Book Review

V Cuisine: The Art of New Vegan Cooking
By Angeline Linardis
Review by Cathe Olson

Angeline Linardis is a vegan chef and food educator who wants to make vegan cooking accessible and appealing to everyone. Her debut cookbook "V Cuisine" isn't just for vegans, it's for anyone wanting innovative, healthy, and—most of all—delicious meals.

The book is divided up into lots of short sections featuring either a particular ingredient—like Terrifying Tofu, Potato Oasis, and Pasta Perfection; or a meal—Anytime Appetizers, Breakfast Bites, and Modern Mains; or a dish—The Scoop on Soups, Sexy Salads, or Courageous Curries. You can tell by the chapter names, this is not a stuffy cookbook.

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The recipes are fun and innovative. I particularly liked the section of Life of the Party Fare. I can't wait to invite some people over to try the Black Bean Tomato Poppers—cherry tomatoes stuffed with a black bean puree, Hot Broccoli Dip to Go Crazy Over made with white beans, and the Wild Rounds—cucumber stuffed with a florescent-colored beet and carrot puree.

The dishes I tried were the Cream of Broccoli Dream—a yummy soup made with potatoes and soymilk and the Powerhouse Chili that my husband swooned over. My favorite entrée was the Creative Cauliflower Curry with Chickpeas made with an assortment of spices like whole cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves and star anise. The Easy Blueberry Muffins lived up to their name because my 8-year-old daughter was able to make them with barely any help from me. I also made the Tofu Carob Brownies which were very moist but perhaps could have been a little fudgier. Next time, I'll add some chocolate chips.

Besides the great recipes, Linardis begins each section with an interesting and informative introduction which might contain a personal story, health information, cooking tips or all of the above. With the tempting pictures and great writing, this book is as fun to read as to cook from. This is definitely a book for anyone who is looking for creative and original recipes.

Buy V Cuisine: The Art of New Vegan Cooking

Cathe is a freelance writer and the author of Simply Natural Baby Food: Easy Recipes for Delicious Meals Your Infant and Toddler Will LoveSimply Natural Baby Food and The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook: Whole Foods To Nourish Pregnant And Breastfeeding Women - And Their Families. She has studied vegetarian, macrobiotic, and whole foods nutrition and cookery. Cathe cooked at natural foods restaurants and delis in the San Francisco Bay and Central Coast areas of California before settling down with her husband Gary to raise a family. She works at home while caring for her daughters Aimie and Emily. Read Cathe's blog

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