Book Reviews

Several VRG staff members enjoy backpacking, so we were quite excited to receive this book. Included are vegetarian dishes that have been trail-tested by numerous hikers. Each recipe gives detailed instructions on what to prepare at home before hitting the trail, such as combining dry items in a resealable plastic bag. It also tells you the weight of all the ingredients per serving, which you will become well aware of the farther you carry your food.

Several vegan recipes are included. Many others can easily be made vegan; for example, you can substitute powdered soymilk for powdered milk. Some of the mouth-watering recipes include Black Bear Hummus, Pine Valley Couscous, Tabouli Salad, Miso Madness, Time-Traveler’s Tamale, Kilauea Chili, Golden Bear Gado-Gado, Secret Lake Garlic Lentils, and Leahi Trail Rice.

You’ll also find information on how to dehydrate fruits, vegetables, and beans, as well as mail-order sources for food items. For example, Sunorganic Farm offers organic dried fruit and vegetables on-line. Nutritional analyses are also provided.

I have had the pleasure of dining at Native Foods in Palm Springs and was excited to learn that the co-owner and head chef had written a cookbook. Now, anyone can enjoy the delicious food served at the four Native Foods restaurants located in Southern California.

All the recipes in this cookbook are vegan. Some of the creative dishes featured within its pages include Cranberry Orange Relish, Tempeh Pâté, Butternut Squash and Lemon Grass Bisque, Perestroika (Russian Salad), Thai Slaw, Korean Tacos, Puff Pastry Pot Pies, Carrot Cake with Dream Cheese Frosting, Key Lime Parfait, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, and Palm Desert Date Shake. Please note that nutritional analyses are not provided.

Lois Dieterly has authored a cookbook featuring more than 140 decadent desserts. If you have a sweet tooth and aren’t necessarily on a lowfat diet, Sinfully Vegan is for you.

Chapters in this book include Cookies and Brownies, Cakes and Quick Breads, Boston Cream Pies, Pies and Tarts, Cheesecakes, Puddings, Donuts and Candy, Beverages and Smoothies, and Frostings, Toppings, and Crusts. Among the delicious recipes you’ll find Snickerdoodles, Peanut Butter Twist Brownies, Mocha Madness Cake, Chocolate Caramel Boston Cream Pie, Tantalizing Truffle Pie, Swirled Raspberry Cheesecake, Jelly-Filled Donuts, Melt in Your Mouth Fudge, and Toasted Coconut Pecan Frosting. Nutritional analyses are provided.

If you find yourself in Oregon or Washington, then this book is for you! It offers a thorough guide to vegetarian dining, shopping, and living in these two states, including restaurants, farmers’ markets, health foods stores, and much more. Basic information about vegetarianism is also featured.

Nava Atlas, a Vegetarian Journal contributor, has authored a new book. The Vegetarian Family Cookbook features more than 275 recipes suitable for perhaps everyone in your family. What I like most about this book is that the writer recognizes that many kids (and some adults, too) are picky eaters. In many instances, a basic recipe is given and then numerous variations are suggested. This way, one dish can be easily modified to meet your family members’ different taste preferences. Nava also provides a wealth of useful tidbits throughout her cookbook.

The author’s family recently progressed from being vegetarian to vegan; therefore, many of the recipes are vegan, and a vegan option is provided for almost all of the recipes that are vegetarian. In instances when both a vegetarian and vegan version of a recipe are given, nutritional analyses are provided for both cases.

This book serves up a wide range of dishes. Here are some that sound especially interesting: Garden Vegetable Soup with Tiny Pasta; Green Salad with Avocado, Apples, and Baked Tofu; Hearty Seitan Salad; Pasta with Sneaky Marinara Sauce (which hides puréed vegetables from picky eaters); Tofu and Potato Hash Browns; Baked Tofu Nuggets with Quick Tartar Sauce; Batter-Dipped Vegetable Fritters; and Jam-in-the-Middle Banana Muffins.

The next time someone tells you that vegetarianism is a fad, you might want to pull out a copy of Vegetarian America—A History. This informative book covers the history of the vegetarian movement in the United States from the late 1700s through the present.

As you read the interesting text, you’ll learn that, according to the authors, vegetarianism has experienced three major waves in history, each beginning about 70 years apart. The first period was in the 1830s and 1840s, the second wave was from approximately 1900 to 1930, and the current period began about 1970.

The vegetarian beliefs of pioneering figures such as Sylvester Graham and William Alcott were rooted in their strong Christian beliefs. That’s not to say that they did not have other motivations for pushing vegetarianism. In fact, throughout history, concerns for animal rights, our environment, economics, aesthetics, health, and physiological reasons have varied little over the centuries.

Throughout American history, vegetarians have played a major role in changing America’s eating habits. We certainly see this today. It is interesting to note that vegetarians long ago developed the first flaked and ready-to-eat cereal, including the first shredded wheat cereal.

The vegetarian movement continues to have physicians advocating for its cause. In the past, we had William Alcott, M.D., John Harvey Kellogg, M.D., and other lesser known doctors pushing vegetarianism. Today, many doctors and dietitians promote vegetarian and vegan diets on a regular basis.

Throughout history you’ll see that vegetarian groups have come and gone. If a key organizer passed away, often the group would lose strength or completely cease to exist. Numerous vegetarian publications also came and went.

Today, the number of vegetarians in this country continues to grow. With this growth comes the creation of more and more vegetarian organizations, many coming from different perspectives, whether they be animal rights, health, environmental, religious, or other reasons. Some animal rights groups promoting vegetarianism, such as PETA, have grown into strong organizations with large budgets. Other organizations continue to struggle for financial support and leadership. Nevertheless, the vegetarian movement continues to influence society.

Vegetarian America—A History should be placed in every library in this country. I only wish that the book went deeper into the history of each century, especially the movement since the 1960s.