Vegan MoFo Day 16: Cookbooks & Their Authors

Hi! How was your weekend? Are you (U.S.-ian's) buisily preparing for a certain holiday this week? We have been invited to a relative's house for Thanksgiving, necessitating a quick and easy dish and a gluten free dessert. More info on that later.

For the majority of this week you may find me babbling about raw desserts. Because they are good! And they are or can be very low in added sweeteners! Also, they are basically free of gluten and soy. And those are all neat things, for the allergen folks, and also for our taste buds and the waist line, things I haven't really focused on before in my life until now. Today though, I want to feature some of my favorite cookbooks and authors, both for raw things and cooked. The first being, of course, Miz Isa of the Chandra Moskowitzes.

My journey to veganism started with the Vegan Lunchbox blog, which shortly introduced me to Isa's website and her books. The Veganomicon had just come out and after picking up this book and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World I was one spoiled, happy food eating vegan. Her latest book, Appetite For Reduction, looks just as promising as all of her current books, and I am so excited for December to get here this year, delivering this book into my grubby little paws.

Terry Hope Romero is the second author I automatically trust when it comes to cooking delicious food, and her latest book Viva Vegan is not a let down. Every recipe we have tried we have liked, if not loved. And the seitan recipes? Absurdly easy. If you had troubles with making your own before, look no further.

The third author that came into my early vegan life was Dreena Burton, and her book Vive le Vegan! Her latest, Eat Drink & Be Vegan and her first, The Every Day Vegan, are just as superb. I like that she uses little if any wheat in her recipes and relies on hemp foods in baking, making her baked goods healthy and delicious. The tamari roasted chickpeas we eat almost daily come from ED&BV. And as a bonus to you vegan mamas wondering what to feed your kiddos, Dreena has included an entire section on this in the back of Vive.

On the raw side of the vegan spectrum, I have two favorite authors who never let me down-Ani Phyo and Matthew Kenney.


My favorite book from Ani will be her dessert book, because hey, who doesn't like a sweet now and then? But her latest book, Ani's Raw Food Essentials, is also a treasure trove of knowledge on raw food. Things I had been experimenting with on my own or recently been reading about are covered here, from kombucha to kefir, dehydrator pancakes to cookies made from leftover almond milk pulp. I have read over this book twice now, and I am still learning things.

Matthew Kenney has several books out. Raw Food, Real World and Everyday Raw contain some great recipes that I really use, well, almost every day. His latest dessert book, Everyday Raw Desserts is also amazing (and the best part is most recipes don't involve needing a dehydrator-bonus for the instant gratification set like me). The photography in his books is always amazing, and I love leafing through them when I'm feeling uninspired.

Some people (not you, gentle reader, of course!) often wonder what a vegan eats, or perhaps presume that veganism involves eating carrot sticks and leaves, and decadent food can not be had. These authors and their books all aim to prove that theory wrong, and in my opinion they succeed beautifully. If you are unfamiliar with these authors or want to learn more about their works I urge you to check out your local library, preview the book on Amazon where available, and try checking them out on Google Books as well (I am always surprised at what book I can find on there to glance through before buying it). They have treated me well, and maybe they will offer you the same enjoyment.