Dreena Burton is the author of The Everyday Vegan, Vive le Vegan! and Eat, Drink and Be Vegan and believes that eating vegan comprises more than simply not eating animal foods. Rather, Burton writes that it’s about eating nutritious, delicious snacks and meals that are satisfying for everyone at the table. With this philosophy in mind, Let Them Eat Vegan! brings more diverse and easy-to-make recipes, with allergen-free and gluten-free options.
The book is divided into easy to reference chapters, each filled with prompts and quick tips on making the cooking in and stocking of your vegan kitchen manageable with kitchen strategies, numerous suggestions on substitutions and preparation tips. The recipes themselves are quite basic, and each clearly offers more tips under the heading If this Apron could talk or yet more advice on variations for the recipes. The recipes also state how many servings the recipes makes and whether the recipe is wheat, gluten and/or soy-free.
The photographs unfortunately, pale in comparison to the other content of this book. The photographs of the dishes are set against a yellow page, which is not the most flattering color for the photographs but still manages to convey the richness of the food and make it somewhat appetizing.
The first chapter includes a guide to direct your cravings: “So you need… cake frostings that are soy free? I’ve got you covered with... Chapter 10,” or “So you need... veggie burgers that don’t fall apart? I’ve got you covered with... nutty veggie burgers.” The first chapter also explains the various items found in a vegan kitchen, explaining the benefits of different foods and suggestions on how to use them.
The actual recipes contained within eleven chapters provide a wide range of tempting dishes:
- Breakfast Bites and Smoothies
- Salads that make a Meal
- Proud to be Saucy and Dippy
- Vegan soup for the Soul
- Side Stars
- Your Main Squeeze – Casseroles, One-Pot Wonders and Tarts
- When Burgers get Better
- Good Pasta Belongs on a Plate – Not the Wall
- C is for Cookie, That’s good enough for Me
- Let them eat Cakes, Pies and Puddings
- Dreena Daz [ice cream recipes]
The closing chapter includes advice no how to “power the vegan family” and provides ideas for back-up meals, lunches and general motivational suggestions for a vegan lifestyle.
Let Them Eat Vegan! is a fabulous resource of vegan inspiration, recipes and advice for anyone who is or wants to be vegan without feeling deprived. Four and a half stars.