Customer Reviews

Vegan with a Vengeance : Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock

5 star:		(279)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I am a relatively new vegan, and I dove in head first and purchased a TON of vegetarian/vegan cookbooks so that I would not get bored and frustrated with my new lifestyle. Of all of the cookbooks I own, I have been disappointed with many, impressed by some and awed by only one - Vegan with a Vengeance. The recipes are creative, flavorful, and are enjoyed by my meat-eating friends/family as much as by me! Plus, the book covers a lot of ground - from breakfasts/brunches to desserts, soups, sammiches, etc. I love the additional commentary and advice in the book, regardless of the fact that the other and I don't have the same views on many issues! I keep going back to this cookbook frequently and my many others are starting to collect dust. An absolute must have for any vegetarian or vegan library, and highly recommended for anyone else who wants to eat a little healthier and more varied as well.

I love this cookbook! I am not a cook (I do most of my cooking using the microwave) and I don't really know what I'm doing, but I still love this book! The directions are really simple and straightforward, and there's a section on stocking the vegan pantry, which is something that has always escaped me. Now that I have onions, garlic and potatoes handy, I can actually make some of these recipes without going shopping. I think that is the greatest beauty of this book--the ingredients are usually relatively cheap (although spices cost a bit at first if you don't already have them) and most of them aren't very exotic. I live in a rural-ish area and our mega-grocery has most of the ingredients that appear in the book (the other ingredients are within a 30-minute drive, so we're good to go). Moskowitz keeps cheap and simple in mind, so even if the recipe calls for fancy kitchen equipment, she'll often give a punk rock alternative so you can make the recipe without having to spend a lot of money at a yuppie kitchen store.

The only things about this book that I'm not crazy about are: 1) There are a couple of typos or inconsistencies that leave you wondering which you're supposed to follow, although I'm sure you can figure it out if I can. 2) For microwave professionals like myself, it can be hard to decide what a "medium onion" or "large russet potato" looks like. Now that vegetables are genetically altered, the classic medium potato looks kind of shrimpy. I like having ingredients listed in standardized measurements. 3) Possibly due to problems related to item 2, I made the falafel (the uncooked falafel tasted rockin!), but it didn't stick together in the cooking oil. So I had this dough that took a couple hours for me to make, and I put it in the oil and it disintegrated. I couldn't eat it! I think I used a genetically altered onion that was bigger than it was supposed to be, so the falafel was too wet. I don't know! But it was tragic. (In related news, the tahini was a-mazing. I think I made it three times in one week, it was so good.)

I'm still giving this book 5 stars because I think a lot of the problems are my own, and it's so good otherwise that it makes up for it. The chocolate pudding is *(#@$(* great! The only thing is that you have to wait for it to chill (can't eat it warm), or it doesn't taste so good.

I've never had a cookbook that I really, actually used before, but this one is already beat up and discolored! There are ingredients all over it! I'm so proud of myself!!! Great book! :D

When I first checked this book out from the library I did something that I've never done with a cookbook before--I sat down and just read it. The author is so entertaining, witty, and engaging that I just liked reading the recipe descriptions, punk points, tips from Fizzle the cat, and litte vignettes that are woven into the book.

Then I started cooking. Oh, the scones! Amazing! The TLTs (tempeh, lettuce, tomato)! Wonderful! So many recipes, so little time.

So of course I returned the book to the library and bought my very own copy to drool over and treasure and love and sleep with under my pillow. OK, so I exaggerate, but not much.

The only downside is that many of the entrees call for tempeh, seitan, or tofu, and I don't use those products very often. But when I do, I know that Isa will give me a good recipe. But there are enough other recipes that I think it's balanced overall. And Isa convinced me to try roasted brussels sprouts on pizza. Crazy, I know, but it was SO GOOD.

Yesterday I also got Isa's newest book, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. It's also wonderfully entertaining and I can't wait to start baking. I'm thinking of buying Vegan with a Vengeance and Vegan Cupcakes for all of my friends this Christmas--and none of them are vegan. No matter! Our vegan vengeance and cupcakey goodness will take over the world!

This book changed my life.

Now, since there are approximately 26,742 other Amazon reviews that say the same thing, let me explain before you dismiss me entirely. I'm 26 and had been vegetarian since I was 19. From the very beginning, I knew that veganism was the goal I wanted to aim for. I had read the books and had all the pamphlets. I knew "Why Vegan?". But I kept putting it off. After 7 years, it was clear that I had made veganism an unreachable goal in my life. I had blown the concept of vegan sacrifice to insane proportions, falsely inflating the importance of cheese and ice cream to my well being. I understand now that without this book, I might never have made that leap of faith.

