V Cuisine [Paperback]

Angeline Linardis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2010

The health and taste benefits of a meatless diet come together in V Cuisine by Angeline Linardis: Imaginative vegetarian cuisine that is quick, easy and delicious.

Written in an upbeat, informal style, the book's infectious excitement will propel even novice chefs into the kitchen. The creative selection of ingredients and the easy preparation of soups, like the best lentil soup on the planet, will eliminate canned soup in any cupboard. New salads take on mythic proportions with accompaniments like sesame ginger dressing.

Gone will be the terror of tofu as a difficult ingredient. Try the new versions of wholesome fries -- healthy food with a tasty twist.

Among the delicious vegetarian fare:

• Mega minestrone soup
• Creamy sunshine corn chowder
• Apollo Greek salad
• Brilliant beet salad
• Sweet corn and spelt dinner salad
• New potatoes in almond cream
• Tomato and onion chutney
• Tofu carob brownies.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Angeline Linardis is a celebrated vegan/vegetarian chef and food educator who is passionate about flavorful cuisine as well as the benefits of eliminating meat-related foods. She is based in British Columbia, and this is her first book.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

Do you like to be jazzed? Are you a bit of a rebel? V Cuisine is for vegans, vegetarians and anyone seeking fresh flavors, colors, textures and fun. Never boring, rarely fattening and packing a big nutritional boost, V Cuisine is the evolution of the best of vegan food and cooking.

V Cuisine is bold and exciting -- it's all about creativity. It includes decadent dinners, velvety soups and sensual sauces. It's about fruity sweets laced with tiny traces of vanilla and cinnamon and other tongue-teasing extracts. If food is sex, then V Cuisine is the ultimate orgy.

V Cuisine means no dieting, no counting calories and no starving. It's all about giving your body what it needs. There's no bland food here -- it's about vitality and taste.

Whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits (and as little processed food as possible) star in this cuisine. Since there's no deep-frying at all, no butters or margarines, and only olive oil used moderately, the fat content is low.

V Cuisine is fantastic for kids because the meals and snacks are colorful and portable. Finger foods in various shapes served with tasty dips and spreads captivate kids. Most of these foods are easy to prepare so that parents can easily incorporate them into their day.

V Cuisine is spicy. Discovering new flavors is the name of the game. Your kitchen is an experimental lab. Sage isn't just for stuffing and hot sauce goes way beyond Mexican fare. Try curries, cumin and organic dill. Dive into fragrant basil, chervil and mints. It's about infused olive oils, peppery sauces and bright hits of lemon. Nutmegs, citrusy-sweet orange rinds and woody cinnamon sticks will rev up your senses. And garlic! Roasted, toasted, pickled and raw, garlic always gives a boost and a jolt.

The image of the long-haired, sandal-wearing, granola-crunching, tie-dyed hippy of the '60s is blasted away with V Cuisine. It's cool and people are interested in a big way. Some want to embrace the lifestyle; others just want to taste what looks good. It offers something for everyone -- V Cuisine is the surprise hit of every gathering.

And V Cuisine is friends and family-oriented. just because there's no turkey at Thanksgiving, doesn't mean there's no gathering! V Cuisine includes rich sauces, seasonal vegetables, fluffy stuffings, heavenly salads and scrumptious desserts. It's about creating new traditions that don't pop the zipper on your pants or put you to sleep for 12 hours afterward.V Cuisine is about spending time with people, not stressing over what to eat.

I'm Angeline. I hope that by the end of this book you'll feel like you know me. want to be like your friend, your big sister; your mom -- but without the judgment, only the fun. Whatever your age, whatever your situation, I want to jazz you about eating well. So, if I can help you create recipes you love, I'm all over that.

In the early '90s, when was 29 years old, I was fat. I'll never know my exact weight because I had long since quit weighing myself. Put ft this way: I'm 5' 2" and I would guess I weighed at least 200 pounds. I didn't have an eating disorder. I was, however; a social eater who had plenty of occasions to attend. I never perceived myself as a fat person but I knew it wasn't really the way I was meant to be.

I was too dumpy to exercise and could barely breathe when I tried. Even if I went for a short walk. I'd end up gasping on the ground. Every time I went to doctors, they said I was asthmatic and tried to put me on inhalers. I always said no.

I was popping antacids like a maniac, but still always had what they would now call acid reflux disease. Then I developed hormone problems. My body wasn't producing enough progesterone. Although this is common in women in the menopausal zone, I wasn't prepared for it at 29.The symptoms were ugly; I felt disgusting in general and drastic measures were in order

I gave up dairy and within the first week. I was no longer popping antacids and my lungs felt better. I also lost several pounds. Then I decided to give up red meat and pork. never cared much for them anyway, so it was no big sacrifice for me, to be honest.

