Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero return with a 10th anniversary edition of their “ultimate vegan cookbook,” Veganomicon. The new edition contains more than 250 recipes, 25 of which are new. The recipes cover everything from snacks and brunch to baked goods and desserts making it a valuable go-to for anyone interested in exploring and celebrating a plant-based diet.
This comprehensive book is both accessible to beginning cooks while also offering more complex dishes for those of us who prefer a challenge. The introduction includes helpful information about basic vegan ingredients, kitchen equipment, and explanations of terminology and techniques. The rest of the book is divided into chapters covering offerings for every meal and occasion. Each recipe is coded with icons to help you easily find meals that are soy-free, gluten-free, low-fat, supermarket-friendly, or prepared in less than 45 minutes. The recipes themselves cover everything from simple side dishes to show stopping entrees.
But, how do they taste?
My wife and I spent a month trying a few recipes per week and then had a potluck party. We sent recipes to a bunch of our friends to really broaden our scope of the recipes in terms of execution and taste. We deliberately chose recipes that would meet various budgets and skill levels from throughout the book and pretty much enjoyed everything we tried. Some of our stand-out favorites among them all included Samosa Stuffed Baked Potatoes, Shredded Parsnip & Beet Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette, Fresh Dill-Basmati Rice with Chard and Chickpeas, Broccoli-Potato Soup with Fresh Herbs, and the Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies.
We made the Chickpea Cutlets for Thanksgiving, and they were a huge hit served with the Mushroom Gravy. We also loved the Mac Daddy, Veganomicon’s take on mac and cheese, which is loaded with a heavy dose of nutritional yeast instead of cheese alternatives. In fact, you’ll find no processed food at all in any of their recipes. This is great for some of us but may be challenging to those who don’t have the time or skill level to prepare their own seitan, salsa, or mole sauce. That being said, most of the recipes that lay out extra steps for prep could easily be shortened and adapted by substituting a similar premade store-bought product.
As a newly vegan household, we really enjoyed exploring the variety of tasty dishes that Veganomicon offered. We liked the layout and appreciated its straightforward approach, all while encouraging us to try making our own seitan, vegan ricotta, and basic sauces. It would make a great addition to any cookbook library and help anyone wanting to explore or adopt a plant-based diet. Veganomicon, 10th Anniversary Edition: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook is available in hardcover or on Kindle.
Grab a copy and bon appetit!
Laura Thompson was a chef for over two decades before becoming a Unitarian Universalist Minister. She sees plant-based eating as spiritual practice.