I’ve cooked through these cookbooks countless times.
First: What Is a Plant-Based Diet?
One of the first questions I get involves the terminology itself.
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There are no official definitions.
True vegans dont wear wool or leather, for example.
Plant-based, on the other hand, usually refers to a diet whose focus is health.
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Plenty of people who follow plant-based diets also consider themselves vegan.
Second: What Are the Best Resources for Starting a Plant-Based Diet?
There are so many vegan recipe resources out thereblogs, magazines, apps, cookbooks, and more.
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I learned the hard way that some of these recipes are a lot more reliable than others.
For me,cookbooks have been the most trustworthy source for learning plant-based cooking techniques.
(Most are vegan as written; some call for dairy but always include a plant-based alternative ingredient.)
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I think of this book as being stealth vegan, because it doesnt exactly advertise its plant-based bona fides.
And novice cooks are sometimes a little intimidated bycooking dried beans.
This is my top pick for the less experienced cook looking to add vegan dishes to their routine.
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Isa Chandra Moskowitz is a prolific cookbook author and this volume is her most recent.
It reflects current sensibilities and approaches to plant-based cooking, and its written with the beginner in mind.
Its packed with foolproof basic recipes that youll turn to again and again along your plant-based journey.
Unlike many vegan cookbooks, there are little to no special ingredients.
Youll find plenty of pantry-friendly meals you could put together with stuff you likely have on hand right now.
They call the recipes foolproof and its a claim you could take to the bank.
As fans would expect from this brand, the recipes arent generally 30-minute meals.
Every step is spelled out in exacting detail, enabling even new cooks to take these recipes on.
Ive always enjoyed plant-based food as well as international recipes.
But mostly it sat on my bookshelfuntil the pandemic arrived and severely curtailed my restaurant visits.
It was generally in restaurants that I enjoyed dishes from cultures around the planet.
The instructions are straightforward and clear enough for even a beginner home cook.
This is the perfect book for someone who likes to use a world of different spices and flavor profiles.
All of those plant-based elements and more are used to great effect in this treasure of a cookbook.