Monday, October 29, 2012

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?

18 comments:

  1. I love all foreign cuisines I've ever tried and am stalking my mail carrier for this book.

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  2. Oh, man!! Look at all of that beautiful food! I was a tester too. Since I adore Viva Vegan so much, I was delirious with happiness to get an early peek. I didn't hug the UPS person who delivered the book last week, but it took a bit of restraint. ;) As soon as MoFo is over, I'm digging into this book like nobody's business!

    My favorite food from a foreign land is gomen (collard greens) from Ethiopia!

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  3. Wow, I cannot wait to get this! I love Romero's other work, so I trust her completely. Nice review - thanks for the preview :)

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  4. Amey, your drawing just keep getting better and better and better and better and better.

    I could never pick one favorite food, and I think you already know what I like--but uttapam and sambar and bun and banh xeo are on the top of the lists!

    xo
    kittee

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    1. thank you sweet kittee!! Any doodle requests??? xo

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  5. It has to be pizza...I grew up on Sicilian pizza but it's just so open to creativity, you can do anything with it. I've been following Vegan Richa's pizza series and she just spins me dizzy...so superyumful!

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  6. Aw man, this book is soooo on my list of what to buy as soon as I have money again (after October!). I love Terry's books, and I love trying new cuisines. Those Afghan pumpkin rav look AMAZING!

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  7. that pumpkin ravioli with spicy tomato sauce look right up my ally! i think Thai food would have to be my favorite!!

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  8. Great review! This one's going on my Christmas list for sure. The Japanese pancake looks really awesome.

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  9. Anonymous12:40 PM

    I LOVE your first sketch!!! Man, this book is incredible. I agree with you that recipes that require page flipping are a bummer in a cookbook. Luckily we can forget all about that once we settle down to a delicious meal! I never got around to testing the dukkah, but it's on my list. :)

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  10. Great post, the ravioli do look amazing. My favorite foods are; veitnamese rice paper springrolls, Tibetan Momo's, and most food Thailand. (mmmm mango sticky rice)

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  11. I do love okononomiyaki, and I'd love to give the ravioli a go. How great to be able to test all those recipes early!

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    1. yeah, testing is really fun - but it's also a responsibility. You have to follow the recipe exactly, take notes on how long it takes, and how it turns out etc... You have to make what needs to be tested, when it needs to be tested, and so on. It's a lot of fun, but also a bit of work!

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  12. The more I read about this book the more I want it but your ravioli and Okonomiyaki have pushed me over the edge & I finally bit the bullet and ordered it! Yay! I cannot wait to get my mitts on it & start cooking.

    I'm also in agreement with Kittee, your drawings keep getting more and more awesome!

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    1. Thanks JoJo! You will NOT regret buying this book. It's one for the ages! I swear!!!

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  13. Great photos, review and doodles! I loved testing for Terry too, it was such a delicious and rewarding experience and I'm thrilled to have a copy of VEW in hand now too. Your okonomiyaki photo looks so good and I have cabbage in the fridge that's calling to be used up, perfect timing.

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  14. I have my copy and I can't wait to start cooking from it! My fave types of food are Latin and French, followed by Asian/Indian :)

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  15. I love this book. I have been really into Vietnamese and Asian food lately. I can't wait to make the Zen Spinach Wonton Soup

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