I passed by this cookbook a number of times, as the minimalist book design didn't jump off the shelf for me--and I didn't know it was vegan. The irony is that for years I have been looking for a cookbook just like this, as Walters has the same priorities I do. I wanted a big workhorse cookbook that was 1)vegan 2)seasonal 3)contained relatively simple recipes with not a lot of ingredients 4)was current on nutritional research and knowledge. And yes, delicious!
I'm not a strict vegan, but I notice I feel a lot better when I do eat vegan. I don't know where the other reviewer got the idea that Walters was preachy about veganism--quite the reverse. There's no polemic here at all, and in fact she says she prefers to avoid labels for the same reason I do. I live with non-vegans and really the only thing you have to do to please them is put some cheese on top or grill them some fish or bison once in a while. The fact is, a healthy omnivore diet and a healthy vegan diet look pretty much the same--lots of fresh produce, whole grains, nuts, seeds, etc. The difference is that an omni diet adds a garnish of animal food. Not a big deal for us.
I love that the book is organized in a seasonal way. I frequent our local farmer's market and want to support local agriculture, but a lot of books geared for locavores are animal ingredient intensive. I also believe eating seasonally is better for my health and my money.
I very much appreciate that the recipes are rather simple and quick, even though they are not billed as such. These are recipes I can make everyday in my kitchen. Most don't require a lot of ingredients. As for exotic ingredients, well, as someone who has been reading cookbooks as a hobby for 20 years, there are cookbooks that are twenty times worse than this one. So far I haven't had to go far afield of my normal Martin's grocery store. Martin's is a good grocery store, but it doesn't have everything that a Whole Foods or the like would have. I also live in a small college town in the south, so you don't have to live in San Francisco or Portland to enjoy these recipes.
Walters also knows her nutritional stuff, and she will tell you in clear language why you need more Omega fatty acids and why you should stick to organic non-GMO soy. There's a lot of nutty nutritional propaganda out there, like from the soy-is-poison crowd, but Walters steers elegantly around the muck pile and just gives the straight info.
All the recipes I've tried so far are excellent and make me and my fiance feel vitalized. I have to wonder at the other reviewer who complained about the recipes not tasting good. My first thought is that this is a person who would be happier with Taste-of-Home's Guilt-Free-Cooking (which in fact is so loaded with unhealthy ingredients it would make *me* feel guilty). Sure, everyone's taste buds are individual, but I would hope that even people with more conventional tastes would give these recipes a fair shake. Tastes can change and be educated if given a chance--sorry if that sounds snobby, but sometimes healthy food takes getting used to if you're not used to it. It can be done.
My only criticism is that I wish the cookbook contained a nutritional analysis for the recipes. That would have made it perfect in my view. I know some people are anti-analysis because they can't be exact given the variables in cooking--but I really would like a general idea of calories, fat, fiber. Also, some people love the "clean" cover design, but I'm a visual person and would always like more color photos of nummy food.
Again, I see this cookbook being my day-to-day reference. I'll still keep Tal Ronnen's The Conscious Cook and Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's Vegan Table for when I want to make something special, or Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet for more inspiration. But I see Clean Food as the cookbook I have hoped to find for years that will keep me healthy and simplify my life. I'm very happy with my purchase!
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