Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Whole Food Vegetarian Cookbook by Ivy Stark

book cover
Whole Food Vegetarian Cookbook
by Ivy Stark


ISBN-13: 978-1646118847
Paperback: 3063 pages
Publisher: Rockridge Press
Released: August 25, 2020

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Amazon:
Vegetarian cooking has never been so nutritious and delicious. The Whole Food Vegetarian Cookbook makes it quick and easy to cook up tons of fresh and tasty meals every day that will boost energy levels and optimize your overall health.

From Vegan Sloppy Joes to Vegan Macaroni & Cheese, this complete vegetarian cookbook gives you everything you need to get started, including the holistic health benefits of vegetarian cooking, tips for stocking your pantry, kitchen and prep essentials, and more. Switching to a plant-forward diet and a healthier lifestyle will give you lots of flexibility so you can fit it into your active, everyday schedule.

The Whole Food Vegetarian Cookbook includes 135 Tasty recipes―Discover dozens of delicious vegetarian cookbook delights made with natural, whole-food ingredients. Explore essential information on prep time, cook time, and nutritional information. Learn substitution tricks to make these flavorful meals vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free.


My Review:
Whole Food Vegetarian Cookbook is a vegetarian cookbook that focuses on using minimally-processed, whole-food ingredients. She used dairy and eggs, but she also included recipes for making your own soy or nut milk, dairy-free soft cheese, nondairy yogurt, butterless butter, eggless mayonnaise, as well as tips in the actual recipes for making substitutions for eggs and dairy. She occasionally used ingredients like tempeh bacon or vegan cheese. I was disappointed that she did not warn to avoid GMO soy, canola oil, corn, and other GMO ingredients though she did mention avoiding rBGH in dairy. She tended to make the dishes spicy, and so far I haven't really cared for the spice combinations even when I greatly reduce the amounts to levels that my family can tolerate. Others may enjoy them, though.

Most of the recipes served between 4 to 8 people and took around 20-70 minutes to make. Most of the ingredients in the recipes should be easy to get, but there were a few ingredients I've never even heard of. She included 18 recipes for staples and snacks, 17 recipes for sauces and dressings, 15 recipes for breakfast, 14 recipes for sandwiches, burgers, and handheld, 18 recipes for bowls, salads, and sides, 15 recipes for soups and stews, 25 recipes for dinner mains, and 14 recipes for drinks and desserts.

The recipes provided the preparation time, cooking time, how much is made, ingredients, instructions, cooking and substitution tips. Recipes were sometimes labeled gluten-free or dairy-free. Each recipe included "per serving" information on calories, total fat, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, and zinc. There were only two or so pictures of finished recipes per each section of recipes. At least one picture was paired with the wrong recipe.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


No comments: