Customer Reviews

Vegan World Fusion Cuisine: Over 200 Award-Winning Recipes, Second Edition

5 star:		(82)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one of the most thorough and user-friendly cookbooks I have used. Every possible angle has been thought out and addressed. The recipes generally utilize ingredients that I already have in stock. When a question arose regarding an ingredient, it was easily answered with the glossary.

Approximate cooking/preparation times are given for all dishes. Menu suggestions are very helpful. The variety of recipes is impressive. Most are for "normal" food, not far-out, bizarre dishes that people would be hesitant to try.

The book itself is beautiful. Lushly illustrated with photos both of the foods and of peoples and places from around the world, each recipe is enhanced with quotes from various sources, which are 'slipped in' in a very palatable manner. There are many resources included for a variety of services, agencies, and organizations, relevant to vegans and lifestyle conscious people in general.

A section on "preparation basics" covers cooking methods and equipment. A "soaking and sprouting" chart, as well as a chart covering the how and how much of cooking grains, are very helpful.

Raw food recipes are included, in addition to complete menus and meal suggestions. Contributors to the cookbook and The Blossoming Lotus restaurant are nicely acknowleged.

This cookbook combines the best features of my favorite cookbooks into one. It makes for enjoyable reading in addition to being a handy reference. I consider it to be a gift to the vegan cook, or any cook.

The Blossoming Lotus is a vegan restaurant based in Kauai, Hawaii, with another restaurant in Portland. Their cookbook is both beautiful as well as delicious: full of photographs of sacred sites and original artwork, the layout is simple and uncluttered. There are also numerous inspirational quotations that accompany the gorgeous photographs.

The book is arranged into:
*appetizers, snacks, and spreads
*soups
*dressings and sauces
*salads and sides
*wraps and sandwiches
*breads, pizzas, and pasta
*tempeh, tofu, and seitan
*casseroles, grains and beans
*desserts
*breakfast, juice and smoothies

There is also an introduction to veganism, a vegan natural food preparation guide, a food glossary, and a resource guide. In addition, most recipes offer several variations and there is a "quick and easy" guide that suggests additional meals, snacks, and treats.

The recipes boast clever names, many making use of alliteration (Bahkti's Broccoli Bisque, Super Shakti's Spanikopita). Many are heavily influenced by Asian cuisine (Thai, Japanese, Indian, etc.). This may pose a problem if you don't have access to a natural food store; some of the more exotic ingredients include ulu (breadfruit), black rice, spelt tortillas, and umeboshi (Japanese plum paste). If you are lucky enough to live near a Whole Foods Market, you should have no problem in tracking down less common ingredients. Ingredients and instructions are clearly and simply presented. The majority of ingredients can be found at your local farmers market or in your garden.

Roughly half of the recipes are "live," or raw vegan. These are clearly marked by a lotus. Although I do not normally adhere to a raw vegan diet, I appreciated having choices for raw vegan appetizers, main courses, and desserts.

(One final thought: If you are allergic to soy, you may have to experiment with small substitutions, as nearly every recipe calls for soy in some form, be it shoyu, soy milk, tofu, or tempeh.)

I loved the Blossoming Lotus in Kauai. In fact, we had our best vegetarian meal ever---rated a perfect 10. (The enchilada cassarole and the red curry plate). We bought the book while there and it is just a beautiful book to remember our trip, with pictures of Kauai and interesting information about food, etc.

The good news is that the recipes are not too difficult and the food tastes great. I in fact made the enchillada cassarole with some improvisation and it tasted fantastic. I did find it to be a little more ingredient intensive then some other veggie cookbooks but certainly nothing so difficult that the dish would be ruined. I've been learning about a few combinations too along with different ways to use tofu and tahini.

I wish I had a Blossoming Lotus in my town but instead I'll have to rely on my own renditions as often as I can!

A book of recipes is a utilitarian thing...a simple tool to make life easier in the kitchen.

Not so with Vegan World Fusion Cuisine. It does not occupy a space on my bookshelf along with the dozens of other recipe books I own. Instead, it reigns supreme on my coffee table, the only book to hold this place of honor.

