BOOK REVIEWS

Allison Lubert is the owner of Sweet Freedom Bakery in Philadelphia. This establishment is both vegan and gluten-free. Her cookbook features many outstanding treats and the color photos will encourage you to start baking now!

Section one includes cookies, bars, and squares such as Chocolate Chip Blondies, Chocolate Cayenne Lime Cookie Cake, and Raspberry Lemon Bars.

Sections two and three highlight cupcakes and toppings. You may want to prepare Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes, Salted Caramel Cupcakes, or Brownie Sundae Cupcakes. You can then top these with a wide variety of frostings, sauces, and glazes.

The Breakfast Goodies chapter includes items such as Cinnamon Sugar Coffee Cake, Pumpkin Doughnuts, and Cinnamon Sugar Crullers. Finally, a chapter titled "Festive Favorites and Holiday Treats" features a Birthday Cake, Gingersnaps, and Eggnog Cupcakes.

Kristy Turner is the blogger behind Keepin' It Kind. Her new cookbook offers 125 creative vegan recipes demonstrating that this cuisine is delicious. Nutritional analyses are not provided; however, you will find color photos.

The first section of this book offers a lot of how-to information, such as pressing tofu, making cashew cream, roasting garlic, cooking beans and grains, plus much more.

One chapter serves up "cheesy" vegan dishes, including Tempeh Bacon Mac 'n' Cheese with Pecan Parmesan; Tofu Feta, Spinach, and Potato Gratin; and Balsamic Baked Pears with Cashew Blue Cheese. Another chapter offers "meaty" meals, including Portobello Pot Pie, Chickpea Sloppy Joes, Thai Seitan Satay with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce, and BBQ Jackfruit Fajitas with Guacamole.

Creative salads include Roasted Broccoli & Apple Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing and Warm Lemony Olive Potato Salad. For soup recipes, try Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Spinach Artichoke Soup. You'll also find a variety of creative pizza recipes, as well as vegan "fish" dishes.

Brunch suggestions include Pecan-Date Cinnamon Rolls, Lemon Cornmeal Waffles with Blueberry Sauce, and Caramel Apple-Stuffed French Toast. And, of course, you don't want to skip dessert recipes such as Butterscotch Bread Pudding, Chocolate Chip Brownies, and Oatmeal Raisin Ice Cream Sandwiches.

This new cookbook teaches you how to cook with oatmeals (oat groats, steel-cut oats, stone-ground oats, rolled oats, instant oats, and oat flour) in ways you would not imagine. Learn how to prepare dishes such as Creamy Cashew-Oat Cream Cheese, Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal, Butternut Squash Maple Walnut Scones, Carrot Cake Smoothie, Chai-Spiced Oat Shake, Pepita Sunflower Seed Savory Granola, Mushroom Ginger Congee, Tempeh Oat Brussels Sprout Scramble, Oat Dosa, Cajun-Stuffed Bell Peppers, Turtle Oat Truffles, Mini Raspberry Cakes, plus much more.

This book has color photos. Helpful tips and nutritional analyses are included as well.

I love greens and enjoy finding new recipes featuring them. This vegan cookbook has over 100 creative recipes and great photos.

You can start your day off with a Cherry-Kale Quencher Smoothie and a serving of Sweet Spinach Pancakes or Broccoli and Greens Quiche. Greens are also featured in these small bites: Sautéed Dandelion with Lemon and Pine Nuts, and Raw Collard Wraps with Cashew Cheese.

Are you craving soup? Try Cream of Asparagus Soup, Lemony Miso Soup with Chinese Broccoli, or Curried Dahl with Chard. Salad dishes include Beet Greens, Pear, and Maple Walnut Salad, and Arugula, Watercress, and Stoned-Fruit Salad with Jalapeño Vinaigrette.

Unique main dishes include Linguini with Lemon, Olives, and Rapini; Chickpea and Fennel Curry on a Bed of Fresh Watercress; and Collard and Quinoa "Cabbage Rolls." And finally, there are green desserts: Lemon and Parsley Olive Oil Cake, Triple Chocolate Beet Greens Cake, and Rhubarb and Chard Pie.

This cookbook is a work of art and features vegan dishes from around the world. The photos will entice you to start cooking immediately!

From Europe, enjoy Sicilian-Style Cauliflower, Portuguese Kale Soup, Vegetable Paella, Spicy Pinto Empanadas, Baked Eggplant Fries, Easy Apple Strudel, and Soda Bread Scones.

The Americas section serves up Three-Corn Cornbread, Butternut Mac and Cheese, Cilantro-Jicama Slaw with Lime-Orange Dressing, Piña Colada Squares, and Brigadiero Chocolate Fudge Truffles.

African and Middle Eastern recipes include Injera (bread used with Ethiopian stews), Falafel Pie, Fattoush Wraps, and Stuffed Dates Three Ways. From India you'll find Coconut Spinach and Lentil Dal, Kofta Curry, and Cardamom Chickpea Cookies.

Asian recipes feature Kung Pao Seitan and Eggplant, Szechuan Bok Choy, Sesame Mochi, Bibimbap, Corn Pudding with Coconut Sauce, and Coconut Fried Bananas.

Nava Atlas is the author of several vegan cookbooks and creator of vegkitchen.com. Her latest cookbook would appeal to mainstream cooks as well as long-time vegans. Nava offers many tips, including suggestions as to what to serve with each recipe to complete your meal, as well as variations for many of her dishes. Hannah Kaminsky's photos appearing throughout this book are mouthwatering as well!

Here are some of the creative dishes you can prepare at home: Quick Quinoa Paella, Cream of Broccoli Soup, Pasta with Hearty Lentil and Spinach Sauce, Whole-Wheat Pizza Crust, Pesto Pizza with Roasted Mixed Vegetables, Spicy Eggplant in Garlic Sauce, Thai-Style Pineapple-Coconut Rice, Tempeh and Walnut Soft Taco Filling, Smoky Lentil and Mushroom Sloppy Joes, Easy Hash Brown Potatoes, Creamy Kale and Cabbage Slaw, and Unbaked Fudgy Brownies.