Customer Reviews

Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am a recently converted vegan. I am lucky enough to have the full support of my closest friends and family; my mom even sought out a vegetarian restaurant when she was on a business trip to see what it was all about!

I realized recently, however, that supportive as they are, many don't think that it's possible to have a vegan meal that doesn't taste like "substitution" food. I have no desire to shove my opinion down people's throats; when we have visitors or I have to contribute food, I would LOVE to be able to prepare and share vegan meals where they don't necessarily notice that there aren't any animal products. I've quickly learned that this is more than just possible--it's probable. Like any kind of cooking-- you just have to learn the techniques and tricks of the trade (for instance, until quite recently I didn't realize that it is a good idea to press tofu). This book is a fantastic resource for achieving this goal.

Last night my husband (an omnivore) and I had the chickpea potato enchiladas paired with spinach, capers and raisins-- it was AMAZING; I never anticipated capers and raisins pairing so brilliantly together. My husband, a self proclaimed cheese-addict said that they were some of the best enchiladas I've ever made hands down. I followed the recipes to a T. In the future he'll request these over their cheese-drenched cousins.

As other reviewers have alluded to, the educational components of the book are thorough, enlightening and engaging. I am completely smitten with this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in becoming a better vegan cook and/OR just better acquainted with Latin American cooking in general.

This book is amazing (not that I had any doubts!) and I've had so much fun just reading it, there are interesting tidbits about the origins of the dishes and substitutions for the few hard to find ingredients used (there aren't many). Plus, I've found my official "go to" seitan recipes! The red and white seitans are absolutely the best I've ever made, and that's before incorporating them into full dishes. Empanadas and tamales are the greatest, I can't wait to have my freezer stuffed with them for easy and quick "fast food."

I highly recommend this book for pretty much anyone; there are dishes for a simple weeknight dinner or more impressive undertakings for impressing dinner guests-omnis included!

This book is fabulous, I tested for Terry and we were blown away every night at dinner by how tasty her recipes are! She uses wonderful fresh ingredients and for many, you don't even need to go to a specialty market (though there are some that do, but it's so worth it!). I knew nothing about South American cuisine or cooking before this, and I was introduced to many wonderful new flavors and textures. Do yourself a favor and pick it up immediately.

Favorites: Cilantro Lime Rice, Pupusas, Cafe Con Leche Flan, Green Onion Salsa, Eggplant Torta Sandwich (omg I could eat one of these every meal, every day, forever), Colombian Style Red Beans, Savory Orange Rice, Tofu Chicharrones, and Spicy Tortilla Casserole with Roasted Poblanos.

If you're not familiar with Latin food (like me), this book is a great introduction. Terry gives you a culinary trip around Latin America. Many of the foods are easy to prepare and delicious.

Don't know an arepa from an empanada? No worries. If you're a Latin food newbie there are are plenty of photos. Lots of great recipes but the chachapas are especially delicious! This book is a great and unique addition to any vegan cook's library!

If this book weren't written by someone who, because of her other books, I completely trust, I probably would not have bought it. Why not? Because I would have looked inside it, seen ingredients I never heard of, and thought it wasn't worth it. But I knew that Terry Hope Romero, co-author of Veganomicon and others, would be more than capable of successfully leading me into culinary directions I never explored before. So after a trip to my local Latin grocery store, which had everything I needed and more (for instance: achiote paste, various chili powders, plantains, avocados, and jalapenos galore), I got cooking.

First of all, I'm crazy about the seitan recipes in this book! Brilliant! And what's more, she has you steam it the way you steam vegan sausage rather than boiling it forever in otherwise wasted veggie broth. Never boil seitan again! Steaming it is much better. And I was so impressed with the deliciousness of her seitan. I wanted to eat it plain, seriously. And, you know, no one usually does that.

The recipes really taste authentic. And it's so inexpensive! I'm addicted to the yellow rice just to have on hand. Her recipe has you make your own annato-infused oil, but she explains how you can replace it with pre-made achiote paste if you've got that. Well, my local Latin grocery carried that, so making the yellow rice is a snap. I will never use one of those packs again (not that I really ever did, I like cooking too much).

This really isn't a beginner's cookbook. Some recipes have you make other recipes first. But for people who can chop an onion and garlic a little more quickly (which is my secret way of being able to tell if a person cooks often or not), this is a serious cookbook that will help you make incredible food. Her directions are impeccable, she explains everything that needs explaining really well. It's very, very, omnivore-friendly. I fed the food to a lot of different people and they all went nuts for it. There's a lot of faux meat (mostly seitan) and it's really convincingly done.

I still want to try some of the desserts -- in particular the flan! But that will involve me getting some agar flakes or powder off the internet, so I haven't done it yet. Other than that, if you have a Latin grocery in town (and if you have an immigrant population, you do have one in town), the ingredients are actually highly accessible. Also, I buy vital wheat gluten in bulk from Amazon Hodgson Mill Vital Wheat Gluten with Vitamin C, 6.5-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 8) so that is not such a problem, but I could see it being a problem for others.

Venezuelan-American cookbook author Terry Hope Romero (Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook) makes Latin food vegan-friendly in Viva Vegan! This collection of 200 vegan recipes includes offerings from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. You'll find updated favorites like tostones and mofongo (Puerto Rico), stuffed arepas (Venezuela and Colombia), tamales and tortas (Mexico), ropa vieja (Cuba), ceviche (Peru), and more.

