BOOK REVIEWS

Angelica Kitchen is a down-to-earth vegetarian restaurant that has long existed in New York City's East Village. Its informal atmosphere is a pleasant find in a crowded city.

The Angelica Home Kitchen is a vegan cookbook offering some of the best recipes prepared by this establishment. A few of the featured dishes include Three-Bean Chili with Seitan, Mushroom Phyllo Turnovers, Pumpkin Pâté, Wild Rice Salad, Five-Grain Croquettes, and Date-Pecan Coffee Cake.

As expressed in this book, Angelica Kitchen has always strived to be a socially conscious business, going out of its way to support organic farmers. My only disappointment with this book is that its author, the restaurant's owner Leslie McEachern, states that she personally does not follow a strict vegan lifestyle. In fact, she feels that she has to eat some animal products to feel well. I found it rather odd that her business goes out of its way to be ethical, yet she feels she must consume animal products. Despite this fact, this cookbook offers a terrific selection of vegan recipes that readers would enjoy.

The Complete Book of Raw Food contains more than 350 recipes from the world's top raw foods chefs. This book is primarily a how-to, with emphasis on recipes for raw foods dishes. However, it also features advice from the pros, a review of ingredients and equipment you might want to purchase, and information on how to contact the various raw foods chefs.

Here are some of the exciting dishes you'll find in this book: Citrus, Avocado, and Mango Salad; Marinated Baby Bok Choy Salad; Dragons' Dressing (consisting of miso, tahini, dates, lemon and ginger juice, and oil); Raspberry Cream Soup (made with orange juice, raw cashews, raspberries, and sliced oranges); Watercress Pear Soup; Spring Roll Wraps; Almond Flax Crackers; Hemp Corn Chips; and Cheddary Cheeze Spread (made with pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, pepper, lemon juice, and garlic).

The breakfast, lunch, and dinner entreés are grouped by country or region of origin into Italian, Mexican and Spanish, Asian, and other classics. You'll also find spreads, sauces, and dips; cookies and other sweets; pies and cakes; and other dessert dishes.

If you're interested in adding more raw foods to your diet or going completely raw, this is a terrific book to get you started. Please note that honey is used in some of the recipes and nutritional analyses are not provided.

Ellen Abraham, the author of Simple Treats, and her sister own a bakery by this same name in Eastham, Massachu­setts. Drawn from her experiences, this book contains recipes for baked goods, all of which contain natural sweeteners and whole grain or wheat-free flours. All recipes are vegan, and there are some great offerings for individuals with food allergies or other food restrictions. The author uses organic ingredients and suggests readers do the same.

Some of the recipes included in this book are Peach-Oat Bran Muffins, Chocolate Chip Scones, Lemon Poppy Tea Bread, Marble Pound Cake, and Mocha Cake. Nutritional analyses are provided.

I have often enjoyed Stephen Walsh's comments on IVU-Sci, an e-mail discussion list for scientists with an interest in vegetarianism, so I was delighted to hear that he had written Plant Based Nutrition and Health. Walsh's background is in process systems analysis, and he has used the skills acquired in this field to evaluate nutrition research and develop recommendations.

Plant Based Nutrition and Health makes a strong case for choosing a plant-based diet. Topics covered include achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, calcium and bone health, essential fats, vitamin and mineral needs and how to meet these needs with plant foods, and using plant-based diets at different phases of the life cycle. A few simple recipes are included, but the main focus of this book is nutrition.

Plant Based Nutrition and Health is somewhat technical, but Walsh does a good job of explaining complex topics and often uses graphs and charts to illustrate his points. Also, he includes an extensive list of up-to-date references.

This book would be an excellent addition to the library of anyone who wants background information on current vegetarian nutrition.

What, No Meat?! What to Do When Your Kid Becomes a Vegetarian was written for non-vegetarian parents whose children announce that they are becoming vegetarian. Overall, the tone of the book is supportive of vegetarianism, even encouraging parents to try it themselves.

Common myths about vegetarianism, including "vegetarians don't get enough protein" and "you have to drink milk to get calcium," are debunked. Also, ideas for dealing with social situations like holiday meals, eating out, and eating at a friend's house are presented.

The book includes a number of recipes, many of which are vegan. Recipes tend to have a lot of ingredients and appear to be geared for the parent or teen who enjoys cooking rather than for a teen who just wants to make a quick meal.

A section in the book suggesting replacements for meat includes ideas using chicken, turkey, and fish, which seemed out of place in a book written for vegetarians. I would also have liked to see some mention of vitamin B12 for vegans. Overall, however, What, No Meat?! would be a useful book for parents who want to help their child be a vegetarian.

If you're searching for an incredible raw foods book, Raw is for you. This book features gorgeous color photos that would excite even the pickiest of eaters. Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein are gourmet chefs, and this is reflected in the recipes found in their book.

Here are some sample dishes offered: Mung Bean Salad Wrapped in Swiss Chard with Marinated Vegetables and Thai Vinaigrette; Heirloom Tomato Soup with Arbe­quina Olives and Shaved Fennel; Red Bell Pepper Soup with Mango and Meyer Lemon; Water­melon Salad; Bleeding Heart Rad­ish Ravioli with Yellow Tomato Sauce; Young Coconut Pad Thai with Almond Chile Sauce; Polenta with Wild Mushroom Ragout; Indian Red Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream and Pecan Praline; and Black Mission Fig Tart with Walnut Cream.

Please note that a handful of recipes do contain honey; otherwise, the book is vegan. Nutritional analyses are not provided.

This book would make an excellent gift and belongs in all libraries.