The "oohs" and "aahs" it elicits from vegan and non-vegan visitors alike, have become all too predictable. My husband and I place bets on how long it will take a guest in our home to become mesmerized by this book. Still, I maintain that a cookbook simply should not be so shamelessly enticing. The spectacularly vibrant photographs contained within its pages further reinforce my already obsessive love affair with food, and make me long to find myself in enchanting and magical places I've yet had the chance to visit. It's filled with subtle, exquisite beauty and not-so-subtle temptation.

The vegan and living food recipes found in Vegan World Fusion Cuisine are all made with pure and simple ingredients: whole, fresh, ripe, raw fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, unprocessed grains, unbleached flours, and unrefined oils and sweeteners. With names that are as imaginative as the multicultural dishes themselves, you can indulge in truly healthful and tasty creations.

For example: Eternal Sunrise Smoothie is creamy, rich, and fruity, and the best smoothie I've ever tasted. (No kidding!) Satori Summer Rolls or Nooanda's Pistachio Blue Corn Crusted Tempeh served with Primal Peanut Sauce are as tantalizing as the names imply. Sicilian Seitan with Sundried Tomatoes and Pine Nuts makes me wonder why I ever thought that cheese was a necessary ingredient in Italian food. Star Lotus Persimmon Parfait and The Bliss of Krishna Tropical Rice Pudding deeply satisfy my almost insatiable sweet tooth. But don't be intimated by the exotic-sounding names. All of the recipes are easy and fun to prepare!

The engaging forward by Dr. Jane Goodall, inspiring quotations, brilliantly colorful photographs, and delectable multicultural recipes all blend together to illustrate the love and devotion that was poured into the creation of this book. With the sublimely flavorful recipes from Vegan World Fusion Cuisine you can create in your own kitchen, you'll feast on foods that will nourish and nurture your body, mind, and spirit, and serve love and healing energy to your family and friends.

This book detailis the route to vegan bliss. Incredible recipes and bursting with pictures from all over the world. It is just as much fun to grab this book and thumb through it for the pictures as it is to cook up the incredible, and I must say, eye pleasing recipes.

As you tavel the world through this book you will find ways to prepare the food of your vegan dreams. This book will also awaken your mind to the reasons to be vegan. It is more than just about your own health. The health, and perhaps survival of our planet may also rely on a move towards veganism.

This book goes from soup to nuts but it also covers juice to gourmet as well. Whether you have a minute to grab something healthy to eat, or a day to lovingly prepare a special meal, this is the book. If you are not vegan...that's OK. Buy the book anyhow. This is just plain tasty food for the whole world. And this is food for life.

One last thing that impressed me about this book. So many cookbooks say add "Whatzavege" or some other product you never heard of. You scour store after natural store looking for "Whatzavege" only to never find it. Not here...this book directs you to page ## and gives you the recipe to make it. Is that cool or what? Very thorough section on marinades and condiments. And even a good recipe for homemade vegetable soup stock.

Well, that is all...gotta go make some Daddy Dread's Jamaican Jerk Plantain out of my Vegan World Fusion book. Spicy!

I love cookbooks, and have quite a collection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian. This and the Candle Cafe are probably my top-two vegan cookbooks.

This book is filled with very delicious recipes, and some of them taste so rich, you'd never imagine they didn't have dairy or meat in them. They would even satisfy non-vegan guests.

A few of the ingredients are hard-to-find, but most can be bought in a gourmet market. Many recipes are quite unique and exotic, and will surprise your palate. They contain an interesting array of textures, flavors, and spices. Coconut milk is used in several recipes to give richness.

I do have one complaint about this book. While I find the photographs to be beautiful, I wish there were photos of the actual food and not just of scenery. Small complaint though, as the book overall is 5 Stars.

I bought this book as a guide to help me transition toward more healthful cooking and eating habits. It has certainly done that with its many wonderful and varied recipes as there are over 200 pages of them. There is also a resource chapter offering information on many organizations that attempt to make this a more peaceful planet.

