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Rating: 
- really struggled
This book is beautiful ,makes me really wish I lived near a decent vegan restaurant so I could give it to them in the hope they would make me something from it,I made the pear Huckleberry Trifle, By the time I had finished I was convinced this recipe had not been tested before hand,the dough I made was a slop,the mousse also and as we are all out of Huckleberries in Somerset I used rasberries...also a bit sloppy, very disappointed,so much expense went on ingredients,and alot of time working out substitutes for some ingredients, such a shame ,I had high hopes,I am not bad at cooking so am not convinced the problem could have been me not the recipe,however the recipes are so tempting,if it helps,,I was told rape seed oil is canola,Sucanet...now there's another story..!
Rating:
- Seriously good vegan cuisine
I initially bought The Artful Vegan because of the gorgeous photography in it. The first recipe I tried cooking was the 'Mediterranean 5-Lentil and kale soup with Walnut gremolata'. I didn't know what a gremolata was, but that was no biggie- I could tell from the ingredients that it would be yummy! Living near Brighton, I'm also kind of used to posh veggie food- this is actually less pretentious (and, I think, more delicious) [..] our local equivalent. Anyway, I didn't actually cook any other recipes, because the soup was so delicious I had to cook it again and again over the winter!
It's true that many of the recipes are quite complex, as they come from a restaurant kitchen, but I've had better experiences using this than with many other cookery books. Even if one can't find all the ingredients, it's easy to substitute (as a life-long veggie, I'm used to creative substitution in my cookery) them with things that are at least vaguely similar. Another way round this complexity for the lazy or intimidated cook is to try only a part of the recipe, rather than creating the whole meal the authors have in mind. And it's worth it for the basic techniques and inspiration alone. The authors give a little context and introduction to each recipe, and many are accompanied by lovely photos as well. I've had numerous failed attempts at making veggie burgers, so I tried the 'Black bean and yuca cakes' with so small degree of trepidation. It emerged that the secret in home veggie-burger making, however, lies in using cornflour rather than egg as a binding ingredient. The burgers I made using the Artful Vegan as a guide put any commercially available products to shame and held together when cooked. The book includes quite generous descriptions of technique and also encourages one's own creativity in the use of seasonal produce. I've found it very inspiring to create meals that look nice- previously I didn't take that much pride in my cooking. The flavours in all the recipes are quite bold, and I think the idea of mixing bold flavours (which is somewhat lacking in traditionally British cooking) is a great inspiration.
Sure, the fact that this book is American is inevitably a bit annoying, as it uses non-metric measurements and temperatures (it also took a bit of cunning research to figure out that a 'broiler' is a grill...), but that is a totally minor gripe, and one that is common to any book issuing from the USA. Some of the ingredients are indeed hard to source or expensive, but it's totally possible to find British (or seasonal) equivalents (try peaches instead of mangoes if you want to save money), and you save so much money by not using meat or dairy anyway, that it's worth it to have brilliant vegan food, in my opinion. Some of the ingredients turned out to be easier to find than I'd expected. [...] Try toasting a normal cheapo dried chili to get a smoky effect.
Rating: - Inspiration and ideas
I bought this book several months ago. It is clear that it is written by a restaurant chef with access to a multitude of exotic (and Stateside) ingredients and perhaps an army of sous-chefs. However, I think it's a great source of ideas and most of the recipes can be broken down and simplified for the home cook with limited time (and not all the ingredients to hand). Recipes usually have 3-4 components. I'm happy to focus on just one of the four to cook something different and delicious. Anything I have made has been great. For example, I made the carrot cake without the frosting and using regular chopped walnuts rather than candied. The ginger cookies are also excellent. Children and adults loved both.
I source most ingredients in healthfood shops, e.g. the umeboshi vinegar mentioned by another reviewer. It is true that if you wanted to seriously tackle the recipes in this book, you would have to make an initial investment in some ingredients. But most of them keep well. I love cooking and for me a vegan diet should not be boring. I like the book so much that I have now ordered the first book, the Milennium Cookbook. Some vegan books focus disappointingly on meat and dairy substitutes instead of on the wealth of ingredients available in their own right (not as second best) to vegans. This book elevates vegan cooking and pushes me outside my comfort zone. It's great! If you're reading this, Mr Tucker, I would like the next book to offer more comprehensive information on nutrition, e.g. vitamin and minerals, type of fats, etc.
Rating:
- The Artful Vegan
This book has got incredibly tempting recipes. However, if you live in the UK, it will leave you with a sour taste in your mouth. Almost every recipe contains one or two ingredients which are impossible to find, such as Teff, Kimchee or Emubushi vinegar. If you do your research on the web, you will end up much more clued up, but still without the ingredients. I still haven't found a place in the UK where you can order them online.
I will try and substitute them by other ingredients, but unfortunately, I won't be able to taste what the author intended.
- really struggledThis book is beautiful ,makes me really wish I lived near a decent vegan restaurant so I could give it to them in the hope they would make me something from it,I made the pear Huckleberry Trifle, By the time I had finished I was convinced this recipe had not been tested before hand,the dough I made was a slop,the mousse also and as we are all out of Huckleberries in Somerset I used rasberries...also a bit sloppy, very disappointed,so much expense went on ingredients,and alot of time working out substitutes for some ingredients, such a shame ,I had high hopes,I am not bad at cooking so am not convinced the problem could have been me not the recipe,however the recipes are so tempting,if it helps,,I was told rape seed oil is canola,Sucanet...now there's another story..!
Rating:
- Seriously good vegan cuisineI initially bought The Artful Vegan because of the gorgeous photography in it. The first recipe I tried cooking was the 'Mediterranean 5-Lentil and kale soup with Walnut gremolata'. I didn't know what a gremolata was, but that was no biggie- I could tell from the ingredients that it would be yummy! Living near Brighton, I'm also kind of used to posh veggie food- this is actually less pretentious (and, I think, more delicious) [..] our local equivalent. Anyway, I didn't actually cook any other recipes, because the soup was so delicious I had to cook it again and again over the winter!
It's true that many of the recipes are quite complex, as they come from a restaurant kitchen, but I've had better experiences using this than with many other cookery books. Even if one can't find all the ingredients, it's easy to substitute (as a life-long veggie, I'm used to creative substitution in my cookery) them with things that are at least vaguely similar. Another way round this complexity for the lazy or intimidated cook is to try only a part of the recipe, rather than creating the whole meal the authors have in mind. And it's worth it for the basic techniques and inspiration alone. The authors give a little context and introduction to each recipe, and many are accompanied by lovely photos as well. I've had numerous failed attempts at making veggie burgers, so I tried the 'Black bean and yuca cakes' with so small degree of trepidation. It emerged that the secret in home veggie-burger making, however, lies in using cornflour rather than egg as a binding ingredient. The burgers I made using the Artful Vegan as a guide put any commercially available products to shame and held together when cooked. The book includes quite generous descriptions of technique and also encourages one's own creativity in the use of seasonal produce. I've found it very inspiring to create meals that look nice- previously I didn't take that much pride in my cooking. The flavours in all the recipes are quite bold, and I think the idea of mixing bold flavours (which is somewhat lacking in traditionally British cooking) is a great inspiration.
Sure, the fact that this book is American is inevitably a bit annoying, as it uses non-metric measurements and temperatures (it also took a bit of cunning research to figure out that a 'broiler' is a grill...), but that is a totally minor gripe, and one that is common to any book issuing from the USA. Some of the ingredients are indeed hard to source or expensive, but it's totally possible to find British (or seasonal) equivalents (try peaches instead of mangoes if you want to save money), and you save so much money by not using meat or dairy anyway, that it's worth it to have brilliant vegan food, in my opinion. Some of the ingredients turned out to be easier to find than I'd expected. [...] Try toasting a normal cheapo dried chili to get a smoky effect.
Rating:
- Inspiration and ideasI bought this book several months ago. It is clear that it is written by a restaurant chef with access to a multitude of exotic (and Stateside) ingredients and perhaps an army of sous-chefs. However, I think it's a great source of ideas and most of the recipes can be broken down and simplified for the home cook with limited time (and not all the ingredients to hand). Recipes usually have 3-4 components. I'm happy to focus on just one of the four to cook something different and delicious. Anything I have made has been great. For example, I made the carrot cake without the frosting and using regular chopped walnuts rather than candied. The ginger cookies are also excellent. Children and adults loved both.
I source most ingredients in healthfood shops, e.g. the umeboshi vinegar mentioned by another reviewer. It is true that if you wanted to seriously tackle the recipes in this book, you would have to make an initial investment in some ingredients. But most of them keep well. I love cooking and for me a vegan diet should not be boring. I like the book so much that I have now ordered the first book, the Milennium Cookbook. Some vegan books focus disappointingly on meat and dairy substitutes instead of on the wealth of ingredients available in their own right (not as second best) to vegans. This book elevates vegan cooking and pushes me outside my comfort zone. It's great! If you're reading this, Mr Tucker, I would like the next book to offer more comprehensive information on nutrition, e.g. vitamin and minerals, type of fats, etc.
Rating:
- The Artful VeganThis book has got incredibly tempting recipes. However, if you live in the UK, it will leave you with a sour taste in your mouth. Almost every recipe contains one or two ingredients which are impossible to find, such as Teff, Kimchee or Emubushi vinegar. If you do your research on the web, you will end up much more clued up, but still without the ingredients. I still haven't found a place in the UK where you can order them online.
I will try and substitute them by other ingredients, but unfortunately, I won't be able to taste what the author intended.