When I first came in contact with Isa's food ideas, I was under oath to try one recipe a week for eight weeks. I completed this goal, and went far beyond. In fact in the subsequent months, if I cooked from a recipe it was almost always from VwaV. The food contained within isn't just good vegan food. It's good food period. Ms. Moskowitz has balanced the book very well between the deceptively simple and the "Oh my god, I MADE that!" (well ok, I was a pretty novice cook at the time, but there are some fun challenges). When making these recipes, I found new flavors and discovered a lot of flavor complexity that I hadn't found in any cookbook, veg*n or not.

To touch briefly on the writing of the book and it's format. Basically there is an introductory paragraph before each recipe that can range from a one liner about how good the recipe is to an anecdote about where the recipe came from and memories associated with it. You will also find helpful sidebars scattered throughout, written both by Isa and her helpful cat, Fizzle. There are also about 10 longer 1-2 page essays on various topics with a great focus on community-building. I found this non-recipe writing to be very engaging and gave the recipes extra life beyond the page. Make no mistake though, this cookbook's focus is definitely on the food.

Back to the life-changiness of the book. Well, after completing the 8 week goal, and still using Isa's recipes regularly long since, it finally dawned on me: veganism is EASY and actually fun. That unreachable goal that had haunted me for 7 years had been right there the whole time and my early experience with Vegan With A Vengeance is what finally made me realize that veganism isn't about SACRIFICE. You gain not only a whole new range of flavor but also creativity in the process. No, Isa Chandra Moskowitz didn't make me a vegan, but she showed me how good it can taste.

Oh, in a cookbook review you're supposed to mention some of your favorite recipes so here are the top 3 standouts for me: The Best Pumpkin Muffins truly are the best. Terry's Chili sin Carne Mole is amazing! And as a guy wearing a mohawk and a studded denim vest writing about a punk rock cookbook (don't let the "Post" fool ya, Isa's punk as fork), I'm losing all my punk points by saying this, but the Raspberry Blackout Cake with Ganache-y Frosting is DIVINE.

This is a brilliant, brilliant book. I'm getting all excited just writing a review for it. I love this book to pieces and I'm not even vegan.

The tone - Hilarious and awesome. Kind of like listening to Grandma's stories if Grandma was a crazy punk in New York during the 80s. Her tales are one of the reasons I bought the book (they're fun to read while waiting for cakes to bake!). Isa's style is always chatty and fun, never preachy. My favorite part is in the beginning, when she tells the reader that it's cool if they spill food and sauces all over the book, because then they'll remember all the awesome food they've made. The whole book has that fun, messy, DIY spirit. Needless to say, my book is well-loved.

The recipes - Brilliant. Inventive and delicious. I can't do justice. Omnis and veg*ns love it. And, best of all: IT IS NOT ONLY TOFU. AND THERE IS NOT A SINGLE SALAD RECIPE TO BE FOUND. Which means more room for fun stuff like Chickpea & Spinach Curry (*best ever*), Falafel (constantly requested by my meat-eating family), and Fresh Mango Summer Rolls (forget seconds--we went to fifths and sixths!). Best of all, Isa's recipes are flexible, and she gives you various tools (low-cal/fat replacement sections, etc.) to fix them exactly the way you want them. Every time I have made her recipes, the food has turned out absolutely delicious--and even better, it stays delicious, even with modifications for dieting family or picky friends.

So yeah this is pretty much a love letter at this point. I would totally ask this cookbook to marry me were it, you know, sentient. And human. But I'm just being silly. Buy this book. It will make even the pickiest eater love fantastic, homemade, healthy food--which just so happens to be vegan. It's the best :)

Whether you'll like this cookbook depends on what you're looking for. If you are eating vegan to be healthier, if you wish to avoid refined flour and sugar, then this book isn't for you. If you want to eat "veganized" versions of popular foods in the typical American diet, this might be the cookbook for you. Many of the recipes call for white flour, sugar, or both. This was a huge disappointment to me, as I was expecting whole grain recipes using a variety of different grains and beans. If you want to bake cookies, muffins, scones, and other desserts, this book provides a good selection of recipes.

I purchased this book so that I would have ingredients and ideas of what to
prepare for my vegan daughter and family when they visited. Quite a number of recipes looked interesting and appetizing and I, a non-vegetarian, really appreciated all the substitutes listed for replacing non-vegan foods (like eggs, butter, cheese)along with the explanations as to why the author uses one ingredient over another for satisfying results.

