BOOK REVIEWS

Children (adults too!) will enjoy the vegan frozen treats offered in this book. You'll need an ice cream maker, but you can use an inexpensive one. Of course, keep in mind that these dessert recipes are not low calorie.

Among the wide variety of ice cream sandwiches you can prepare are Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream with Chocolate Cookies, Ginger Nut Ice Cream with Carrot Cake Cookies, Very Vanilla Soy Ice Cream with Chocolate Chip Cookies, Raspberry Sherbet with Lemon Cornmeal Cookies, and Cranberry Ice Cream with Gingersnaps.

Who doesn't enjoy dining outdoors when the weather is perfect? Vegan al Fresco offers a wide range of recipes you'll want to serve outside when gathering with your friends and family. The book also has photos that will certainly entice you to start cooking!

The chapter titled Bites, Nibbles & Finger Foods includes Chili Roasted Chickpeas, Pumpkin & Corn Cakes, Mini-Quiches, Mini-Spring Rolls with Chili Lime Dipping Sauce, and more. The Sandwiches & Spreads section offers Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches and Pita Po' Boys.

There are two chapters devoted to dressings and salads. You might want to prepare Raspberry Balsamic Dressing, Sesame Lemon Dressing, Corn Slaw, Pickle & Asparagus Potato Salad, Smoky Soba Noodle Salad, or Roasted Beet & Quinoa Salad.

The chapter on grilling offers Chipotle & Cilantro Lentil Burgers, Gluten-free Chickpea Sausages, Pan Pacific Tofu, Mango & Orange Tempeh with Ginger, Seitan Skewers with Peach Salsa, and Smoky Barbecue Mushrooms.

The Baking and Brunch chapter serves up Garlic Breadsticks, Corn & Olive Focaccia, Triple Chocolate Waffles, Strawberry & Basil Scones, and Loaded Banana Bread. Finally, no cookbook is complete without dessert and beverage options. Several ice cream recipes are provided as well as Hazelnut Latte Cupcakes, Berry Swirl Cheesecake, Cherry & Almond Cookies, Espresso Cookies, and Ginger Lemonade.

Laurie Sadowski began following a gluten-free diet after being diagnosed with celiac disease. She later became vegan and this book is both gluten-free and vegan. Many helpful tips are offered; however, please note that this is a dessert book and some of the recipes are high in calories.

You will find a wide range of creative desserts in this cookbook, including Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel, Chocolate Mousse and Brownie Pie, Coconut Cream Cheesecake, Pistachio-Cherry Ganache Tart, Blackberry Buckle, Fudgy Mocha Pudding Cake, Ginger-Plum Crumble, and Black Forest Trifle. Also enjoy frozen treats such as Magical Caramel-Swirled Brownie Sundaes, Frozen Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, Grapefruit Ice Cream and Frozen Kahlua Mud Pie.

This cookbook shows you how to prepare creative tacos starting with the basics. Learn how to roast peppers properly and how to make your own tortillas (the soft variety) needed to prepare these wonderful creations. If you prefer, you can also bake or fry these tortillas to make them crunchy.

Next, you'll want to try some of the taco creations, including Baja-Style Tempeh Tacos, Tacos with Yucatan-Style Barbecue (using seitan or jackfruit), Tacos with Sweet Potato and Chard, Cactus Tacos, Tacos with Black Beans and Chile Peanuts, Tacos with Crispy Greens, Kimchi Tacos, or for dessert sample Spicy Cinnamon Tacos with Salted Coconut Cajeta Apples and Agave Crema.

This book also includes some toppings, side dishes, and beverages to enjoy with your tacos. Nutritional analyses are not provided; however, many of the recipes seem to be low in fat. You will find color photos.

As a 50-something vegan, I'm definitely a member of Never Too Late to Go Vegan's target audience. In fact, the book's subtitle is "The Over-50 Guide to Adopting and Thriving on a Plant-based Diet." Never Too Late lives up to this promise. This information-packed, highly readable book includes chapters on how vegan diets can support lifelong health, on healthy vegan diets for older people, and on dealing with social issues. There's a unique chapter devoted to caregiving as a vegan, which offers supportive ideas for times when you're in the role of caregiver for someone who eats quite differently from the way you do. Additional chapters provide practical information about making the change to a vegan diet and about talking to friends and family about your decision to go vegan.

I was fortunate enough to receive a pre-publication copy of Never Too Late to Go Vegan and wrote a blurb for this book. As my blurb says, "Never Too Late to Go Vegan offers a warm, welcoming message to adults who have decided to adopt a vegan diet. Simply put, this is an indispensable resource. Oh, and there are recipes too!"

I highly recommend this book for those considering adopting a vegan diet, new vegans, and for experienced vegans who may be facing new issues.

This book has stunning color photos, including some alongside step-by-step instructions for preparing dishes. Learn how to make homemade nut or seed milks, butters, vegetable "pasta," dehydrated fruit and veggies, and more.

Some of the dishes you can prepare include Massaged Lemony Kale, Baby Greens and Mango Lime Chipotle Dressing, Cherry/Tomato Gazpacho, Chia Porridge with Fruit and Nuts, Lettuce Wraps, Yellow Squash Ribbons with Arugula Pesto, Cheesy Spicy Flax Crackers, Cool Ranch Kale Chips, Mango Peach Salsa, Sun-Dried Tomato Cheese, Pumpkin Pie, Caramel Apple Pear Tart, and Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Bark.

The author of this book writes the blog Raw on $10 a Day (or Less). Nutritional analyses are not included. Note that many recipes contain nuts or seeds.