The New Now and Zen Epicure: Gourmet Vegan Recipes for the Enlightened Palate (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Agar, or "kanten" in Japanese, is a seaweed product that can replace gelatin in most recipes..." (more)
Key Phrases: Grand Marnier, United States, Wa-Fu Dressing

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

If you're craving something uncommonly delicious, but uncomplicated to prepare, look no further. From the Now & Zen Restaurant in San Francisco comes an imaginative collection of recipes that harmoniously blends distinctive cuisines—French, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Greek, and Indian—in tempting vegan dishes. Acclaimed bakery chef and plant-based food innovator Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner shares her latest creations in this updated version of her popular gourmet vegan cookbook.

About the Author

Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner, born in Yokohama, Japan, ran Now & Zen Bakery in San Francisco and developed a line of gourmet cakes and vegetarian meat substitutes that are sold commerically. She is also the author of Japanese Cooking.

Product Details

• Paperback: 242 pages
• Publisher: Book Publishing Company (TN); 2nd edition (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570671141
• ISBN-13: 978-1570671142
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #138,551 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious and accessible, August 5, 2003

By	Daffy Du (Del Mar, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This is one of the very best vegan/vegetarian cookbooks I own, and I have well over 20. I've made a number of recipes from it, and all have come out superbly. The dishes are imaginative, and some, like the tofu bourguignon, are good enough facsimiles of the traditional version to satisfy carnivores. I'm especially fond of the roasted red pepper soup and alwys try to keep some of the cashew-tofu-based sour "cream" on hand. Best of all, most of the recipes aren't fussy, requiring hours of preparation. If you're an established vegan, just starting out or simply want to incorporate more vegan dishes into your diet, I can't think of a better book to begin with.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best vegan cookbooks, July 29, 2007

By	dnk "dnkboston" (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I had never heard of this cookbook until I stumbled across it at my local library. Having read it, I'm surprised that isn't more widely known and used. Every recipe I tried worked as promised (that doesn't happen too often) and was delicious (that's even rarer). Even better, she doesn't focus on one course- soups, dinner, desserts- or even just the food you're going to eat. She offers recipes for everything from breakfast to dinner, desserts to vegan kitchen staples.

Because of this book, I was inspired to make soy yogurt- no problem. And once you have soy yogurt, you have the making for soy sour cream- strain the yogurt as you would dairy yogurt. Save the whey, and then use it for your breads. Because of this book, I have also been using agar to make custards I've missed since giving uo dairy and eggs, and they are so delicious. This book inspired me to make tofu cheese (tofu fermented in miso), and while it doesn't work as a cheese replacement for everything, the flavor has been a welcome addition to my table. Finally, and most importantly, this book inspired me to make my own soy milk and okara, the left overs from the soymilk process. Okara is amazing in your baked goods- they add so much fiber, but they also give a delicious nutty taste. You could buy soy flour, but okara is so much cheaper. It can also be used in vegan patties or vittles- so delicious and moist.

Here's the thing- I've seen recipes for all of these ingredients in other cookbooks. However, other cookbooks make it sound like there is a deep dark mystery surrounding their preparation and that you have to observe the utmost care- blah blah blah. The author seems to be aware of that attitude, but she's also shaking her head while she tells you how easy it is to do. And if you follow her instructions, it is.

If you're a vegan, this can expand your capabilities in the kitchen.