Student's Go Vegan Cookbook: Over 135 Quick, Easy, Cheap, and Tasty Vegan Recipes [Paperback]

 

 

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Currently I do not follow a strict vegan or even vegetarian diet. But I have been strictly vegan in the past. Nowadays I use dairy products regularly and do eat animal flesh perhaps three or four times a month. I really benefited both epicurean wise and financially from the recipes in Carol Raymond's Student's Vegetarian Cookbook, the first edition, that I've used as my go to cookbook when I'm home from a long stressful shift at the hospital and want something to make quick from a poorly stocked fridge and cupboards. I was hoping her vegan cookbook would be similarly essential. Not quite but close. Vegan products tend to be a bit pricey and this book requires a bit of a read before really getting the benefit of the recipes. If you prepare the sauces you can have delicious grains but you have to read about the grains. Same goes with the beans. Not a lot of bean recipes but lots of bean advice. So in summary, if you are a student and mom has been cooking vegan for you, this book will easily help you keep yourself fed for many semesters, but you will have to lay out some dollars to stock in some specialty items, more than just beans, rice, vegetables and fruit.

So far, I'm very impressed by the Student's Go Vegan Cookbook. I'd call it a simple, classy book with a touch of gourmet. Whether I'd recommend it to a student is debatable. Not all the recipes are extremely cheap. On the plus side to that, they may a little more expensive but it's easy gourmet food. When you think of it that way, it does seem fairly cheap, for gourmet.

Anyway, prices aside. I found that I had most if not all the ingredients. She calls for miso a little and I don't like it so I never bother to make those recipes. That's about the most exotic thing I've found so far. The cookbook is fairly well organized though you might find your tofu entree in the snack section.

Now for the food it's self. First of all, she does a fabulous job at describing the dishes. The descriptions are so well done you just wish you could have the food NOW and not in 20 minutes when it's ready. Also, Raymond does a wonderful job with food combining ideas. A lot of her basic foods come with a myriad of suggestions of how you can serve something and what you can serve it with. Very helpful. There's also lots of advice. I learned a lot about storage and flavors.

I found that the cookbook is a lot more "real." Other cookbooks like How it all Vegan and Table for Two by Joanne Stepiak lack something in the mix. Maybe a hint of cullinary flair that turns them from an ordinary person's attempt and an average person's success. There's a really organic sense of body nourishment and a sense of satisfaction. Unlike the Fresh cookbook by Ruth Tal Brown, Student's Go Vegan is healthy but not borderline raw.

I've tried three things now. I had some lemon rosemary tofu. It wasn't bad. The cooking times were off but that can be adjusted. I'd suggest 30 minutes, turning once at the 15 minute mark. Even though it was a little chard it showed promise. I'm not a big fan of tofu so this is pretty amazing for a cookbook to almost make me like it. The flavor was very well balanced and had a very crisp lemon flavor. It wasn't sour though because the rosemary blended into it nicely. I probably won't eat it again but that's because even though it's a very nice dish, I personally found it didn't suit my tastes.

Next, I used some of her basic instructions to sauté some collard greens. Now, I guess I cut it a little thick so remember to cut thin. I had to cook it for a little more then the time she gave but it was all right. Personally, I found that the greens hurt my teeth (I have extremely sensitive teeth) because they were a bit tough. The flavor of the greens is nicely highlighted with the garlic. Again though, the bitter flavor of the greens was just not for me. Though I see how it's a lovely recipe.

Finally I made some basic polenta. Not bad. I can't really give her props for polenta. Everyone, except me before this book, knows how to make polenta.

So I'd recommend this book to anyone who's had a problem with the other books outer there. Maybe you've tried a couple but you just can't tell what's missing. Give this book a try. It might not save you from being a culinary disaster but it will help you, at least a little. Even if you're not a big fan of gourmet because you're lazy, that's ok. This book allows a bit of a lazy attitude. I have faith that the rest of the book wont be a let down but Im going to keep exploring and checking it out.

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