Vegan with a Vengeance

 Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Da Copa Press (2005) 
Reviewed by Evan McGraw
Reprinted by Permission from Earthsave Canada

Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz is so entertaining and informative, I would write a review about it even if it weren’t a cookbook. But it is. And at that it’s the most excellent cookbook I have ever come across. Isa is cooking for a dietary and political revolution. She regales you with cheeky stories about Food Not Bombs, her life growing up in NYC, and how to frugally and efficiently stock your kitchen with ingredients and the right tools.

Then there are the recipes. The recipes start off out of the ordinary with a brunch section. But what a brunch section it is! The slightly spicy, moist, and crispy-edged pumpkin waffles are autumn-in-an-iron, but are more than suitable for brunch any time of the year. If you’re in the mood for a savoury brunch, then the Tofu Scramble is tastier than any scrambled eggs you could find anywhere and cruelty-free. Suitable for dinner, lunch and breakfast, it’s delicious with the Tempeh Bacon which has a smoky fullbodied and satisfying flavour.

The recipes translate well as leftovers and for meal planning; the Tempeh Bacon, for instance, can be used in the “TLT’ Sandwich. Hummus, tempeh, and veggies make a phenomenal lunchtime sandwich. “Sammiches” moves onto mouth-watering entrees with a whole chapter devoted to “the most social food there is”: pizza. Her introduction to tofu is perfect for new vegetarians and features standout recipes like my summer-time favourite, “Mango Ginger Tofu” and “BBQ Pomegranate Tofu”. Paired with her “Coconut Rice with Toasted Coconut”, you’ll make a perfect barbeque or beach picnic.

But Isa realizes that the world of vegan cooking isn’t only about soy. The “Cold Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Seitan” is much more flavourful, healthier, and fresher than any Chinese takeout you can find in your city. Another entrée standout is the “Moroccan Tangine with Spring Vegetables” which not only seduces your taste buds from stewing, but the versatile and exotic spice combination adds the perfect “oomph” to this vivid and colourful dish. In this chapter Isa really shines, through displaying do-it-yourself and non-processed/pre-packaged product use, which teaches independence in the kitchen and gives the chef a higher sense of pride in the end product.

Now comes the goldmine. You’ve struck it rich once you reach page 191: Desserts. I could go on forever about Isa’s baked goods, but I’ll leave that for a review about her second book all about cupcakes. The “Chocolate Chip Cookies” are better than your grandma’s, the “Big Gigantoid Crunchy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies” are the heartiest, peanut buttery-est, most satisfying cookie I’ve ever eaten and the “Macadamia Blondies with Caramel Topping” are indescribable when topped with non-dairy vanilla ice cream, especially when still warn out of the oven. My two favourite recipes in the book reside in this chapter as well. The first, which has won the “best dessert” prize at two Earthsave potlucks before is the “No Bake Black Bottom Peanut Butter Silk Pie”. This pie has an incredible gel texture thanks to agar-agar and an explosion of deliciousness in every bite thanks to the peanut butter, cookie crust, and various uses of chocolate. It looks fancy enough for special occasions as well. Though it’s great, the “Ginger-Macadamias-Coconut-Carrot Cake” isn’t a dessert to be shown up by some fancy pie. The cake is moist and sweet like carrot cake should be but really ups the ante on spice with chunks of crystallized ginger. The coconut macadamia nuts and coconut make the cake even richer, and ditching the traditional cream cheese icing for fluffy coconut frosting makes this decadent dessert the best carrot cake you will ever taste. The perfect end chapter to a book full of delicious, inspired, creative food narrated by a witty, interesting, D.I.Y foodie, Vegan With a Vengeance is the cookbook that should be on all kitchens shelves.