There are lots of tips, comments and suggestions within recipes throughout
the book. I enjoyed the personal references and what appears to be "tried
and true" recipes to choose from.

While the whole family was together over the holidays, the cookbook remained out on the counter. I made some chocolate chip, thumbprint and cresent cookies with my grandkids and my daughter made delicious little
appetizer pancakes with parsnips (a vegetable I'd never before introduced to my family). EVERYONE loved them, scarfed them up still wishing for more! We did make another trip to the store to have another batch the
following day.

I sent the book home with my daughter and I just purchased another copy, again for myself, and this time will try some other intriging sounding
recipes not only for when my daughter visits but intentionally for me and
my non-vegetarian husband.

Yes, of course I recommend this book! A great addition to anyones cookbook
library.

I have six or seven vegan cookbooks, but this is the only one I use regularly. Every single recipe I have tried from this book has come out delish. The chocolate chip cookies taste better than I remember Mrs. Field's tasting. The seitan portobello stroganoff is out of this world. I don't usually feel the need to write a review, but I am one satisfied customer.

"Vegan with a Vengeance" was the first cookbook I bought once I started thinking about going vegan, so it is near & dear to my heart. It's become one of my go-to cookbooks, and I think I have made more recipes from this book than from any other that I own (and I own A LOT)! The baked goods are the absolute best, and so many of the savory dishes are amazing, as well. Isa is funny, opinionated, and smart as can be, and this cookbook really shows off her personality & sense of humor. It really is a very charming book, and I actually love to read it while lying in bed at night.

I will say that I understand how this book would be a little intimidating for beginners, and it's not for the unadventurous. However, if you're open to cooking & eating vegan food, I think you should be open to trying dishes you might normally not. It has always paid off for me, either in the way of a learning experience - or (more commonly) in the end result of a delicious meal! Sure, some of the ingredients are things you wouldn't have used prior to going vegan, but cooking should be an ever-evolving process, and Isa Chandra Moskowitz's books have taught me SO much about food & cooking techniques. "Vegan with a Vengeance" also has great sections on stocking the vegan pantry, and good kitchen tools to own.

I personally like reviews that list out which specific recipes did & did not work for the reviewer, so I will share my experiences with "VwaV" here.

THE GOOD:
-Herb-Roasted Potatoes - Simple & delicious.
-Pancakes - Perfect pancakes that are just as good as, if not better than, non-vegan pancakes.
-Banana-Pecan Pancakes - My favorite pancake recipe! They're truly amazing!
-Lemon Corn Waffles with Blueberry Sauce - Nice "fancy" pancake recipe that is still really simple & easy to make.
-Pumpkin Waffles - Perfect for Fall! LOVE these.
-Carrot-Raisin Muffins - Healthy & delicious.
-The Best Pumpkin Muffins - These really are the BEST! The recipe calls for the perfect amount of spice, and I love that it calls for allspice, cloves, and ginger, which are spices that are surprisingly often overlooked in spice cakes.
-Apple Pie-Crumb Cake Muffins - SO GOOD. Great flavor, and perfect crumb topping.
-Corn Chowder - GREAT soup! Perfectly sweet & spicy.
-TLT (Tempeh, Lettuce, and Tomato) - Love the addition of hummus to the sandwich, but I do like other tempeh bacon recipes better (as noted below).
-Tofu Dill Salad Sammiches - Though I loathe the word "sammich," this SANDWICH is quite tasty, healthy, and filling. :)
-Punk Rock Chickpea Gravy - Stop what you're doing & MAKE THIS. The only thing I change is to reduce the lemon juice to just a splash, but other than that, it is AWESOME. I served it at Thanksgiving last year, and it was a huge hit. Really healthy, as far as gravies go, as well.
-Sauteed Green Beans with Mushrooms - Delicious, healthy sidedish.
-Pizza Dough - Perfect dough, every time!
-Isa Pizza - Creative, delicious pizza. Just my style!
-Basil-Tofu Ricotta - While I don't love this quite as much as the Cashew Ricotta from "Veganomicon," this is a great recipe to put into sandwiches, on top of pizza, and to serve with crackers.
-Pumpkin Seed-Crusted Tofu with Baked Pumpkin & Cranberry Relish - As you can tell from the title, it's quite labor-intensive, but worth the effort! I didn't bake my own pumpkin, so I used storebought pumpkin seeds, and it was still great!
-Seitan - My go-to seitan recipe. Perfect, perfect, perfect (except I omit the lemon zest).
-Brooklyn Pad Thai - As Isa herself says (and as the title implies), this is not an authentic recipe - but it's incredible nonetheless. Relatively simple steps, with easy-to-find ingredients. Yum!
-Raspberry Blackout Cake with Ganache-y Frosting - Simply AMAZING. Such a ridiculously easy cake to make, yet it ALWAYS impresses people. This is my boyfriend's all-time favorite cake, and it is right up there on my list, as well. No omni will believe this is vegan! Really, this is the cake I make to show people that vegan cooking & baking is delicious. Very pretty, too.

