What do you think?
Rate this book
Hot For Food All Day: Easy Recipes to Level Up Your Vegan Meals
More than 100 utterly simple, crazy-delicious vegan recipes that satisfy cravings all day, everyday
Buffalo "chicken" crunch wraps. Spiced grilled cheese. Stuffed breakfast danishes. Tokyo street fries. These are some of the tastebud-pleasing dishes within your reach in Hot For Food All Day, a collection of Lauren Toyota's mind-blowing recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. With her signature bold style, Toyota guides you step by step through her favorite everyday dishes and shares tips to level up leftovers.
Buffalo "chicken" crunch wraps. Spiced grilled cheese. Stuffed breakfast danishes. Tokyo street fries. These are some of the tastebud-pleasing dishes within your reach in Hot For Food All Day, a collection of Lauren Toyota's mind-blowing recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. With her signature bold style, Toyota guides you step by step through her favorite everyday dishes and shares tips to level up leftovers.
256 pages, Paperback
Published March 16, 2021
44 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 11, 2021
Hot for Food All Day is a fantastic cookbook for everyone, not just vegans. It is filled with recipes for uncomplicated good food. While all recipes are vegan, they are easily adaptable should you prefer to use real cheese or even meat instead of tofu or soy. The genius in these recipes is in the unique but unexotic flavor combinations. Combinations that make you think, "Why didn't I think of that?" Examples include a Gouda grilled cheese with raspberry jam and crispy onions, a green pea soup with Old Bay croutons, and a pizza mac n cheese that are all delicious. In addition, I made Ms. Toyota's Ragu Bolognese which was very tasty and a nice alternative to a standard meat bolognese. There are plenty of other recipes for sandwiches, pastas, soups, snacks, breakfast items, and desserts I can't wait to try. In particular, the Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispie Cake.
Not only is the food fantastic, but every recipe includes a photo and every recipe has a symbol at the top of the page indicating both the prep time and the cook time. Many of the recipes also have a Level Up symbol as well. This indicates that the recipe incorporates leftovers of a more basic dish. One example of this is using leftover mashed potatoes to make mushroom kraut potato cakes which, in my opinion, were even better than the mashed potatoes. This is a brilliant idea and I wish more cookbooks included this option. The only downside is that some forethought and planning are needed in order to make one of the Level Up dishes.
I could keep raving about these recipes but my advice is just to give this cookbook a try and see for yourself. I would be shocked if anyone was disappointed.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Ten Speed Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
Not only is the food fantastic, but every recipe includes a photo and every recipe has a symbol at the top of the page indicating both the prep time and the cook time. Many of the recipes also have a Level Up symbol as well. This indicates that the recipe incorporates leftovers of a more basic dish. One example of this is using leftover mashed potatoes to make mushroom kraut potato cakes which, in my opinion, were even better than the mashed potatoes. This is a brilliant idea and I wish more cookbooks included this option. The only downside is that some forethought and planning are needed in order to make one of the Level Up dishes.
I could keep raving about these recipes but my advice is just to give this cookbook a try and see for yourself. I would be shocked if anyone was disappointed.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Ten Speed Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
May 16, 2021
Thank you for introducing me to soy curls
April 2, 2025
So many delicious easy recipes! Great for kids too
October 17, 2021
I purchased this book in the spring or thereabouts. I'm a fan of Lauren's YouTube channel, although she's moving away from that more and more (much to my disappointment.)
In general, I find her recipes intimidating because she tends to be very spontaneous and use a lot of ingredients that feel like they're specialty or require extra work. If I had a cooking philosophy it would be "get it done as quickly as possible." I'm not keen on recipes with lots of steps, and therefore spending lots of time in the kitchen.
This book was a bit of a step away from my typical comfort zone, however. And I'm glad I gave it a chance, because, for the most part, I think her recipes are quite delicious. I haven't done every recipe in the book, but I feel like I've tried enough to get a good general feel for what to expect from them.
Her "level up" with leftovers is kind of fun, too. Although I find, if you want to make a recipe that requires a previous recipe, it's a bit annoying and requires extra planning ahead. I have to look at it more like "Okay, I want to make this soup. Oh. She has a level up for it, too. I'll try that later, then, and save some of the soup."
