Book Reviews

The New Vegan Cookbook

By Lorna Sass

Anyone looking for a vegan cookbook with lots of color photos will love The New Vegan Cookbook. This beautifully designed volume offers a wide range of unique vegan recipes including Black Soybean and Vegetable “Sushi” (made with tortillas), Thai-Inspired Broccoli in Coconut-Cilantro Sauce, A Cuban Picadillo (made with seitan or wheat gluten), West Indian Pumpkin with Jerk-Spiced Tempeh, Stuffed Collard Rolls with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Carrot Slaw with Mango Chutney Dressing, Sweet Polenta with Maple-Glazed Walnuts, and a Rustic Apple Tart. My only wish is that nutritional analyses were provided.

Very Vegetarian

By Jannequin Bennett

I think Very Vegetarian should actually be titled Very Vegan since it’s a vegan cookbook. Carl Lewis, a nine-time Olympic gold medal winner in track and field, wrote the introduction to this terrific new cookbook. Lewis talks about when and why he became vegan and writes about how his athletic ability improved on a vegan diet. The author, Jannequin Bennett, is an executive chef at TJ’s Restaurant in the five-star Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. The recipes in this book reflect her gourmet style.

Readers will find over 250 recipes in this cookbook including creative items such as Yam Falafel, Cranberry Ketchup, Swiss Chard Cannelloni with Walnut Sauce, and Afghan Spinach with Tofu. Carl Lewis contributes a few of his own recipes, too. Although this is not a quick and easy cookbook, the resulting dishes will make it worth your time and effort.

The Bible According to Noah: Theology as if Animals Mattered

By Gary Kowalski

Don’t let the weighty title fool you; this is no dry theological text. Nor is it your typical Bible study guide. In this book, Kowalski, a Unitarian pastor, offers a delightful and provocative reading of some of the most familiar Bible stories. His point of view is that of a person who believes that the Creator has an equal regard for all animals, not just humans.

Kowalski begins by offering the book’s only abstract theological idea: just as we no longer accept the Biblical view that the earth is the center of the universe, we also need to move beyond the idea that humans are the crown of creation and the only species worthy of moral consideration.

After that thought-provoking idea, he moves to consider some of the best-known and difficult stories from the Bible: the Creation, Noah and the Flood, Abraham and the Sacrifice of Isaac, The Story of Job, and Jonah and the Whale.

What makes this book so powerful is the fact that Kowalski does not choose Bible passages that clearly support his ideas. He jumps right in and tackles the more difficult passages as his starting points for a very refreshing engagement with the ancient stories. He combines deeply-held convictions about the sanctity of all life, ecological responsibility, and non-violence, with an intelligent reading of the Bible.

The result is not so much theology as poetry. However, the book avoids sentimentalism and “preaching to the choir.” Kowalski offers insights into the relationships between humans and other animals and the environment. His many examples are always based on scientific knowledge and literature.

Whether or not you agree with the author, The Bible According to Noah is sure to stimulate thought (and rethought) about the Bible and the traditions that are based upon it.