Big Vegan Flavor: Techniques and 150 Recipes to Master Vegan Cooking

Beautiful, Engaging, and full of Information
This is a beautifully crafted book, with fabulous photography, a witty writing style, and diverse information for the cook who is as hungry for learning as they are for new and provocative recipes to keep life interesting. The photography itself is tantalizing, and incentive for getting your apron on (or at least getting a snack to quell the hunger pains).The book is organized in three parts: mastering the cuisine, the building blocks, and the recipes. I personally appreciate the first two sections most, as they are educational and – in my opinion – are the key to creating an interesting meal every night. The recipes are a bit daunting with the ingredient lists, many of which aren’t easy to find on Cape Cod where I live. The first I tried required considerable time and countertop real estate for me to put together, which may just point to my inferior kitchen skills, but should be noted. Yes, it was delicious, but only fed me for two days eating alone – not necessarily geared toward making ahead and living on for the next week, so be prepared to double recipes. My favorite recipes are actually the Flavor Boosters, as these are the fairly straightforward recipes I can make once and add to the simplest meals (ie a bowl of grains). It’s all good though, as I’m seeing the usefulness of obtaining a spice box (pulling eight different spice jars out of the cabinet one by one gets mind-boggling), and learning how to incorporate condiments and Flavor Boosters to ramp up an average meal. My favorite part is simply reading the book though, as Nisha has incorporated so many different elements in one big book, I am sure I will turn to this repeatedly in the future.One caveat though, especially for those like myself who eat vegan principally to fill our bodies with the cleanest food possible: there are a number of ingredients and products utilized herein that I really don’t want in my diet. Sugar is a common ingredient as it’s a significant flavor enhancer, and most of the products mentioned are not organic and include ingredients I tend to avoid. It was only after I purchased the recommended pomegranate vinegar that I noticed pomegranate was the third ingredient (following water and sugar), and included artificial additives as well. That was my mistake, but a reminder than not all “vegan” is healthy. Fortunately, I was able to find a single-ingredient organic pomegranate vinegar online, as I think this will be a key ingredient in my kitchen. She also includes beyond meat in a few recipes, which I wouldn’t touch now with a ten-foot pole (research this deeply). But I understand we all eat vegan for different reasons, and these things won’t be issues for many people. They are easy enough to work around.In summary, it’s a great purchase and I recommend buying it if you’re interested in expanding your prowess in the kitchen – or enticing carnivores to eat compelling vegan food that will blow their socks off. And who doesn’t like doing that?

An Incredible Cookbook for All (Plant-Based) Eaters!
I own a shelf full of plant-based cookbooks, but Big Vegan Flavors stands out as one of the most innovative and exciting books I’ve used. I’ve already tried several recipes: the Saucy Beans, Extremely Easy Queso Sauce (which my husband now requests I keep on hand at all times!), All Hail Caesar Dressing, and Cilantro Lime Cashew Cream. Every recipe has been mouth-wateringly delicious and easy to follow.Regarding soy content, I honestly don’t understand the concerns from a negative review I read. Sure, there are two short sections featuring tofu and tempeh (and the book includes fantastic tips on how to make them taste amazing!), but the vast majority of the 600+ page hunk of a book has soy-free recipes.The range of flavors is truly outstanding. Nisha’s recipes sometimes use bold, creative ingredients like pickled jalapeños or preserved lemons, which elevate each dish and make it unique compared to the same-old recipes. I mean, BIG FLAVOR is part of the book’s title after all… 🙂If you’re looking for an inspiring, approachable plant-based cookbook filled with delicious, creative recipes, Big Vegan Flavors is a must-have. This is the ultimate go-to for anyone wanting to explore plant-based cooking, with or without soy!

This is the best and most cookbook I have bought! It is very well organised and with many helpful tips throughout and great recipes. The Ethiopian red lentil stew with spiced butter is one of the best things I’ve cooked and the white bean and tomato stew was also amazing. I can’t wait to cook my way through this book!

Learning so many new flavors