Cookbook Review-Part 3 of4: America's Test Kitchen-Vegan For Everybody

This blog post will appear in four parts, each part being a review of one specific book. Part 3 of 4  follows below:

The third review in this series focuses on a vegan cookbook published by America's Test Kitchen. People may be familiar with their television show or web site. I admit that I have probably only seen a handful of episodes. I was attracted to this cookbook, Vegan For Everybody, because of a brownie recipe found online. Honestly, the brownies were so good that I figured the rest of the book couldn't be wrong either.

ATK has a methodical and scientific approach to recipe development, very similar to Alton Brown if you are familiar with his way of working. The claim to fame for this book is that ATK has taken non vegan recipes and made them vegan, not through simple one-to-one substitutions, but through new cooking techniques and novel ingredient combinations. The book very much promotes veganism as a new way of eating, one that is both tasty and good for you. And timely too since a plant based way of eating is becoming more and more popular.

The first section of the book is a pretty thorough (and standard) coverage of common ingredients in a plant based diet. It's a good primer for someone absolutely brand new to vegan cooking. This cookbook would be a very good place to start for a newish cook and anyone interested in a plant based way of eating. And because it is ATK, you get the scientific reasons behind each ingredient and just exactly what it does for the dish. Each recipe provides an explanation of the normal preparation and then covers the techniques and substitutions made. The reader has the idea that ATK was very thorough and thoughtful in their approach to recipe development.

The remainder of the book covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes along with snacks and dessert. (I do recommend those brownies!) The recipes themselves are all dishes that most American eaters would recognize: chilis and stews, barley and tomato soups, bean burgers and pizza, lots of standard and unique salads, and of course, dessert! Cookies, crisps and pies are featured along with granola bars and even ice cream. Someone slowly transitioning to this "new" way of eating really wouldn't miss their old stand by recipes. Many standards are included. The final pages of the book includes recipe nutrition information as well as several tables of conversion charts. 

There are some good points to this book. Font size and degree of darkness of the printing are very user friendly. (My last reviews touched on these points which I feel are relative for people with mildly impaired vision.) Most recipes are on one page with a photo of the finished item on the page right next to it. All in all, this is a very user-friendly book. My recipes have come out as expected with only one flop in the bunch. (The bean beet burgers need a binder other than carrots.) 

One point I feel that is in the book's favor (and is worth talking about here) is the inclusion of nutritional information.  I did a little research on this topic and I learned some new things that I didn't know previously. Calorie counts and nutrient info. are not an exact science, for starters. There are many variables in play and as such, many experts feel that the information simply isn't reliable. Another point is that for many people, calorie counts can be very stressful. They can even be a "trigger" for someone recovering from an eating disorder. Still another approach to things says that healthy eating doesn't involve calorie counting. Mealtimes should be about enjoying the food in front of you, eating enough to feel full, and having an overall different relationship with your food, one not based on "restrictions" or rules. My own thought is that people are free to decide (in most cases) and that for many of us, having a baseline of sorts regarding nutritional information is helpful. It at least gives an access point into decision making. (I should add here that the majority of cookbooks I enjoy, several of which are my absolute favorites, don't include this information which works just fine for me. I have enough cooking experience to figure things out.) Something to consider is whether or not this type of information is relevant for you personally. Pertinent information such as sodium, fat and carbohydrate counts are important for many people with special dietary needs. Without that information, things aren't impossible, but it takes a little more work to tweak a meal. So because of this reason alone, I consider the inclusion of this type of information to be an added bonus, not something strictly necessary, but a perk, if you will.

Now for the bad news. I don't love this book! I do recommend it however for all of the reasons mentioned above. Although I use the book and peruse it for ideas, I find that it feels as if non vegan authors made a vegan cookbook, if that makes sense. There are no rules of course about who can write about what, but a year ago I would not have noticed this kind of subtlety in a cookbook. Now however, the feeling is sort of in the background, humming away. The other thing, and it's a small point, is the excessive use of aquafaba (chickpea brine). Honestly, opening up a can (when I don't even have a can-I cook my own beans) to get a few tablespoons of liquid is kind of silly. Other than these two things, the new to newish vegan (or interested bystanders!) should be good to go with this book as a guide to getting started.

Next week, (God willing!), I will wrap up this series with my very favorite vegan cookbook, one that I turn to first and which I feel presents a voice of real reason in a very, at times, confusing food centered world.

As always, send an email or leave a comment if you have questions.

Libby