MoFo 29: Vegan Eats World ~ a glowing review

Ta-Da!

It's here at last! Terry Hope Romero's newest book, Vegan Eats World, arrived in my mailbox last week - to much fanfare. I've long been a fan of Terry's recipes - from Veganomicon to Viva Vegan. So, when I heard she wanted testers for her book of global recipes - I kinda freaked out. As you know, gentle readers, I am a big fan of international cuisine. Testing for this book was such a delight... and I'm so delighted to finally have the finished product to flip through and drool over.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

(Maybe you've seen these pictures before... but these are just a few of the 35+ recipes I tested for this book. )

These days, there are so many vegan cookbooks, that a vegan has to pick and choose which ones to buy. Amazing, right?! Well, if you are looking for recipes that you absolutely won't find in any other book, Vegan Eats World is for you. There's no tofu scramble with turmeric recipe in this book. Oh no! Instead, you'll be cooking food from around the world - exploring flavors and spices and combos that you've never had before. It really is so awesome.

Okonomiyaki

A Japanese pancake full of veggies and topped with a special sauce and sesame seeds.

We practically lost our minds over this yumminess. I can't wait to make it again!

Moroccan Tempeh Tagine with Toasted Couscous

It's a beautiful hard bound book, about the size of Veganomicon. In fact, the layout inside is a lot like Veganomicon... there are little symbols by each recipe indicating how long the recipe takes, if you can make it with low-cost ingredients, gluten-free, and so on. The font is super cute, and the book is fun to flip through. The recipes do run from one page to the next, like Veganomicon, which is the only bummer about the whole thing. I don't really love that in a book.

The recipes are arranged by the usual categories like "soups," and "desserts," or whatever, but in the back there are also menus listed by country/region - so if you wanted to make an all-Veitnamese dinner bonanza, she's got you covered.

Pistachio Date Quinoa with Chickpeas

~ as good as it sounds! ~

There are a lot of recipes that call for specialty ingredients, but there are also a lot of recipes that don't - and also substitutions are given. Where I live, we don't really have any non-Western grocery stores, so I am at the mercy of whatever "international" food products my stores carry. There were some recipes I couldn't test for, because I couldn't track down the ingredients - but mostly I was able to get by and make a great dinner. Plus, when you're testing, you really have to follow the recipe, but when I'm just cooking for myself, I'll be able to make omissions or substitutions more liberally. 

Also, when this book says "Vegan Eats World," it ain't kidding around. There are truly recipes from all around the globe: India, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, Mediterranean countries, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, the Americas... the list goes on. It's absolutely mind boggling and awesome. Get your taste buds ready for a glorious thrill ride of new flavors.

Afghan Pumpkin Ravioli with Spicy Tomato Sauce

so good, and not nearly as complicated as they look!

There are so many recipes that I tested that we loved so much... Dukkah (spice & nut mixture), Crusty Persian Rice with Saffron, Coconut Mango Sticky Rice, Chickpea Parmesan (sooo good), White Bean Farro Soup... and there are still so many more recipes that I can't wait to try out!

This book is an absolute gem, and if you enjoy cooking foods from around the world, don't mind hunting down a few new-to-you ingredients, and want a cookbook that branches out of the usual vegan fare: this is a book for you!

What's your favorite food from a foreign land?