The title says it all. From chicken fried steak bites to cheesecake, it’s a book of look-alike food for vegans – “recipes so tasty you won’t miss the meat”.
It could get tiresome except for the enthusiasm of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi who commissioned Roberto Martin as their personal vegan chef.
Roberto wasn’t vegan but teased and experimented with traditional recipes, substituting ingredients and testing techniques for dozens of traditional comforting household meals.
“Some flavor combinations have become part of our culture,” he says. “ I want to make familiar comforting foods that will make being vegan easy. The food will taste so good that no one will miss the meat!”
The book has around 125 recipes from easy pancakes and waffles to entrees like Shepherd’s Pie and Ellen’s childhood favorite red beans and rice. The dishes are so warm and enticing it’s like reading the family cook book.
Our favorite dishes:
- Emperor’s Rice
- Blackened tofu caesar salad
- Grilled carrot-ginger soup
Though available digitally, it is worth buying the hard copy for it’s vibrant layout and mouth-watering photography by Quentin Bacon.- HEATHER FLETCHER
Vegan Cooking for Carnivores: Over 125 Recipes So Tasty You Won’t Miss the Meat
Publisher: Grand Central Life & Style (April 24, 2012)