Within a couple of months, I knew I was onto something big. I'd lost about 30 pounds and loved everything I was eating. I had discovered a whole new world of food. Every day I was excited about another new ingredient or recipe. Suddenly I was eating a lot of things that as a kid I heard were "bad" or fattening, like potatoes. My lungs were absolutely clear and I had energy to burn. It was exhilarating. I felt light.

I had cut down on eating fish and chicken to a couple of times a month. Even though I still liked them, I found that after eating them I felt heavy, less energetic and as if something unclean was in my body. I'm not suggesting that anyone else should feel this way -- it's just me. So I cut it out. The big deal was not only the health improvement, but also the energy boost. I wasn't dragging myself around any more.

After cuffing out a final few products, I was basically vegan. The only exceptions were honey and Worcestershire sauce (which contains anchovies). I had lost all the excess weight and was fit and healthy. The hormone problems went away and I went on to have three more kids (I'd had a boy before all this started, then three little girls later on).

I've raised my three daughters on a vegan diet and my husband became vegan too eventually, which was a shock because he loved meat. He loved all the stuff I was making, and even said things like: "Wow, you can really taste all the other things on the pizza when it's not covered with cheese." Trust me, I practically fainted when he said that.

I never would have continued if I'd found it boring, or if the vegetarian ingredients just didn't cut it. I had taught cooking classes before, but began specializing exclusively in vegan classes using all the new ingredients I'd discovered.

That's how I've come to write this book. I love creating new recipes around this lifestyle every day and I want to give it to you with a fresh, fun attitude.

The Honey Thing

Normally, vegans don't eat honey. I do feed it to my family on occasion. It has been said that honey products have health benefits related to the ingredients in royal jelly, bee pollen and the honey itself.

If you don't want anything to do with honey, just ignore any reference I've made to it. It's the only non-vegan ingredient you'll find in the book. You can easily replace it with any other sugar. I've used agave syrup, brown rice syrup and barley malt syrup (available in natural food stores) as alternatives to the honey in these recipes. These are vegan products that have distinct flavors and work perfectly. They're also similar in consistency to honey. So use what works for you.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Whitecap Books Ltd. (January 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552859037
• ISBN-13: 978-1552859032
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,422,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative, fun - and delicious, May 26, 2008

By 

Cathe Fein Olson "Avid reader and writer" (curled up with a book) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: V Cuisine (Paperback)

Angeline Linardis is a vegan chef and food educator who wants to make vegan cooking accessible and appealing to everyone. Her debut cookbook "V Cuisine" isn't just for vegans, it's for anyone wanting innovative, healthy, and - most of all - delicious meals.

The book is divided up into lots of short sections featuring either a particular ingredient - like Terrifying Tofu, Potato Oasis, and Pasta Perfection; or a meal - Anytime Appetizers, Breakfast Bites, and Modern Mains; or a dish - The Scoop on Soups, Sexy Salads, or Courageous Curries. You can tell by the chapter names, this is not a stuffy cookbook.

The recipes are fun and innovative. I particularly liked the section of Life of the Party Fare. I can't wait to invite some people over to try the Black Bean Tomato Poppers - cherry tomatoes stuffed with a black bean puree, Hot Broccoli Dip to Go Crazy Over made with white beans, and the Wild Rounds - cucumber stuffed with a florescent-colored beet and carrot puree.

The dishes I tried were the Cream of Broccoli Dream - a yummy soup made with potatoes and soymilk and the Powerhouse Chili that my husband swooned over. My favorite entrée was the Creative Cauliflower Curry with Chickpeas made with an assortment of spices like whole cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves and star anise. The Easy Blueberry Muffins lived up to their name because my 8-year-old daughter was able to make them with barely any help from me. I also made the Tofu Carob Brownies which were very moist but perhaps could have been a little fudgier. Next time, I'll add some chocolate chips.

Besides the great recipes, Linardis begins each section with an interesting and informative introduction which might contain a personal story, health information, cooking tips or all of the above. With the tempting pictures and great writing, this book is as fun to read as to cook from. This is definitely a book for anyone who is looking for creative and original recipes.