That said, for instance, her Tortilla Soup. DIVINE. A lot of ingredients and steps? Yes. Ingredients I don't typically keep on hand? Yes. But the taste was so worth it. (Although now I'm stuck with a giant bag of corn flour for which I need to find other uses.) The level up to this soup, the Red Sauce Enchiladas… Freaking amazing. And I'm sure it's in part because it utilizes leftovers of the Tortilla Soup.
I think I had one "dud" in this book so far, and that was her Black Forest Loaf Cake. I swear I followed the recipe exactly as it was written, but the dough came out thick, dry, and crumbly, and thus the cake was also thick, dry, and crumbly. Huge disappointment after spending a good deal of time pitting a bunch of fresh cherries for the recipe. I'm a little nervous to try it again since it was a lot of work. But I really do wonder if there was a typo in the book.
If I had one other criticism its just the abbreviated slang used in the recipe descriptions, like "def" for "definitely" and "fave" for "favorite". It makes the book really dated. I get that's how she talks as a person, but it just doesn't fit in a cookbook, in my opinion. Too much like Post Punk Kitchen or something. But then, I get cookbooks for the recipes. Not necessarily to read anecdotes and cutesy stories from the authors. And I'll fully admit here that this particular criticism is just splitting hairs.
Anyhow. 4/5 stars for this book. I'm happy we keep getting so many great vegan cookbooks out there. Inventive cooks like Lauren help people understand vegan food isn't gross, dry, and flavorless. If you know what you're doing, it's mind-blowing.
In general, I find her recipes intimidating because she tends to be very spontaneous and use a lot of ingredients that feel like they're specialty or require extra work. If I had a cooking philosophy it would be "get it done as quickly as possible." I'm not keen on recipes with lots of steps, and therefore spending lots of time in the kitchen.
This book was a bit of a step away from my typical comfort zone, however. And I'm glad I gave it a chance, because, for the most part, I think her recipes are quite delicious. I haven't done every recipe in the book, but I feel like I've tried enough to get a good general feel for what to expect from them.
Her "level up" with leftovers is kind of fun, too. Although I find, if you want to make a recipe that requires a previous recipe, it's a bit annoying and requires extra planning ahead. I have to look at it more like "Okay, I want to make this soup. Oh. She has a level up for it, too. I'll try that later, then, and save some of the soup."
That said, for instance, her Tortilla Soup. DIVINE. A lot of ingredients and steps? Yes. Ingredients I don't typically keep on hand? Yes. But the taste was so worth it. (Although now I'm stuck with a giant bag of corn flour for which I need to find other uses.) The level up to this soup, the Red Sauce Enchiladas… Freaking amazing. And I'm sure it's in part because it utilizes leftovers of the Tortilla Soup.
I think I had one "dud" in this book so far, and that was her Black Forest Loaf Cake. I swear I followed the recipe exactly as it was written, but the dough came out thick, dry, and crumbly, and thus the cake was also thick, dry, and crumbly. Huge disappointment after spending a good deal of time pitting a bunch of fresh cherries for the recipe. I'm a little nervous to try it again since it was a lot of work. But I really do wonder if there was a typo in the book.
If I had one other criticism its just the abbreviated slang used in the recipe descriptions, like "def" for "definitely" and "fave" for "favorite". It makes the book really dated. I get that's how she talks as a person, but it just doesn't fit in a cookbook, in my opinion. Too much like Post Punk Kitchen or something. But then, I get cookbooks for the recipes. Not necessarily to read anecdotes and cutesy stories from the authors. And I'll fully admit here that this particular criticism is just splitting hairs.
Anyhow. 4/5 stars for this book. I'm happy we keep getting so many great vegan cookbooks out there. Inventive cooks like Lauren help people understand vegan food isn't gross, dry, and flavorless. If you know what you're doing, it's mind-blowing.
March 16, 2021
Hot for Hot for Food All Day by Lauren Toyota
I was intrigued by Hot for Food All Day because of features that I haven’t seen before - 1)the use of leftovers or whatever you have around in RECIPE?! and 2) LEVEL UP ! in which she gives more versions of a recipe.
