The Accidental Vegan: Vegan Recipes (Paperback)

by Devra Gartenstein (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Vegetarian and ethnic dishes have made their way into mainstream American kitchens. From Thai noodles to Greek tahini sauce, these recipes are easy to create and require little prep time. The author offers ideas about low-fat cooking, how to shop for exotic ingredients, the importance of buying food as close to its point of production as possible, how to cook well with a minimum of time, and the all-important substitutions.

About the Author
DEVRA GARTENSTEIN is an omnivore who owns and runs the Patty Pan Grill, a vegetarian restaurant and take-out counter in Seattle, Washington. She is also a farmers' market vendor who can be found at her stand at a local market nearly every day in the summer.THE AUTHOR SCOOP

If you had to boil the message of The Accidental Vegan down to one sentence, what would it be? You don’t have to be a vegetarian to eat vegetarian food, just like you don’t have to be Thai to eat Thai food, and you don’t have to be Mexican to eat Mexican food.When did you know you were a writer?When I was in third grade one of my teachers said, “You should never start a sentence with ‘and,’ unless you’re a writer.” And right then and there, I decided that’s what I wanted to be.What's the farthest you've ever traveled?I once traveled to a small town in Poland thinking it was the birthplace of my great grandfather, but when I got home and double checked, it turned out I’d gone to the wrong town.Any memorable kitchen disasters?I once spilled half a bucket of tahini. That’s twenty pounds of tahini. There’s no good way to clean up twenty pounds of tahini.What book do you re-read every few years?I re-read Isak Dinesen’s Babette’s Feast, and then I watch the movie again, because it’s every bit as good as the original story.What are you working on now? I’m working on a book called Honest Food: A History of Eating Well. It’s an account of the relationship between humans and food, from Paleolithic times until the present day.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Crossing Press (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580910793
• ISBN-13: 978-1580910798
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #687,294 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic dishes, easy to use, January 19, 2001

By	"vegangirl" (tucson, az) - See all my reviews

This cookbook is one of the best vegan cookbooks I have had the pleasure to use. I have been using it consistently for a couple of weeks now. It's not the hugest volume but it's substantial and there is plenty of variety. The author owns her own vegan catering business in Seattle.

The recipes span across ethnic cuisines, with plenty of Indian, Afghani, Asian, Italian, and Mexican style dishes. There are appetizers, sides, main dishes, salads, soups, sauces, an entire chapter on seitan, and a very short dessert section. The dessert section is the only section that is pretty sparse. There is a recipe for Baklava and for some rice puddings (which were VERY delicious!).

The author does use honey in some of her recipes, which I found surprising. However, if it is a concern for you (as it is for me), I think it easily substituted.

The recipes are usually quite simple. The directions are simple (in one or two cases, a step was left out). Most recipes don't use huge long lists of ingredients, but many recipes do incorporate plenty of vegetables, which I think is a plus. It is obvious the author wants you, the reader, to incorporate your own style into these dishes. Most of the ingredients are readily available, although some recipes require more exotic or ethnic ingredients, but nothing you can't find at an Asian or Indian market or at your local health food store or co-op. Ms. Gartenstein lets you know, within the recipe, where to find ingredients that may be unfamiliar.

There are some very outstanding dishes in this cookbook. My favorites are the Hot and Sour Soup (the stuff in the restaurant can't compare!!), Pasta with Olives and Artichokes (I could eat this every day!), and Stuffed Shells. The Date and Almond Rice Pudding was heavenly (one of the ingredients is Rose Water).

I think The Accidental Vegan will remain one of my all time favorites in a collection of over 60 vegan cookbooks. I highly recommend it!

52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Basic but delicious, December 16, 2001

By	"jpbooksnstuff" (New York, New York United States) - See all my reviews

The recipes contained in this cookbook are mostly very basic blueprints. The author did this on purpose, and it does work rather well. I love this cookbook.

Pros:

* Many recipes are low-fat
* Excellent food made with simple recipes. Recipes to try include:

Acorn Squash with Herbs
Pulao
Red Lentil Dahl
Black Eyed Pea Dahl
Curried Peas and Potatoes

Cons:

* MAJOR PROBLEM: some of the recipes contain honey. Even though this is easily substituted, this is unacceptable for a vegan cookbook. For this reason, I would not give this book as a gift to anyone who was not vegan unless they understood that vegans do not consume honey. I wouldn't want them to make me a recipe with honey in it.
* Provides little in the way of information on recipes. This relly is _just_ a recipe book. No detail is given on the origin of recipes, other than in the title. This results in a slimmer book. She gets right to the point. If you're used to background information on recipes, tips, tricks, etc, then you will be disappointed.
* VERY simple instructions (can be a pro, if you know what you're doing)

All in all, it's a great cookbook and it deserves a place on your bookshelf.

PS: Here's a tip on some of her recipes, specifically the dals. Instead of boiling the spices with the other ingredients, sautee olive oil in a nonstick pan, add onion and garlic with the spices and cook for 5 minutes. Add at the end of the cooking instead of the beginning. This results in a much spicer, fuller flavor.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vivid sampling of fresh vegan cuisine for vegetarians., March 3, 2001

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

The Accidental Vegan contains a vivid sampling of fresh vegan cuisine that will knock your palate into a new dimension. You will be tempted to become an accidental vegan just for the pleasure of it. Recipes are divided into Appetizers, Soups, Main Dishes, Seitan, Side Dishes, Sauces and Dressings and Desserts.

Holiday-adaptable entrees abound and accents of international cuisine add verve and flair. Recipes are simply presented with ingredients highlighted in light green blocks against white text pages. Some exciting examples include Pasta with Olives, Artichokes and Dried Tomatoes, Yakisoba (Japanese noodles and veggies), and Devi's Basic Curry - a wonderful concoction with potatoes, cauliflowers, carrots, broccoli, garbanzo beans, and of course, spices. Recipes are simple and short, generally complete on two pages; sometimes on one. The Sauces section includes basic recipes for Plum sauce, black bean sauce, pesto, mole sauce, and faux cheese. Hummus Roasted Red Pepper Roll-Ups are a tasty appetizer. Who doesn't love Lo Mein for main dishes with Chinese influence? And of course for Italian cuisine, there is a scrumptious recipe for Pasta Primavera. Many side dishes are vegan classics, such as Corn and Bean Salad and Couscous. Even desserts shine - Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Shortbread, for example.

All in all, The Accidental Vegan fills a tasty bill that helps the planet too.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer