If I had previewed this cookbook, I would not have chosen it as I have seen several which are superior in content.

I am neither Vegetarian nor Vegan and am used to eating delightful meals in delightful restaurants world-wide. When I met my Vegan boyfriend I was in despair as to what to cook for him. Everything I tried tasted the same (to me). But Lorna Sass has saved me! Her meals are superb! Subtle yet zesty! Those that grumble about too many ingredients are churlish. Each recipe is worth whatever effort it takes to track down what is required. These are meals of the finest order. Yes, they take time! But the end result is well worth it. It has turned Vegan cooking into a pleasure, rather than a chore. The recipes with fish I will reserve for myself. For the rest, Vegan boyfriend is eternally grateful, and so am I. The spinach/dill soup would be a rave even in Paris!

I have always been pleased with Lorna Sass's recipes, and anticipate enjoying these as well ... She has an excellent style of writing which provides all necessary information, and specifies which _TYPE_ of miso, tofu, or whatever will be best for a given dish.

However, I was very annoyed to find that this book contains shrimp, mussels, codfish, clams, et cetera. With rare exception, most people who eschew meat, poultry, and dairy products are vegans who also avoid seafood. (In other words, she is unquestionably entitled to write a non-vegetarian cookbook ... However, since her last books have been vegan, and this title uses ingredients most common in vegan kitchens, I think that it should have been made clear that not all of these recipes are vegetarian.)

I was also disappointed with the presentation. Although very attractive, many of the pages are colored -- and reading not-too-dark-black-print- on-blue-paper, et cetera, isn't much fun. Although bearable for th! ! ose of us with excellent vision, it is nowhere near as relaxing on the eyes as would be plain old black-on-white -- and would prove out of the question for anyone with vision problems.

However, I have greatly enjoyed the recipes in Ms. Sass's other cookbooks, and expect to enjoy these as well. Coupled with her clear presentation, I am very pleased with this purchase.

If you are keen on entertaining your vegetarian friends, go for this book, but if you are looking for a handy helper for every day use, forget it. (Instead, reach for Deborah Madison.)
THE NEW SOY COOKBOOK should be billed as gourmet fare; nothing wrong with same, but again, this one will not help the everyday family cook who is trying to add the benefits of soy to the family diet.

I bought this book hoping I would find new ways to incorperate soy foods into my diet with simple recipies and I did. I also found fantastic examples of asian style cooking which I also love! This is a wonderful book. I am lucky enough to live near 3 great asian markets with helpful owners that show me the way through finding some of the ingedients but most of them can be found in a regular grocery store. I have never bothered to write a review for a book before but this one compelled me. Buy it!

Lorna Sass's cookbooks are great, including her newest which focuses on soy products. The dishes are lucious, particularly the Red Lentil Soup with Indian Spices, the Creamy Dilled Spinach Soup, the Tempeh Braised in Coconut Milk with Lemongrass, Cauliflower Slaw with Creamy Dill Dressing and Chocolate-Grand Marnier Sauce. Ms. Sass is also a wonderful teacher, describing the variety of soy products available, the advantages and uses of each, the history and origin of the products and where to purchase them. As with all of her recipes, the result is good food that tastes wonderful, made from fool-proof directions (thank goodness!), worthy of family or company fare.

As with other Lorna Sass cookbooks, Lorna did it again and produced an excellent cookbook. She starts you out with explanations, basic recipes for soy foods and then builds with some great, tempting and delicious recipes! Definitely a must for every vegan and/or vegetarian who wants to try out different soy food recipes and also learn the basics.

Book arrived in great condition and promptly. Excellent starter book for those people like me who want to add more soy products into their vegetarian or vegan diets.