While reading The China Study was the biggest motivating factor in adopting a vegan diet, “Veganomicon” was the book that supported me through the transition from eating meat and has become a fixture in my kitchen.
Veganomicon, which bills itself (rightly so) as the ultimate vegan cookbook, is the product of Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, who also wrote “Vegan with a Vengeance” and “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.” . The couple also created the vegan recipe website PostPunkKitchen (theppk.com), where you can find some recipes from the Veganomicon book.
My partner and I have tried around 40 of the dishes at Veganomicon, some multiple times, and our copy of Veganomicon (covered with numerous sticky notes and splashes of various sauces) is never far from our minds.
One of my goals was to try all 250 recipes in the book. However, we’ve enjoyed the recipes we’ve tried so much (our favorite is “Baja Style Grilled Tempeh Tacos”) that it’s hard to find reasons to try new ones.
Among our many other favorite recipes are:
- Chickpea Cutlets (p133)
- Escarole with Beans (p107)
- Spicy tempeh with brocolli and rotelle (p191)
- Spicy Peanut and Eggplant Soup (p147)
- Aubergine and potato moussaka with pine nut cream (p164)
And for those with a sweet tooth:
- Almond and anise biscotti (p240)
- Crushed Fig-Anise-Almond Cookies (P235)
- Banana and date buns (p224)
True to the authors’ claim, many of the book’s recipes can be made with ingredients in your pantry or local grocery store. There are also main dishes and desserts that are more elaborate and take more time, but they are worth it, since neither you nor your non-vegan family/friends will feel that they lack anything.
Fortunately for me, I discovered Veganomicon shortly after finishing The China Study, or I might have died of malnutrition first, if not boredom. I think both books are required reading for anyone interested in giving up their animal-based diet for a plant-based one. It sounds trite to say, but Veganomicon really may be the last cookbook you’ll ever buy!