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Veganish: The Omnivore's Guide to Plant-Based Cooking
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.
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2014
40 people are currently reading
434 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 1, 2019
This is very basic but might be interesting for someone who has not cooked much or has little experience with vegan cooking.
April 17, 2015
I read / listened to this book in audio format via audible.com. I always choose audio books as the narrators tend to breathe life into the books this giving them a heart beat! Audio books also allow me to read daily and still get chores done, walk, work and make wonderful road companions on those long road trips!
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!
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!
December 29, 2019
Pretty basic, most useful for someone completely new to plant based foods and there was a lot of comments that made me roll my eyes ("tofu is considered a junk food but if you're going to indulge you can use this recipe"). But, I got a few new recipes out of flipping through my library copy so still worthwhile.
March 11, 2022
This book has a lot of nutritious vegan recipes with suggestions for adding limited, healthy animal products if you want to. The cashew cheese worked suprisingly well! There was also a lot of good nutrition advice, but I would double-check it with medical sources. The sources included some fringe figures like Dr. Mercola, who posts some misleading articles and peddles supplements.
March 5, 2018
I found this cookbook just OK. I didn't care for all the editorializing.
March 1, 2015
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.
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.
November 9, 2015
Veganish is a simple and straightforward approach to eating plant-based diets. You don’t have to want a strict regimen to enjoy this book. However, it could help steer eaters towards developing skills to cook for health and healing. The author Mielle Chénier-Cowan Roses calls herself a “reluctant omnivore” (pg. xiv) after having been a vegetarian for a couple of decades, she now advocates plant-based diets without the restrictiveness of the term “Vegan”. Given the accessibility of Veganish, I think this book could fit into just about anyone’s kitchen.
Rose’s book functions as an excellent introduction into health-conscious cooking with chapters such as About Quality Ingredients and Basic Cooking Tips. She does an overview of essential techniques such as how to blanch vegetables or soak grains. Readers can also learn about misleading labels on food such as “free-range” eggs. The majority of the book delivers recipes that advocate fresh and organic ingredients such as cashew hollandaise sauce that substitutes nuts instead of dairy or pasta made from raw zucchinis. There are several excellent and easy to tackle recipes here, yet I would not recommend as a gift for the experienced chef because they probably already know how to blanch and substitute. It may encourage the novice to follow their instincts in the kitchen and to shop with diligence to bring quality food to the dinner table.
Rose’s book functions as an excellent introduction into health-conscious cooking with chapters such as About Quality Ingredients and Basic Cooking Tips. She does an overview of essential techniques such as how to blanch vegetables or soak grains. Readers can also learn about misleading labels on food such as “free-range” eggs. The majority of the book delivers recipes that advocate fresh and organic ingredients such as cashew hollandaise sauce that substitutes nuts instead of dairy or pasta made from raw zucchinis. There are several excellent and easy to tackle recipes here, yet I would not recommend as a gift for the experienced chef because they probably already know how to blanch and substitute. It may encourage the novice to follow their instincts in the kitchen and to shop with diligence to bring quality food to the dinner table.
December 9, 2014
Finally. A vegan book that isn't about preaching and rigorous adherence to the correct way of doing things. When I first started on the rocky road to vegan nirvana I was slightly pissed off by certain proselytizing sandal wearers, condemning all those who didn't follow their particular orthodoxy.
Screw that.
I crave meat occasionally and its great to have a book full of recipes by a vegan who appreciates that. As well as plenty of vegan recipes, Mielle also gives advice on where to source meat if you need it and how to do so in a manner that won't compromise my ethical standpoint.
Screw that.
I crave meat occasionally and its great to have a book full of recipes by a vegan who appreciates that. As well as plenty of vegan recipes, Mielle also gives advice on where to source meat if you need it and how to do so in a manner that won't compromise my ethical standpoint.
April 7, 2015
Review to follow soon.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews