Vegan with a Vengeance : Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock Paperback – October 28, 2005

Vegan with a Vengeance is strong and in your face, it's punk-rock and animal advocacy wrapped up in a neat parcel served with delicious vegan fare. I love the tone of this book, I love the atmosphere of it, I love Isa's voice. Her writing style is witty, hilarious, and extremely engaging. I love her stories, her personal anecdotes, and her pop-culture references, and staunch liberalism. For some this may be a turn-off, but not for me. I love bold, and I love in your face, and I love people who are not afraid to be who they are, and just do something different. This book feels authentic, Isa is authentic, she's not trying to be a celebrity chef, she's not trying to get onto the food-network, she's just her, take it or leave it, and that's what's so endearing about her and this book.

Unfortunately I do not use this book as much as I would like to, and that has nothing to do with the recipes because the recipes I've made thus far have been stellar. My problem is the layout of the book, I just don't like it. This is not Isa's fault but her publisher. I just don't like the way it looks, I don't like the way it's organized, I don't like the font style, and I hate the lack of pictures. The middle section of the book has a few pages of color photos that I don't think are particularly well done, they aren't well lit and do not do the food justice. Again these are the publisher's mistakes not Isa's, I feel like if they'd re-issue the book with a better layout and nice pictures it would be so much better. Other points that may be of concern for some is that there is no nutritional information given for the recipes. Also this is not a diet or health cook book, so items such as white flour, sugar and oil are used. If that's a concern for you then I suggest you find a health food book some place else. If however you're interested in making innovative, and creative yet comforting vegan fare that doesn't use a lot of `out-there' ingredients then this is for you. I am personally turned off when vegan cook books rely heavily on processed vegan meats, cheeses and other such products. The thing that stands out about this book - and all of Isa's books - is that she typically sticks to vegan protein sources like beans, tofu, tempeh, and seitan. Very rarely do her recipes call for any vegan `meat' products and when she calls for vegan sausage she often provides a recipe for a home-made seitan sausage that you could use. The same goes for cheese, she rarely calls for processed store-bought vegan cheese and finds other ways to make her food cheesy in a much healthier and more economical way. I love that.

I also love that most of the recipes are simple, not too involved, do not include too many ingredients and have relatively short cooking times. All of these things help to make cooking vegan on a time and money budget more feasible, and I think she offers great variety in her recipes. Overall I think this is a gem of a book, the layout and the execution may be poor in my opinion but the excellent recipes make up for that. It's obvious that Isa took a lot of time and care in crafting these recipes because it shows, and for that I'm grateful. There's nothing better then owning a cook book by someone who's truly passionate about cooking.

So of the recipes I've made this is what I thought.

Tempeh and White Bean Sausage Patties - Loved it
Tempeh Sausage Crumbles - Loved it - a `go-to' recipe for me
Tempeh Bacon - Loved it
Baking Powder Biscuits and White Bean Tempeh Sausage Gravy - Loved it, a `go-to' recipe
Coconut Pancakes with Pineapple Sauce - pretty good
Ginger Pear Waffles - Loved it
Oatmeal Banana Raisin Waffles - Loved it
Lemon Corn Waffles with Blueberry Sauce - Loved it
Pumpkin Waffles - Loved it
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins - Loved it
The Best Pumpkin Muffins - Loved it
Fresh Mango Summer Rolls - Loved it
Spanakopita - Loved it
Falafel - Loved it
Curried Tempeh Mango Salad Sandwiches - Loved it
Tempeh Ruben - Loved it
Tempeh Lettuce and Tomato - Loved it
Tofu Dill Salad Sandwiches - Loved it
Mashed Potatoes with Punk Rock Chickpea Gravy - Loved it
Garlicky Kale with Tahini Dressing - Loved it
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Garlic - Loved it
Pizza Dough a Novel - Love it
Isa Pizza - Loved it - a definite favorite pizza
Classic Pesto - Love it
Basil-Tofu Ricotta - Love it
Potato and Tempeh Sausage Pizza - Love it
BBQ Pomegranate Tofu - Love it
Jerk Seitan - Love it
Seitan Portobello Stroganoff - Love it, a definite favorite. Stroganoff is hands down my husbands favorite dish, and I've made many a vegan stroganoff in my time but this is by far his favorite.
Cold Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Seitan - Loved it
Banana Split Pudding Brownies - Loved it
Raspberry Blackout Cake - Loved it
Fauxstess Cupcakes - Loved it
Sweet Potato Pie with Three Nut Topping - Loved it
Gingerbread Apple Pie - Loved it
Peach Cobbler - Loved it!

While this is not my favorite of Isa's cookbooks, I think it makes a great addition to any collection. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to a friend or family member, novice or veteran I think it has something to offer any vegan or even a curious omnivore.

"Vegan with a Vengeance" was the first cookbook I bought once I started thinking about going vegan, so it is near & dear to my heart. It's become one of my go-to cookbooks, and I think I have made more recipes from this book than from any other that I own (and I own A LOT)! The baked goods are the absolute best, and so many of the savory dishes are amazing, as well. Isa is funny, opinionated, and smart as can be, and this cookbook really shows off her personality & sense of humor. It really is a very charming book, and I actually love to read it while lying in bed at night.

I will say that I understand how this book would be a little intimidating for beginners, and it's not for the unadventurous. However, if you're open to cooking & eating vegan food, I think you should be open to trying dishes you might normally not. It has always paid off for me, either in the way of a learning experience - or (more commonly) in the end result of a delicious meal! Sure, some of the ingredients are things you wouldn't have used prior to going vegan, but cooking should be an ever-evolving process, and Isa Chandra Moskowitz's books have taught me SO much about food & cooking techniques. "Vegan with a Vengeance" also has great sections on stocking the vegan pantry, and good kitchen tools to own.

I personally like reviews that list out which specific recipes did & did not work for the reviewer, so I will share my experiences with "VwaV" here.

THE GOOD:
-Herb-Roasted Potatoes - Simple & delicious.
-Pancakes - Perfect pancakes that are just as good as, if not better than, non-vegan pancakes.
-Banana-Pecan Pancakes - My favorite pancake recipe! They're truly amazing!
-Lemon Corn Waffles with Blueberry Sauce - Nice "fancy" pancake recipe that is still really simple & easy to make.
-Pumpkin Waffles - Perfect for Fall! LOVE these.
-Carrot-Raisin Muffins - Healthy & delicious.
-The Best Pumpkin Muffins - These really are the BEST! The recipe calls for the perfect amount of spice, and I love that it calls for allspice, cloves, and ginger, which are spices that are surprisingly often overlooked in spice cakes.
-Apple Pie-Crumb Cake Muffins - SO GOOD. Great flavor, and perfect crumb topping.
-Corn Chowder - GREAT soup! Perfectly sweet & spicy.
-TLT (Tempeh, Lettuce, and Tomato) - Love the addition of hummus to the sandwich, but I do like other tempeh bacon recipes better (as noted below).
-Tofu Dill Salad Sammiches - Though I loathe the word "sammich," this SANDWICH is quite tasty, healthy, and filling. :)
-Punk Rock Chickpea Gravy - Stop what you're doing & MAKE THIS. The only thing I change is to reduce the lemon juice to just a splash, but other than that, it is AWESOME. I served it at Thanksgiving last year, and it was a huge hit. Really healthy, as far as gravies go, as well.
-Sauteed Green Beans with Mushrooms - Delicious, healthy sidedish.
-Pizza Dough - Perfect dough, every time!
-Isa Pizza - Creative, delicious pizza. Just my style!
-Basil-Tofu Ricotta - While I don't love this quite as much as the Cashew Ricotta from "Veganomicon," this is a great recipe to put into sandwiches, on top of pizza, and to serve with crackers.
-Pumpkin Seed-Crusted Tofu with Baked Pumpkin & Cranberry Relish - As you can tell from the title, it's quite labor-intensive, but worth the effort! I didn't bake my own pumpkin, so I used storebought pumpkin seeds, and it was still great!
-Seitan - My go-to seitan recipe. Perfect, perfect, perfect (except I omit the lemon zest).
-Brooklyn Pad Thai - As Isa herself says (and as the title implies), this is not an authentic recipe - but it's incredible nonetheless. Relatively simple steps, with easy-to-find ingredients. Yum!
-Raspberry Blackout Cake with Ganache-y Frosting - Simply AMAZING. Such a ridiculously easy cake to make, yet it ALWAYS impresses people. This is my boyfriend's all-time favorite cake, and it is right up there on my list, as well. No omni will believe this is vegan! Really, this is the cake I make to show people that vegan cooking & baking is delicious. Very pretty, too.

THE DECENT:
-Scrambled Tofu - I have tried other recipes that I like much more, but this is a solid, decent scrambled tofu.
-Breakfast Veggie Chorizo - Nothing super impressive (omnis I have shared it with didn't like it).
-Tempeh Bacon - I have perfected a recipe of my own that I like much better, but again, this is a solid recipe that will likely be enjoyed by beginner cooks.
-Fronch Toast - I don't know about this one. Everyone seems to love this recipe, but I have tried much better vegan French toast, and I didn't think this was anything too special.
-Scones - The flavors in the scone recipes are great (Plain, Hazelnut & Glazed Orange), but I prefer scone recipes that call for vegetable shortening instead of oil, as I think that creates a flakier scone.
-Cherry-Almond Muffins - Good, but nothing amazing.
-Coconut Rice with Toasted Coconut - Okay rice recipe, but a little sweet for my liking (I think maybe it's the cinnamon stick, which I don't care for in savory recipes).
-Toasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Garlic - These are alright, but a little dry & not my favorite way to prepare Brussels sprouts.
-Classic Pesto - Too much oil for my tastes.
-Seitan-Portobello Stroganoff - A lot of work for just "okay" results. Also pretty expensive, and not worth the effort or money, unfortunately.

THE BAD:
-Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins - Very bland & dry for some reason. (I have heard that Isa has a much-improved LPS Muffin recipe in her new book, "Vegan Brunch," though I haven't tried it yet.)
-Fettuccine Alfreda - Did not care for this AT ALL. It tasted sour for some reason, and was nothing like traditional Alfredo. Tasting different isn't always a negative thing, but in this case, I don't think it's a good substitute for the Alfredo we all remember.

As you can see, most of the recipes in "Vegan with a Vengeance" are fabulous, and I especially love that they are versatile & can be tweaked to suit your tastes. Don't like white flour? Substitute whole wheat pastry flour. Prefer to use less oil? Use water for sauteeing, or unsweetened applesauce for some of the oil in baked goods! I do this all the time, almost always with great results. Something else I really love & appreciate about this book (and all of Isa's) is that the recipes only call for fresh, healthy, WHOLE foods. I don't believe there is even ONE recipe that calls for "processed isolated soy protein" hotdogs or any other storebought faux meats. It's all healthy, plant-based, natural foods in this book!

"Vegan with a Vengeance" is a great addition to any kitchen. It's creative, inspirational, and has both healthy & decadent recipes that will please everyone!