THE DECENT:
-Scrambled Tofu - I have tried other recipes that I like much more, but this is a solid, decent scrambled tofu.
-Breakfast Veggie Chorizo - Nothing super impressive (omnis I have shared it with didn't like it).
-Tempeh Bacon - I have perfected a recipe of my own that I like much better, but again, this is a solid recipe that will likely be enjoyed by beginner cooks.
-Fronch Toast - I don't know about this one. Everyone seems to love this recipe, but I have tried much better vegan French toast, and I didn't think this was anything too special.
-Scones - The flavors in the scone recipes are great (Plain, Hazelnut & Glazed Orange), but I prefer scone recipes that call for vegetable shortening instead of oil, as I think that creates a flakier scone.
-Cherry-Almond Muffins - Good, but nothing amazing.
-Coconut Rice with Toasted Coconut - Okay rice recipe, but a little sweet for my liking (I think maybe it's the cinnamon stick, which I don't care for in savory recipes).
-Toasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Garlic - These are alright, but a little dry & not my favorite way to prepare Brussels sprouts.
-Classic Pesto - Too much oil for my tastes.
-Seitan-Portobello Stroganoff - A lot of work for just "okay" results. Also pretty expensive, and not worth the effort or money, unfortunately.

THE BAD:
-Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins - Very bland & dry for some reason. (I have heard that Isa has a much-improved LPS Muffin recipe in her new book, "Vegan Brunch," though I haven't tried it yet.)
-Fettuccine Alfreda - Did not care for this AT ALL. It tasted sour for some reason, and was nothing like traditional Alfredo. Tasting different isn't always a negative thing, but in this case, I don't think it's a good substitute for the Alfredo we all remember.

As you can see, most of the recipes in "Vegan with a Vengeance" are fabulous, and I especially love that they are versatile & can be tweaked to suit your tastes. Don't like white flour? Substitute whole wheat pastry flour. Prefer to use less oil? Use water for sauteeing, or unsweetened applesauce for some of the oil in baked goods! I do this all the time, almost always with great results. Something else I really love & appreciate about this book (and all of Isa's) is that the recipes only call for fresh, healthy, WHOLE foods. I don't believe there is even ONE recipe that calls for "processed isolated soy protein" hotdogs or any other storebought faux meats. It's all healthy, plant-based, natural foods in this book!

"Vegan with a Vengeance" is a great addition to any kitchen. It's creative, inspirational, and has both healthy & decadent recipes that will please everyone!

the title says it all-- as a vegan baker, I was delighted to receive this as a Christmas gift. Before this cookbook, I was feeling increasingly frustrated by vegweb.com's recipes that often turned out badly and left me so disparaged. This cookbook has renewed my hope for several reasons.

1) Most of the time, vegan recipes contain the weirdest sounding ingredients. This cookbook, however, is creative in the way it combines simple and accessible ingredients. You don't need to be in close proximity to a health store to have the neccessary ingredients.

2) They're so easy to make! As a new cook (as well as a new vegan), this book speaks in phrases I know and understand without using complicated lingo.

3) It's inspiring-- she encourages experimentation in the kitchen and through her extra tidbits of info she makes you excited to pick up the frying pan/mixing bowl.

4) The recipes are truly delicious. I had no idea that simple mushrooms, garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar could make for such an amazing 'sammich.'

5) It's universal-- though some say vegans develop a different palate for food, these recipes taste yummy to everyone. Good food is good food regardless of age, race, or food preference. Isa makes that point loudly with this cookbook.

6) It's also personal-- by expressing her own uniqueness in such clever ways, it's inviting to the reader to make the meals listed in the book. By giving personal anecdotes (like having brunch parties using various recipes) it also shows the cook the various applications and ways to use the meals being made. Her example of a political bakesale is awesome.

7) It's not preachy. So many times, vegan authors can make it seem like veganism is a duty or obligation. Isa, on the other hand, shows veganism to be fun, creative, and just as self-satisfying as a meat-eating diet.

Ok, there are probably other reasons why this book rocks, but I have to pull some of the pumpkin muffins from the oven! Best of luck!