Review as seen on www.vegfamily.com by Cathe Olson

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars only a few tasty recipes, November 15, 2009

By 

Jasmine's boy "jasmine's boy" - See all my reviews

This review is from: V Cuisine (Paperback)

I bought this book hoping for some new creative ways to spice up my vegan cooking. I have been disappointed after cooking about 10 of the recipes. Out of those 10 I would only use 1. I feel the biggest problem with the recipes are the amounts of spices used and in some cases the choice of spice. One pasta sauce recipe calls for 2 tsp of saffron. Before I added the saffron the sauce tasted great, as soon as the saffron was added it gave it took over completely and changed molding flavors. Saffron is generally only a pinch. In general I found the recipes either bland or too spice heavy. A curry recipe goes overboard on the spice and leaves the food tasting too strong using cardomon pods, whole clover, star of anise, and whole fennel. This was also hard for the guests who had to fish for these various spices so as to not accidentley bite into a cardamon pod or clover. I think there are some great ideas here just poor choices in spice usage.

2 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tasty and Simple, April 24, 2008

By 

Margaret Martindale "Marty Martindale" (LARGO, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: V Cuisine (Paperback)

4/24/2008

V CUISINE
The Art of New Vegan Cooking

By Angeline Linardis

A review by Marty Martindale

(pix of jacket here)

"Do you like to be jazzed? Are you a bit of a rebel? V Cuisine is for vegans, vegetarians and anyone seeking fresh flavors, colors, textures and fun. Never boring, rarely fattening and packing a big nutritional boost, V Cuisine is the evolution of the best of vegan food and cooking." This is Angeline Linardis' opening to her introduction and a warm challenge, indeed, to try new foods in ever-new combinations.

For our health and pocketbook these days, we all need to eat less meat, and these delightfully fresh recipes fill the bill on both these fronts. The old mandate of eating meat every day is simply not in our best interests these days.

OUT OF THIS WORLD ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SOUP
For this, assemble olive oil, garlic, onions, red pepper, a tomato, zucchini, cauliflower, basil, oregano, nutmeg and unsweetened soy milk

BLAZING SUNSET ORANGE GINGER BROTH
This is onions, chopped ginger, orange juice, soy milk, orange zest and green onions

CARROT-LEMON ZINGER
Simply carrots, lemon, olive oil and chopped green herbs

INFINITY DRESSING
Olive oil, soy sauce, cider vinegar and honey

SUPER FAUX CAESAR DRESSING
Olive oil,white vinegar, flaxseeds, garlic and seasoning

NEW POTATOES IN ALMOND CREAM
Olive oil, onion, garlic, blanched almonds, onion powder, lemon juice, parsley, Italian seasoning and slivered almonds

FRESH TOMATO ONION CHUTNEY
Tomatoes, onion, cilantro, olive oil and vinegar

TO DIE FOR PEAS
Frozen peas, olive oil, onion, garlic and Italian seasoning

BLACK BEAUTY BEANS WITH SPICY GREEN OLIVES
Canned black beans, manzanilla olives, fresh roasted red peppers, parsley, green onions, onion powder, paprika, basil, rosemary, red papper flakes and olive oil

WILD RICE WITH SPINACH AND LUCIOUS LEMON CREAM
Cooked wild rice, carrot, celery, green onions, olive oil, flour, lemon juice, unsweetened soy milk, lemon zest, saffron, onion powder, sunflower seeds, grape tomatoesk, raw spinach and seasoning

SPECIAL RAPINI (BROCCOLI RABE) PAELLA
Onion, garlic, olive oil, rapini, red pepper, cooked brown/basmati rice and soy sauce

HOT BROCCOLI DIP TO GO CRAZY OVER
Canned cannelloni beans, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, green onions, parsley, broccoli, sage, dill and paprika

BLACK BEAN TOMTO POPPERS
Canned black beans, garlic, onion, parsley, celery, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and cherry tomatoes

BARLEY BALLS
Cooked barley, garlic, onion, onion powder, Dijon mustard, light miso, soy sauce, ground cumin, wheat germ and red pepper flakes

SUPREME SPINACH PESTO
Olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, green onions, pine nuts, parsley, fresh spinach and basil leaves

ROASTED TOMATO CHUTNEY
Cherry tomatoes, onion, garlic, mango, jalapeno peppers, parsley, olive oil, cumin, curry powder, tarragon and hot sauce

TOFU CAROB BROWNIES
Medium tofu, vanilla, cinnamon, olive oil, walnuts, carob powder, whole wheat flour, baking soda, icing sugar, vanilla ice cream and soy milk

COCOA MEXICANA
Carob powder, brown sugar, soy milk, cayenne pepper, cinnamon sticks, ground clove or nutmeg and ice cream

Visit the book's website: VCUISINE
Marty Martindale's website: FOOD SITE OF THE DAY