A perfect example of LEVEL UP ! is her ONE-POT MAC N’ CHEESE. It starts with a great, easy, vegan recipe for macaroni and cheese and then goes on to LEVEL UP ! With BUFFALO CHICKEN MAC N’ CHEESE and then PIZZA MAC N’ CHEESE, THAI RED CURRY MAC N’ CHEESE, TEX-MEX MAC N’ CHEESE and finally GREEN MAC N’ CHEESE. One recipe to learn…many different meals.
A great example of using up leftovers in RECIPE?! is the recipe for MY EVERYDAY ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD in which use “use up” the Hummus Dressing that you made from the recipe on page 201.
Hot for Food All day also uses food items that are easily available and the “stuff you need” chapter lays out all the ingredients used in the book. I liked the layout of the Contents because it is easy to find recipes based on the meal you want to make and especially easy to find LEVEL UP ! recipes.
This is how I cook . It is nice to have cookbook that acknowledges that. You don’t have to go out and buy a new shopping list of ingredients for every recipe you make and be left with a refrigerator and pantry of leftover groceries. A refreshing change.
I’ve received a free copy from Ten Speed Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
I was intrigued by Hot for Food All Day because of features that I haven’t seen before - 1)the use of leftovers or whatever you have around in RECIPE?! and 2) LEVEL UP ! in which she gives more versions of a recipe.
A perfect example of LEVEL UP ! is her ONE-POT MAC N’ CHEESE. It starts with a great, easy, vegan recipe for macaroni and cheese and then goes on to LEVEL UP ! With BUFFALO CHICKEN MAC N’ CHEESE and then PIZZA MAC N’ CHEESE, THAI RED CURRY MAC N’ CHEESE, TEX-MEX MAC N’ CHEESE and finally GREEN MAC N’ CHEESE. One recipe to learn…many different meals.
A great example of using up leftovers in RECIPE?! is the recipe for MY EVERYDAY ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD in which use “use up” the Hummus Dressing that you made from the recipe on page 201.
Hot for Food All day also uses food items that are easily available and the “stuff you need” chapter lays out all the ingredients used in the book. I liked the layout of the Contents because it is easy to find recipes based on the meal you want to make and especially easy to find LEVEL UP ! recipes.
This is how I cook . It is nice to have cookbook that acknowledges that. You don’t have to go out and buy a new shopping list of ingredients for every recipe you make and be left with a refrigerator and pantry of leftover groceries. A refreshing change.
I’ve received a free copy from Ten Speed Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
September 12, 2021
This book is great!
I've been a vegan for 7ish years now and consider myself to be a pretty good cook, which means that I didn't buy this book to learn how to cook. Instead I wanted a book to decide my meals for me since i've found that stress has caused me to eat the exact same tacos for dinner every single day this past year. (I could do my grocery shop blindfolded at this point.)
Since buying this book i've managed to get some more variety in my life. I use it every time before going to the supermarket. What makes it even better are all the ways to repurpose leftovers since I live alone and would otherwise still be eating the same thing for a week straight.
Recipes made:
Tofu scramble
Omelet
Oat bars
Sprouts pasta
Roasted squash
Squash udon
Sesame vinaigrette
So far the squash udon has been my absolute favourite since there's so much flavour in it, although the roasted squash on its own is super addictive. I was nearly convinced to just eat the whole squash in one go instead of turning it into broth.
Lauren was the first vegan youtuber I watched after going vegan, and I actually used her recipes to convince my parents that going vegan wasn't going to kill me. She definitely did not disappoint!
I've been a vegan for 7ish years now and consider myself to be a pretty good cook, which means that I didn't buy this book to learn how to cook. Instead I wanted a book to decide my meals for me since i've found that stress has caused me to eat the exact same tacos for dinner every single day this past year. (I could do my grocery shop blindfolded at this point.)
Since buying this book i've managed to get some more variety in my life. I use it every time before going to the supermarket. What makes it even better are all the ways to repurpose leftovers since I live alone and would otherwise still be eating the same thing for a week straight.
