Book Reviews
COOKING WITH GLUTEN AND SEITAN
By Dorothy R. Bates and Colby Wingate
Gluten, the protein part of the wheat kernel, is called seitan once it is cooked. For centuries, cooks in the Orient have used gluten as a meat substitute. You can purchase seitan and gluten in health food stores and oriental grocery shops. Cooking With Gluten and Seitan teaches you how to make these products from scratch or with instant gluten flour, found in natural food stores.
The book offers recipes for appetizers, soups, salads, and different ethnic main dishes. Sample dishes include Sausage Patties, Barbecue Slices, Root Vegetable Stew, and Miso Ginger Cutlets. A nutritional analysis is given for each recipe.
Cooking With Gluten and Seitan, published by The Book Publishing Company (ISBN 0-013990-95-7).
Reviewed by Debra Wasserman.
A BASIC COURSE IN VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN NUTRITION
By George Eisman, R.D.
It's not uncommon for Vegetarian Journal readers to contact us to find out how they can learn more about vegetarian nutrition. For those not ready to begin college courses, we often recommend the nutrition sections of Simply Vegan and Laurel's Kitchen. We have recently received a new publication, A Basic Course in Vegetarian and Vegan Nutrition, which can be added to our list of recommended texts.
This book, by George Eisman, R.D., is a compilation of the lecture material which Eisman used in a program in Vegetarian Studies at Miami-Dade Community College. Each section ends with a practice test. Answers are provided at the end of the book. Many sections have short paragraphs with information specific to vegetarianism; otherwise, the content is similar to many basic nutrition texts.
Eisman describes this as a basic course in nutrition. Although it is basic, those who don't have a working knowledge of chemistry may find it tough going. Illustrations would have helped to clarify many points. I would recommend using this text along with another college-level basic nutrition text-book to maximize one's grasp of both nutrition and issues unique to vegetarianism.
Reviewed by Reed Mangels, Ph.D., R.D.
THE NEW MCDOUGALL COOKBOOK
By John and Mary McDougall
The New McDougall Cookbook by John and Mary McDougall follows in the tradition of previous cookbooks by Mary McDougall (The McDougall Health Supporting Cookbook, Volume 1 and 2, available from The Vegetarian Resource Group). It features very low fat recipes which creatively use grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables.
The book begins with a description of the McDougall Program, which is a low fat, low cholesterol, high fiber, and high complex carbohydrate way of eating. Tips are given for defatting recipes, changing eating habits, planning menus, and shopping. A list of "approved" products follows. The rest of the book consists of 300 recipes.
I tried several recipes. Bean and Rice Salad was a flavorful mix of two kinds of beans and brown rice with fresh vegetables — a perfect meal for hot weather. Sweet and Tangy Vegetables was a pleasant variation of stir-fried vegetables. It, like many recipes, did contain honey. Maple syrup is a good vegan substitute. I made the Banana Cake for my daughter's first birthday because it was sweetened mainly with bananas and applesauce. She and our guests thought it was delicious.
All the recipes are free of animal products except for honey. Each recipe includes an estimated preparation time, which is helpful when deciding whether to make a particular dish.
I'm sure this is a cookbook I'll use again and again and one I will recommend to others. True, the price seems high at $24, but if you're serious about low fat cooking, this could be a good choice.
The New McDougall Cookbook, A Dutton Book (ISBN: 0-525-93610-6) is available in most bookstores.
Reviewed by Reed Mangels, Ph.D., R.D.