I highly recommend this book if you are interested in Vegan cooking, beautiful photography, words of wisdom and artwork. I hope to visit their restaruant in Portland very soon so I can enjoy some of these wonderful dishes in a fun city and really look forward to their Hawaii location one day!

Specifically designed as a culinary manual for sustainable, nonviolent living with recipes drawn from the food preparation traditions of diverse world cultures, Vegan World Fusion Cuisine: Healing Recipes & Timeless Wisdom From Our Hearts To Yours is the joint project of Mark Reinfeld, Bo Rinaldi, and the chefs of the Blossoming Lotus restaurant in Kauai, Hawaii. Showcasing some two hundred recipes and enhanced with sacred site photography as well as timeless and wise observations from healers, musicians, artists, and philosophers, Vegan World Fusion Cuisine is a unique and welcome addition to any vegetarian cookbook collection. From Gift of Govinda Curry; Nirvana's Nori Roll; and Mount Sinai Manna Bread; to Plato's Live Greek Pizza; Om Great Spirit Black Rice Polenta Casserole; The Bliss of Krishna Tropical Rice Pudding; and Green God Smoothie, this enthusiastically recommended collection of memorable dishes is enhanced with a Resource Guide offering information on Vegan Education, Living Goods, Organic Farming, Permaculture Info, Environmental Groups, Animal Rights Groups, World Peace Organizations, and Hunger Organizations.

The Blossoming Lotus cookbook is awesome. I bought it for my partner-in-crime's birthday. He said it was the best birthday present he ever got.

The recipes are orginal, simple-enough and very tasty. A party in your mouth. But more than that the book makes cooking a very uplifting experience. The peace, love and wisdom emmanating in the words, designs and layout of the pages is touching.

Sometimes i just browse the wise quotes found on everypage, sometimes i take a look at some nutritional information, sometimes i get some Chef's tips on cooking.

Though there is way more to this cookbook than recipes, the recipes make it a worthwhile buy in itself. I especially like how at the top of each recipe it says how much time it will take to prepare and how much time it will take to cook and whatever other time may be needed (to cool down, or whatever). Except for one (purple potatoes), I have been able to find all the ingredients in local healthfood stores. It's always fun to go out shopping with a recipe in mind and come back and make one of their beautiful creations.

My favorites have been the Kava-kava Brownies, The Mayan Wonder Bars, the Hummos, and the Carrot Cake. Indeed, i have a sweet tooth, or rather, sweet teeth :)

Writing this makes me realise i need to try more of the savory recipes, i'll get back to you on those.

My only gripe with the cookbook is the "live" recipes, i.e. those for raw-foodist that require 'sprouting'. Since i'm not a raw foodist myself, trying to plan a meal days in advance to allow for the extended periods of sprouting beans or whatever hasn't worked out for me quite yet. But i know that is something raw-foodist will find perfectly normal and something everyone can get used to, even myself.

A great buy for a vegan/healthnut/rawfoodist/zen person.

This book is exotic and beautiful, but also accessible and warm. It's a little bit hippy dippy, which I understand is not everyone's cup of tea (me for one) but if you just go with it, it's kind of fun.

A few of the vegan and raw (un)cookbooks out there don't make you feel quite as welcome as this--it's full of inspiration and comfort as well. Some can be so complicated and daunting that you never really end up using the cookbook. But Vegan World Fusion is so inviting and user friendly, you are ready to get to work after the first thumb-through. That is if you can make up your mind which recipe to try first out of the many many wonderful choices.

Attention to detail in this book is good. The recipes are layed out with wet and dry ingredients--very helpful in preparation. The lotus flowers noting the raw dishes are a wonderful touch, and there are inspirational quotes and sumptuous photos dotted throughout.

The recipes are visually appealing and delicious. I love that they have included so many raw dishes which is perfect for my partially raw veg diet. This could be my only cookbook and I'd have tons of variety.

I'd recommend this book to everyone--long time vegetarians, carnivores, etc, but particularly people who are just getting into veganism because I think that they will see that veganism is fun, colorful, and exciting and there aren't really any sacrifices. They may also be suprised at how easy it is.