Cook Books!

Cookbooks make veganism fun. I got a whole bunch out from the library and have been bookmarking all the tasty looking recipes.

 I've been making good use of some of them.  Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar has a huge variety of types of cookies so recommend it to anyone who likes baking. So far I've made the Mocha Mamas, the AppleSauce Softies (try them!) and the Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows.  This book has some rather interesting sounding cookies...I've been eyeing the Peanut Apple Pretzel Drops and the "Sell Your Soul Pumpkin Cookies".

As for Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World...I can't say I'm enjoying it. I've only flipped through so far, but if this was somehow my only exposure to veganism then it would have turned me off of it! I found it very demeaning to anyone who isn't fully "vegan" and gave some advice that seemed to pretty weak reasoning behind it. I'll give a little rant later once I've read more. 

But on a happier note I'm eager to veganism some of the recipes from the Barefoot Contessa books; French Apple Tart here I come!

Lastly, this book, Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions is very interesting if you are into exploring cultural relations to food. It outlines the traditional "Kansha" style of Japanese cooking which involves the art of appreciating and "enourage[s] us to prepare nutritionally sound aesthetically satisfying that also avoid waste, conserve energy, and sustain our natural resources." Each recipe is very informative, and many have beautiful photos to accompany them.  I haven't made any of the recipes yet but they look very appealing and the book is very educating as well.