Veganish

The Omnivore's Guide to Plant-Based Cooking

By: Mielle Chénier-Cowan Rose

Narrated by: Tiffany Williams

Tens of thousands of people have put down their knives in favor of a vegan or vegetarian diet for weight loss or to control blood pressure and cholesterol. Many people got exactly what they were looking for, along with a few surprises, such as loss of bone density and dental issues. Mielle Chenier-Cowan Rose has experienced much the same in her journey as a vegan chef raising her child vegan. This utterly unique "vegan+" cookbook offers over 100 easy-to-make vegan recipes and many basic methods and cooking techniques, as well as advanced options. A trained chef, Mielle Chenier-Cowan Rose also offers sage advice about food and nutrition, along with her personal story about transitioning from a 20-year long vegetarian diet to eating some animal-based foods. Chenier-Cowan Rose has dedicated herself to making sure vegan and vegetarian folks are aware of vital and important information about the vegan diet, including the nutritional elements that are essential to good health, especially for families and children. Veganish is necessary reading for anybody considering this lifestyle and a must-have for veggie families with children.

©2014 Viva Editions (P)2015 Viva Editions

Great mix of recipes and food philosophy

Note: In 2011, the author published Piece of My Heart, which has since been wrapped up in this book.

This book is a unique mix of recipes, nutritional information, and a brief look at industrialized foods. The author lived two decades as a vegetarian/vegan before modifying her diet to include some animal-based foods. Trained as a chef and having spent considerable time educating herself on human nutritional needs, her knowledge comes through in a clear, organized manner in this book.

The author starts off by acknowledging that the choices we make in what we eat are deeply personal. She doesn’t tell one what to eat in this book, but presents plenty of information for those curious about what they are eating and where it comes from. For those that have read The Omnivore’s Dilemma or In Defense of Food, both authored by Michael Pollan, this book would make an excellent companion book because of its recipes and additional voice concerning nutritional eating.

I enjoyed the author’s personal story about her transition from vegetarian to vegan to veganish – allowing some carefully selected animal-based products in to her diet. Even more so, I enjoyed the sections that explained why preparing certain foods certain ways brings out more nutrition. For instance, I knew so little about cooking/baking with nuts before listening to this book. Now, I am tempted to try making my own fresh nut milk at home. Also, I didn’t realize that mincing certain herbs really does release more of their flavor and nutrients into whatever dish you are making – I tend to chop my herbs big but now I think I will take the extra time to mince.

There were several foods that I was not familiar with, and this excited me because I do enjoy exploring food. One example is the sea plant kombu which is an edible kelp. This book suggests using it in cooking beans to assist in reducing the often resultant flatulence and to increase the nutrient value of the bean dish. Just on a side note: I couldn’t figure out how to spell kombu and contacted the author via her website. She swiftly got back to me with the info! Awesome!

This book is definitely worth listening to again or purchasing a visual copy. I especially liked the variations in recipes; often a vegan or vegetarian version would be given followed by an omnivore’s version. Plus, some sections, such as the dressings, one could learn the basics and then modify to accommodate tastes or what is in season. Excellent addition to the cookbook shelf!

Narration: Tiffany Williams did another great job with this audiobook (she also narrated The Cast Iron Cookbook). This is the 4th cookbook I have listened to narrated by her. In this book, since there were sections that were more conversational, we had more of her voice. Her enthusiasm for the subject comes through. She maintains a clear, steady voice for the recipes, paced evenly so that one could follow the recipe while they cook.

Highly Educational!

This book really surprised me. I expected a bunch if recipes and rules to be a vegan. Instead I found this book to have the following...
The author tells us what is in our processed foods and how it affects us
What types of containers we should and shouldn't use and why
What types of pans we should cook with and shouldn't and why
What vitamins we get from fruits and vegetables, also what we don't get
Tells us what we can use to replace eggs in recipes and how to do it
Tells us what cage free, range free, natural flavors and all the other lingo means on our packaging
How to choose fruits and veggies at the store
How to cook certain foods to make them taste better
What organic means
How to fix meals if they have too much salt (tricks & tips) etc...
How to use spices
How to make our foods less pungent
How to tell if your egg plant is a male or a female and why
What vegan, vegetarian, organic means
Care for the animals in which award us food
Tells us how chemicals we want to avoid such as MSG and sugars are in our foods under other names.
AND a whole bunch of recipes and a WHOLE LOT MORE.... just to name a few things this book covers!

I wasn't expecting to learn so much, and now I feel I need to listen to this book a few more times. I am not a vegetarian or vegan, but there are so many helpful tips like the dishes and pans that have chemical reactions from heat that causes cancer. These are things everyone needs to know.

The author, Mielle Chénier-Cowan Rose did a fantastic job on her research! She supplied us with so much info that this book classifies as educational to me! The narrator, Tiffany Williams delivered us a flawless reading which is spoken clearly and slow enough for me to understand every word! Excellent job ladies!