Recipes made:
Tofu scramble
Omelet
Oat bars
Sprouts pasta
Roasted squash
Squash udon
Sesame vinaigrette
So far the squash udon has been my absolute favourite since there's so much flavour in it, although the roasted squash on its own is super addictive. I was nearly convinced to just eat the whole squash in one go instead of turning it into broth.
Lauren was the first vegan youtuber I watched after going vegan, and I actually used her recipes to convince my parents that going vegan wasn't going to kill me. She definitely did not disappoint!
August 11, 2021
The tantalizing vegan ragu bolognese on the cover attracted my attention to this new cookbook packed with delicious vegan recipes for all your favorites (and soon to be new favorites)! I'm excited to make a black forest loaf cake, corn chowder, and enchiladas in the near future, as well as a couple delicious looking international recipes like cacio e pepe and zuppa toscana!
Did I mention there's six different mac and cheese recipes in here too? A lot of the recipes also include a base recipe that can be adapted or used to make even more options, so there's a ton of possibilities in this cookbook!
Sarah M. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.
Did I mention there's six different mac and cheese recipes in here too? A lot of the recipes also include a base recipe that can be adapted or used to make even more options, so there's a ton of possibilities in this cookbook!
Sarah M. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.
June 30, 2021
I really like this book. I’ve made quite a few dishes that have all turned out great. An interesting part of the book is that several recipes use leftovers from other recipes. I think this is both good & bad. For example last week I made the tortilla soup. With the leftovers I made the enchiladas. Now this week I was wanting to make the chipotle cheese fries. But they require 1cup of leftover tortilla soup. Which I don’t have. So I have to wait until I have leftover soup to make this recipe. Which is a bummer. So I can be good to use up leftover but suck to wait until you have them to make certain recipes.
February 4, 2022
This recipe book wasn't for me, but I can see why people are such loyal fans. She is very likeable and kind and it comes through in her writing. It was practical that she made a lot of rifts on each recipe - making sure you spice up your leftovers, which I thought was cool. She is from Toronto which was also fun. She seems like someone who would be a great friend. It's just her recipes seemed like they had super long ingredient lists and I didn't love the main ingredients she focused her recipes around (I do not like soy curls or zucchini or bananas).
August 9, 2025
I saw this cookbook in the grocery store and picked it up while strolling through the aisles. I once was a Vegan for about 6 months and it just didn't work for me. Nonetheless, I was intrigued and picked up this book and found some good recipes to consider. Pictures are attractive, and the layout is visually pleasing to the eye and an easy read, which somewhat tantalizes this meat eater to consider trying to eat a bit lighter and try some vegan dishes again. A keeper on the bookshelf to revisit again.
April 1, 2021
The tantalizing vegan Ragu Bolognese on the cover attracted my attention to this new cookbook packed with delicious vegan recipes for all your favorites, and soon to be new favorites! I'm excited to make a black forest loaf cake, corn chowder, and enchiladas. Did I mention there's six different mac and cheese recipe in here? A lot of the recipes also include a base recipe that can be adapted or used to make even more options, so there's a ton of possibilities in this cookbook!
April 22, 2021
Another great vegan cookbook by Lauren Toyota! While her recipes aren’t the most health focused in the plant based world, they certainly are taste focused. We’re working our way through the recipes and have so far enjoyed the apple crumble muffins, the chocolate chip corn cookies, the fave smoothie and the pasta Bolognese...seriously this may be the tastiest vegan pasta recipe I’ve ever made and believe me I have made a lot! I also like that there are loads of food photos in the book.
August 21, 2021
I've made the breakfast totchos, "My Fave Smoothie," and the Korean BBQ burritos. Everything was very tasty, and I like her ideas for reusing leftovers. My one critique is that I wish she listed page numbers on cross-referenced recipes (for example, the Gochujang Aioli you're supposed to make for the burritos). Thumbs up!
March 19, 2022
Great photos and great recipes. I really like how she uses vegan cheese that you can buy at the grocery stores. No labour intensive step of making homemade cheese for the grilled cheese sandwiches or Mac and Cheese. Love the Tempeh Bacon Crumbles in a wrap.
