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Sound like an oxymoron? Myra Kornfeld argues that choosing to be a vegan does not mean you have to deprive yourself--rather, you can pamper your palate with luscious, healthy food. There are those who advocate salt-free, fat-free, flavor-free food, but Kornfeld sets the record straight right from the beginning. She uses salt for seasoning, and reminds us, thank goodness, that you need fat in a healthy diet. Clear instructions, a chapter on ingredients (including sections on grains, greens, and beans--how to buy them, cook them, and use them), and a short primer on equipment make this a good book for beginners. More accomplished cooks will appreciate Kornfeld's innovation. She isn't afraid to use herbs and spices, and she knows the capabilities of her ingredients. In a simple Rich Stock recipe, for instance, she calls for celery root, and explains in a note that you can substitute celery, but that the root gives a much deeper flavor. Kornfeld's food is voluptuous in presentation, too: Smoky Chestnut and Sweet Potato Soup calls for a dash of rum, and it's served with toasted, chopped hazelnuts and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg; Hominy, Tomatillo, and Squash Stew is topped with Ginger and Lime Cream made from tofu; and a Fennel, Orange, and Pomegranate Salad is so beautiful and the flavor so complex, you'll swear you're eating four-star cuisine.
The book is a little difficult to navigate, as it's divided into "meals." So if all you're looking for is a side dish, you'll need to set some time aside to peruse the whole book. Every recipe starts with a few words of wisdom, usually information on the ingredients or a description of the final product. The final chapter is on desserts, and here Kornfeld really gets voluptuous. The recipes include Cranberry Orange Tart, Chocolate Pudding Tart, and Lemon Pudding Cake with Blueberry Glaze--there's no depriving anyone of anything here! Vegans will appreciate the creative and inventive approach, but this cookbook is also useful for nonvegans. Everyone knows someone who's trying to avoid meat, dairy, or eggs, and with loads of ideas for light meals and interesting side dishes, we can entertain our friends and eat healthy at the same time. --Leora Y. Bloom
From Publishers Weekly
Formerly in charge of daily specials and desserts at New York's vegetarian Angelica Kitchen, Kornfeld manages to bring new life to the vegan palate in this better-than-average collection of animal-product-free food. The book starts off with the usual general instructions, but the level of detail is a pleasant surprise: not only do the authors (Minot is a New York City-based writer) explain cooking equipment and appliances, they also provide instructions for cutting vegetables into half-moons, quarter-moons, matchsticks and so forth. This tendency to go the extra mile pops up in the recipes, too, almost all of which are accompanied by tips, things to watch out for, and ingredient definitions. More important, the recipes are tasty. Plenty of vegetarian cookbooks contain recipes for squash soup, but few of those are made with coconut milk, lime juice, basil, leeks and shallots like Kornfeld's Butternut-Lemongrass Soup. The book contains only three chapters: one on soups, one on desserts, and one with the recipes organized into menus (for example: Warm Chickpea Salad with Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes followed by Fresh Corn, Millet, and Rice Croquettes, Jalape?o-Potato-Tofu "Cream" and Olive Tapenade). The authors explore the usual ethnic vegetarian territory but turn up new ideas, like Arepas and a complex Moussaka. Many of these items use soy products as substitutes, like Shepherd's Pie with a tempeh filling, Seitan Bourguignonne, and Herbed Ravioli with Porcini Pesto and Tofu "Ricotta." As definitive proof that vegans don't have to give up rich desserts, the final chapter includes a Chocolate Pudding Tart and Chocolate Coconut Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting. This volume should delight vegans looking to satisfy their gourmet tastes. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Vegans, the most disciplined of vegetarians, consume neither dairy products nor eggs. They have to watch their diets particularly carefully to avoid protein deficiencies. Myra Kornfeld explores this regimen in The Voluptuous Vegan , determined that such a diet need not mean bland cooking. Her Mushroom, French Lentil, and Chestnut Ragu makes a rich, satisfying entree, and she manages to create a shepherd's pie using tempeh and zucchini under a blanket of potatoes mashed with horseradish. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"Myra Kornfeld is on intimate terms with whole-foods cookery and has the technical mastery to translate her passion for color, texture, and flavor into luxurious meals that we can now savor on a daily basis."
Lorna Sass, author of The New Soy Cookbook and Lorna Sass' Complete Vegetarian Kitchen
"Here is a fabulous, well-thought-out cookbook that is not just for vegans. Myra has come up with delicious and elegant recipes."
-- Annemarie Cobin, author of Food and Our Bones and founder of the Natural Gourmet Cookery School
Review
"Myra Kornfeld is on intimate terms with whole-foods cookery and has the technical mastery to translate her passion for color, texture, and flavor into luxurious meals that we can now savor on a daily basis."
Lorna Sass, author of The New Soy Cookbook and Lorna Sass' Complete Vegetarian Kitchen
"Here is a fabulous, well-thought-out cookbook that is not just for vegans. Myra has come up with delicious and elegant recipes."
-- Annemarie Cobin, author of Food and Our Bones and founder of the Natural Gourmet Cookery School
Book Description
There are many great reasons to eat vegetarian meals -- they're low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and chock-full of nutrients. But the considerable health benefits aside, gourmets often scoff at the likes of seitan and tofu, while vegans despair of dull, uninspired offerings. Until now. In The Voluptuous Vegan, Myra Kornfeld introduces creative, mouthwatering, truly voluptuous recipes that inject this incredibly healthy cuisine with a much-needed dose of culinary mastery, including:
* full, balanced menus with appetizer, main course, and side dishes
* a luscious array of soups and an ingenious selection of desserts
* invaluable information on terms, ingredients, and techniques
* a culinary world tour including Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle Fast, as well as Europe and the United States
From the Inside Flap
There are many great reasons to eat vegetarian meals -- they're low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and chock-full of nutrients. But the considerable health benefits aside, gourmets often scoff at the likes of seitan and tofu, while vegans despair of dull, uninspired offerings. Until now. In The Voluptuous Vegan, Myra Kornfeld introduces creative, mouthwatering, truly voluptuous recipes that inject this incredibly healthy cuisine with a much-needed dose of culinary mastery, including:
* full, balanced menus with appetizer, main course, and side dishes
* a luscious array of soups and an ingenious selection of desserts
* invaluable information on terms, ingredients, and techniques
* a culinary world tour including Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle Fast, as well as Europe and the United States
From the Back Cover
"Myra Kornfeld is on intimate terms with whole-foods cookery and has the technical mastery to translate her passion for color, texture, and flavor into luxurious meals that we can now savor on a daily basis."
Lorna Sass, author of The New Soy Cookbook and Lorna Sass' Complete Vegetarian Kitchen
"Here is a fabulous, well-thought-out cookbook that is not just for vegans. Myra has come up with delicious and elegant recipes."
-- Annemarie Cobin, author of Food and Our Bones and founder of the Natural Gourmet Cookery School
About the Author
Myra Kornfeld trained at the Natural Gourmet Cookery School and Peter Kump's. She cooked innovative vegan cuisine for years at New York's famed Angelica Kitchen and rounded out her training at La Cote Basque, Nosmo King, and Verbena. She has contributed recipes and articles to such magazines as Natural Health, Vegetarian Times, and Yoga Journal, among others, and is co-creator of the remarkably successful videos Absolutely Tofu and Absolutely Tofu II. She is an instructor at the Natural Gourmet cookery School.
George Minot, a writer based in New York City, is currently working on a novel. He has studied Asian healing traditions and is involved with the natural foods community.
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