Vicki's Vegan Kitchen: Eating with Sanity, Compassion & Taste [Paperback]

Vicki Rae Chelf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2010

Vegan dishes are healthy, delicious, and surprisingly easy to make. Yet many people are daunted by the idea of preparing meals that contain no animal products. For them, and for everyone who loves great food, vegetarian chef Vicki Chelf presents Vicki’s Vegan Kitchen, a comprehensive cookbook designed to take the mystery out of meatless meals.

The book begins by offering tips for making nutritious food choices, as well as an extensive glossary of ingredients. Vicki then discusses the simple kitchen equipment you need to have on hand and explains basic cooking techniques. Following this are twelve chapters packed with over 350 recipes for delicious dips, scrumptious soups, pleasing pastas, decadent desserts, and much, much more. Whether you’re interested in compassionate cooking, you value the benefits of a meat-free diet, or you just want to treat your family to a wonderful meal, Vicki’s Vegan Kitchen will bring delectable vegan fare to your kitchen table.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Veteran cookbook author Chelf (Cooking with the Right Side of the Brain) expands the vegan culinary universe in this collection of 375 meat-, egg- and dairy-free dishes for those with dietary restrictions. Yes, there are smoothies, Tabouli, and Hummus, but Chelf helps readers expand their diets with vegan versions of pizza, lasagna, and even Cheez Whiz in this accessible and imaginative guide. Chelf's creative concoctions enable vegans to enjoy French Toast, béchamel sauce, pie, and a mock beef stew that finds its umami in seitan, tahini, and liquid aminos. A guide to vegan-friendly sources for key ingredients, and foods to avoid or seek out ensures larders will be stocked with healthy staples. Helpful step-by-step instructions for baking bread and making noodles, and tips on sprucing up soups and smoothies inspire confidence and enable cooks to expand their culinary repertoire. Though special ingredients are often required for many of her dishes, Chelf does an admirable job of keeping things as simple as possible. This is a terrific guide for vegans tired of settling for a salad. Photos. (Oct.) (c)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Vicki Chelf is an experienced natural foods cooking instructor, an accomplished artist, and an internationally recognized food writer. She has also served as head chef at a top natural foods restaurant. Ms. Chelf has written six cookbooks, including The Arrowhead Mills Cookbook and Cooking for Life.

Product Details

• Paperback: 310 pages
• Publisher: Square One Publishers (November 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075700251X
• ISBN-13: 978-0757002519
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #695,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent first pick for anyone interested in sampling vegan cuisine, November 13, 2010

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vicki's Vegan Kitchen: Eating with Sanity, Compassion & Taste (Paperback)

Vicki's Vegan Kitchen: Eating with Sanity, Compassion & Taste is packed cover to cover with over 375 kitchen-tested recipes, cooking tips, food preparation guidelines with the occasional black-and-white diagram, a glossary of ingredients, sprouting instructions, and more. All recipes are vegan and nutritionally sound, ranging from to Banana-Walnut Muffins to Tempeh Salad, Sauteed Eggplant over Fettucine, Baked Cauliflower Puree, Seitan Crumbles, and much more. The wealth of vegan food preparation information in addition to the wide array of recipes make Vicki's Vegan Kitchen an excellent first pick for anyone interested in sampling vegan cuisine.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful for someone wanting to make a lifestyle change, June 15, 2011

By 

Cindy Brock "Top Amazon Reviewer At Your Service" (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Vicki's Vegan Kitchen: Eating with Sanity, Compassion & Taste (Paperback)

Well, upon turning 50, I realized I needed to do something. I was using some alternative medicine and the doctor said I really needed to focus on making some food changes - a good portion of which involved more veggies, fruits, legumes, etc.

Someone who has your best health at heart writes this book. It's very upbeat and positive. The #1 thing I love about this book (besides the recipes, of course) is the 1-page "tips" that popup throughout it. Here are a few of my favorites:

=>Foods to Avoid (pg. 26)
This list in the front portion of the book is among a wonderful glossary. When I reviewed this list, I was surprised to see items that I thought were ok to have. Glad I know now.

=>Herbes de Provence (pg. 46)
Good luck trying to find this herb blend in a store. For a long time, it was in the spice aisle: but then it was gone. Luckily, Vicki has included the recipe. The great thing about having a recipe is that you can use the freshest herbs. This definitely makes it taste fresh - better than what you can buy in a jar - by far!

=>Creating a Complete Meal Salad (pg. 152)
This information takes you far beyond that poor excuse of a salad we all eat with some lettuce, tomato, cucumber and dressing thrown together in a bowl. It has everything from the various types of greens to making your salad satisfying (e.g., using beans, etc.).

=> Who Doesn't Love Pizza (pg. 206)
I think I need to cut out this page, laminate it, and put it on my refrigerator. Pizza is one of the few things I have always enjoyed without meat.

=> What Should I Do With (pg. 220)
This was a great section. I am not very creative but if you give me an item and then tell me how to use it, I can take it from there.

The only two things I wish it had included were (a) a bigger table of contents (but the index more than makes up for that, and (b) a spiral binding (because I'm sure I'm going to break the spine on this as I start trying all these recipes).

If you're vegan or planning to move towards being a vegetarian, you'll find this book is complete, helpful, and easy-to-read. I highly recommend it.

Enjoy!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gourmet Vegan Recipes That are Easy!, December 12, 2010

By 

Diane Jensen (Sarasota, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vicki's Vegan Kitchen: Eating with Sanity, Compassion & Taste (Paperback)

This cookbook is for anyone who wants to try easy but delicious vegan cooking. Vicki included a lot of information about the ingredients and how to prepare and use them properly. The recipes are quite easy to prepare and all the ones I've tried so far are incredibly delicious. I'd rather cook at home using Vicki's recipes than eat out because the food tastes so much better than anything you can get in a restaurant. Vicki is a gourmet vegan chef who used to have her own restaurant and this cookbook reflects that. This is a great book for either beginners or more experienced cooks!