March 31, 2021
All the recipes I didn’t know I needed! Already tried three and they are all delicious and simple to make. A wonderful addition to Lauren’s first book!
April 11, 2021
This book is full of super easy, super delicious recipes and great ways to use any leftovers. Everything I’ve made from this cookbook so far has been husband approved (seriously, that’s high praise)!
July 1, 2021
Beautiful photos! Wonderful recipes!
"I've received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review."
"I've received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review."
December 31, 2023
Pros: These are indeed easy comfort foods for vegans! And Toyota does several interesting things, like coming up with new recipes for leftovers, so that Meal A begets Meals B and C.
Cons: It kind of feels like she doesn't like fruit or vegetables much; she uses plant-based foods but not necessarily the level of produce I'm used to in my daily cooking. (I will say, though, that I live in Southern California and she lives in, I think, Canada. If that's true, my access to fresh produce is likely way better than hers; like, just as an example, it's December and I have stuff ready to eat in my garden. I'm guessing that is not the case for her.) Also, she doesn't seem to like spices that much. (I can definitely upgrade the spices on my own, though.)
Could go either way: Look, the narrative voice is distinctive. Distinctive enough that you will either love it and find it very approachable and fun or you will absolutely hate it. She calls a scramble "scram" and pizza "za" and many other fun examples of ways that only one human being on this planet talks. (It made my brain itch, but that's fine; I don't need to read the non-recipe parts of the book.) Also, a lot of this book is how to make vegan versions of non-vegan things; if you're not vegan (I'm not), you will not want most of those parts.
Basically: this would be a good cookbook for a new vegan, a vegan who wants some fun, familiar-looking foods, or a person who would like to make plant-based foods without too many visible vegetables.
Cons: It kind of feels like she doesn't like fruit or vegetables much; she uses plant-based foods but not necessarily the level of produce I'm used to in my daily cooking. (I will say, though, that I live in Southern California and she lives in, I think, Canada. If that's true, my access to fresh produce is likely way better than hers; like, just as an example, it's December and I have stuff ready to eat in my garden. I'm guessing that is not the case for her.) Also, she doesn't seem to like spices that much. (I can definitely upgrade the spices on my own, though.)
Could go either way: Look, the narrative voice is distinctive. Distinctive enough that you will either love it and find it very approachable and fun or you will absolutely hate it. She calls a scramble "scram" and pizza "za" and many other fun examples of ways that only one human being on this planet talks. (It made my brain itch, but that's fine; I don't need to read the non-recipe parts of the book.) Also, a lot of this book is how to make vegan versions of non-vegan things; if you're not vegan (I'm not), you will not want most of those parts.
Basically: this would be a good cookbook for a new vegan, a vegan who wants some fun, familiar-looking foods, or a person who would like to make plant-based foods without too many visible vegetables.
January 6, 2022
LOVE THIS RECIPE BOOK!!!
So many great things in there that I now make so the time! The cauliflower steaks are my absolute favorite! And my fiancé, the picky eater, adores them which to me is a MASSIVE win! Highly recommend for anyone trying to add some new tasty plant based meals to their everyday life! I promise you’ll find at least one recipe you’ll want to make and eat every day, I found several 😅
So many great things in there that I now make so the time! The cauliflower steaks are my absolute favorite! And my fiancé, the picky eater, adores them which to me is a MASSIVE win! Highly recommend for anyone trying to add some new tasty plant based meals to their everyday life! I promise you’ll find at least one recipe you’ll want to make and eat every day, I found several 😅
April 10, 2021
This book is proof that vegan food doesn't have to be boring and there's something that everyone can enjoy in this book whether they are a meat-eater or vegan. Personally, I can't wait to try out all the different mac 'n' cheese combos and popcorn variations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2025
I would not call any of these recipes "mind-blowing." The recipes are interesting. Not many recipes in here that don't have at least one vegetable; but generally, the book is not vegetable focused, if that is what you are looking for.
February 4, 2023
All the recipes look amazing! Unfortunately, I don't have the time and money to do all that. Maybe someday in the future!
January 31, 2025
This is a great resource that I keep coming back to.
March 18, 2025
Pretty standard. Nice pictures.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews