It’s week #3 in my series of cookbook reviews! In case you missed either of the first two reviews, make sure you check out:
This week, I’m reviewing one of the cookbooks I got for my birthday in November - Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining and Everyday. This cookbook originally caught my eye from the cover photo and the emphasis on entertaining. I love recipes that have a beautiful presentation!
Where Thrive Foods was devoid of pictures, Vegan Yum Yum is filled with gorgeous full-color photographs! Flipping through this cookbook I want to make everything – the food photography just grabs your attention. I love this about a cookbook!
The author, Lauren Ulm, started as a blogger in 2006 and this cookbook was born from that site – although it looks like her site is no longer active (bummer!). There’s just a brief intro describing her background and how the cookbook came to be, a few descriptions of specialty products, and then a whole lot of recipes!
I’ve cooked at least 8 recipes from this book so far, and the two “entertain-y” ones seem to have gone unphotographed – oops!
Broccoli Almond Sweet-and-Sour Tofu
Unphotographed: Sugar & Spice Snap Peas (served as an appetizer for Christmas Dinner with Kirk’s family); Chard Florentine on Toast Points (Breakfast/Brunch treat)
Overall, I love this cookbook and know it will get a lot of use in our house. I still need to make that gorgeous Portobello stacks from the cover (Miniature Napoleons with Eggplant Crème) and I have a lot of other recipes bookmarked to make, as well.
The cons, there are often missing steps in the directions, so I have to pre-read the instructions and look for those gaps. If you’re not comfortable in the kitchen, I think this would make using this cookbook a little tricky. If you’re fairly comfortable, it’s nothing big enough to stop you, just be aware as you cook from the book.
Of the three cookbooks I’ve cooked so far, Peas and Thank You is my favorite, Vegan Yum Yum would be second, and Thrive Foods coming in third. I would buy all three again, but I thought this might be helpful if you don’t have unlimited money to buy cookbooks. :)
Of the three cookbooks I’ve reviewed so far, which one would you like to buy first?
***Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a bottle of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla – entries accepted through Saturday. You can get an extra bonus entry every day by tweeting about the giveaway too! ***
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
i’ve heard a lot about the Vegan Yum Yum book. That dal looks really, really good.
I don’t know which I’d try first! Maybe Mamma Pea’s since I’ve made a few things from her blog with great success. Her dough balls are amazing.
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table recently posted..Pop Quiz
It’s been far too long since I made a batch of dough balls – great reminder!
Dough balls?? Intriguing! Must find them! :-)
There are several versions on her blog – delicious!
That sounds so interesting! I really like the name too hahaha I think I would buy it just for that
Carol @ Lucky Zucca recently posted..Mimosa Cupcakes
It does have a cool name, I can’t say that wasn’t part of the initial interest. :)
I already own Peas and Thank You. Everything that I’ve made from it has been really good and Jason likes everything too. Sometimes I’ll suggest something that is weird sounding like tempeh something and he’ll balk at it and then I’ll say, “It’s Mama Pea” and he’ll be like, “Oh, okay, let’s try it.”
Lee recently posted..Two More
Kirk is the same way – I love when you can really trust a cookbook author. :)
Ooooo, I’m a sucker for pretty pictures!
Tiff recently posted..Runner Warm-Up
Me too – makes you hungry! :)