If you're new to vegan and / or Latin cuisine, fear not! Romero thoughtfully includes a primer on the vegan Latin pantry, along with numerous sidebars, suggested menus (The Buena Vegan Social Club, Colombian Colors, Buenos Aires Potluck, Sofrito So Good, etc.), and a quick-start shopping list (which can be printed at the author's website) that'll have you whipping up vegan delights with Latin flair in "sólo unos minutos" (okay, maybe un poco más for some of the recipes). Quirky Spanish phrases pepper the book; they may not be grammatically correct, but they're likely already familiar to non-Spanish speakers.

Recipes are straightforward and in easy-to-read typeface; recipe names are in all-caps red, while the ingredients and steps are supplemented with tips, uses, and variations. You'll find animal-free versions of staples like dulce de leche, chicharrones (instead of deep-fried pork rinds, Romero uses Chinese-style tofu; I would imagine that tofu skins would also crisp up nicely), masa dough (using vegan margarine and vegan shortening to replace the lard used in traditional tamales), and chorizo (there's an included recipe for seitan chorizo, but Field Roast makes a very good (and spicy) chipotle vegan sausage that could be substituted). If you don't live in a city with a large Hispanic population, some of the items such as guava paste, masa harina and cleaned corn husks for tamales, frozen yuca chunks, and aji panca paste may be difficult to find.

I loved the recipes I tried: the very Spanish Swiss chard with raisins and capers was fantastic! I substituted kale for the chard and golden raisins for the dark raisins and increased the fruit to ½ cup. Absolutely delicious! The oil crisps the garlic and coats the greens (I reduced the oil to 1 tablespoon), and the capers add a delightfully salty tang that contrasts beautifully with the raisins' sweetness.

My second attempt was the sweet and nutty roasted stuffed plantains. They were divine, filled with a sweet-salty combo of sea salt, brown sugar, and walnuts (I'm vegetarian, not vegan, so I used a sprinkle of queso fresco during the last few minutes of cooking). Make sure if you're roasting plantains (as opposed to frying, which works better with unripe green plantains) that their peels are almost completely black; if your plantains aren't fully ripe, they won't soften up as you bake them (lesson learned!).

Like most vegan cookbooks, Viva Vegan! relies heavily on soy and wheat meat substitutes, including tofu, TVP, soy creamer / soymilk and seitan. If you're allergic to soy or wheat, there are plenty of wonderful veggie and grain-based dishes like gallo pinto, red beans with Dominican-style sazón, potato-chickpea enchiladas, and spicy tortilla casserole with roasted poblanos that you can enjoy.

To help you wash down your newly-veganified Latin cuisine, the author provides recipes for sangria, michelada (ice-spiked beer, lime, salt and hot sauce), and the ubiquitous mojito. Sweet endings include pineapple-raisin sweet tamales (the fruit is worked into the dough), deep-fried churros con chocolate, and tropically-inspired gems such as majarete (sweet coconut corn pudding), dulce de batata, papaya-lime sorbet and sweet corn ice cream.

The verdict: Viva Vegan! is a great addition to any kitchen and a great way to add a little "sabor latino" to your next meal!

(Review copy courtesy of Da Capo Lifelong Books)

I totally love all the cookbooks by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero and when i heard Terry was coming out with her own book i totally knew it would be great and that i would have to buy it. Im come from a Caribbean background and some of the foods in the Latin culture are the same or similar which is why i love it so much. This book did not disappoint so far i've tried the tres leches cake and the eggplant torta and they were both great the cake was moist and Delicious. I want to try everything in this book and i think its a must have vegan book. One person has made the comment that there are hard to find ingredients i guess that just depends on where you live. I live in a somewhat small town in New York but we have a large Latin population so i can get everything in my major supermarket

this cookbook is truly magnificent. i had the pleasure of being a tester and enjoyed every moment of it. the recipes are not only mouth-watering, but also truly authentic. vegan or not, it's a must have if you like latin food. your dinner guests, family, and friends will be left amazed! and...they won't believe it's vegan!!

Wonderful book! So far I've tried the yellow rice, venezuelan black beans, pupusas, arepas, gallo pinto, guacamole, Brazilian shredded kale, tostones, orange mojo tofu, and peruvian potato and setian skewers... all delicious!

Some of the recipes may require a trip to an international or Latin market, but many use ingredients you can find at any grocery. I live in a Midwest city and haven't had problems finding anything.

Some of the recipes are time/labor intensive, but you can often prep a few components ahead of time. Many of the rice, bean, tofu, and tempeh dishes come together very quickly. The tofu recipes call for baking the tofu in the marinade, so you don't have to spend an hour marinating tofu. The recipes that do take a little more time are definitely worth it!

After a recent trip to Costa Rica I wanted a vegan cookbook that teaches Latin American cooking and this does just that! Lucky for me the book had just been released. I fell in love with Gallo Pinto in Costa Rica and tried to get the recipe right on my own but couldn't do it - with the help of this cookbook I was able to get it perfect! There are tons of other wonderful recipes in this cookbook, too. I love how it specializes on a specific type cuisine and not all over the place like most vegan cookbooks. I just really LOVE this cookbook.