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Product Description

The medical world has been touting the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet for decades. In The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen, Donna Klein provides more than 300 recipes suited to anyone who wants to eat a healthful diet free of animal products. Unlike many vegetarian or vegan cookbooks that simply take the meat or dairy products out of a recipe--or even worse, use tasteless substitutes--this book includes only recipes that actually exist in Mediterranean cuisine. You won't find any grainy cheese substitutes or spongy meat imposters here.

In chapters on every course from appetizers to desserts, the author presents recipe upon recipe for flavorful and healthy dishes--all without meat, dairy, or eggs. Appetizers like Mushrooms Stuffed with Bread Crumbs, Parsley, and Garlic--given a sweet and nutty zing from the addition of a fortified wine--or Baked Black Olives with Herbes de Provence and Anise are so full flavored they certainly don't need the richness of animal products. The Poor Man's Pesto (so named because of the absence of cheese) that tops fluffy Potato Gnocchi proves that fruity green olive oil is the heart and garden-fresh basil is the soul of a good pesto. Desserts don't disappoint either. Relying on fresh fruits for flavor, they are just the sort of sweet and rich concoctions we expect from the Mediterranean. Baked Pears are stuffed with a rich blend of bread crumbs, toasted almonds, and chocolate and baked in a flavorful mixture of marsala, white wine, and pear or apple juice.

An extremely helpful Meals in Minutes section offers menu suggestions for those whose schedules allow only an hour or less for meal preparation, and the nutritional information provided for each dish is a welcome bonus for health-conscious cooks. --Robin Donovan

After years of research, scientists declared that the Mediterranean diet was the best one for overall good health-and the exciting news was that it tasted great, too.With recipes for everything from nutritious appetizers to dairy-free desserts, this unique Mediterranean vegan cookbook is ideal for vegetarians, those with a lactose intolerance, and anyone who wants to make gloriously delicious dishes without meat, eggs, or dairy. Dishes include:* Sicilian Eggplant Relish* Catalan Grilled Vegetables with Almond Sauce* Classic Italian Minestrone* Moroccan Fresh Tomato Salad* Black Olive Bread* Zucchini-Lemon Couscous* Greek Currant Cake* Braised Pears in Red Wine* and more

Customer Reviews:

• A Must Buy!
  This book is absolutely wonderful! I starting dating a vegan, and being a "cheese-lover", it was difficult finding tasty recipes that we could both enjoy. This book has tasty recipes and doesn't send you to specialty stores to find tofu, tempeh, or any substitute cheeses. Just good, delicious recipes, that have familiar ingredients! I've even tried some of the appetizers out on my meat-loving friends, and they have all asked for the recipes! There are also alot of great potluck ideas for main entrees and side dishes. The recipes are delicious...I can now cook for my vegan with confidence!...more info
• The recipes are fantastic!
  If you want to eat healthy Mediterranean food, this is the book to buy even if you are not a vegan! The recipes are easy to follow and (for the most part), easy to make. My favorite is the Italian Brown Rice salad--great for potlucks. ...more info
• Healthy, creative Mediterranean vegan dishes full of flavor!
  After being vegetarian (and occasionally vegan) for four years, it never fails to amaze me that carnivores think that we herbivores are depriving ourselves of delicious foods.
  
  One need only flip through Donna Klein's "Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen" to revel in the astounding variety of appetizers, soups, salads, sides, breads and desserts, all of which are vegan (meat-free, dairy-free, and animal byproduct-free). As a pleasant side effect, many recipes are also gluten-free as well, making them ideal for those with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance (Donna Klein has written a new cookbook, The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen: Delicious and Nutritious Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Dishes, that focuses specifically on gluten-free vegetarian cuisine). And perhaps my favorite selling point: no soy analogs. No tofu, TVP crumbles, soy sausage, soy hamburgers, etc. That's great news for me, since I'm allergic to soy. These are purely Mediterranean recipes, allowing the glory of garden-fresh produce, hearty whole grains, olive oil, and herbs to shine through unadultered.
  
  There are offerings from France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, and Israel that are sure to make your mouth water, whether you're in the mood for a light snack (hummus, caponata, crostini with Tuscan bean spread), homemade Italian minestrone, exotic Moroccan feast, or a decadent dessert (numerous recipes for fruits poached in wine and other spirits).
  
  If you're interested in exploring Mediterranean vegetarian/ vegan dishes in-depth after trying the recipes in The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen, be sure to check out vegan Italian cuisine in Klein's Vegan Italiano: Meat-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free Dishes from Sun-Drenched Italy and Nonna's Italian Kitchen: Delicious Homestyle Vegan Cuisine (Healthy World Cuisine). A fabulous look at Greek vegetarian cuisine can be found in Diane Kochilas' The Greek Vegetarian: More Than 100 Recipes Inspired by the Traditional Dishes and Flavors of Greece.
  
  For those watching their calories / fat / sodium, there are detailed nutritional analyses for each recipe. This may be the cookbook to make your carnivore friends realize what they've been missing!
  ...more info
• Nothing Is Missing
  I'll admit that I wasn't positive that I could follow a vegan diet. Too many of the cookbooks catering to vegans assume that one still wants to eat fake "meatloaf," fake burgers, etc. In my opinion its awfully hard to stick to a vegetarian diet of any kind if you still make "fake" meat the center of the meal. Let's face it; no matter how good soy burgers are, they'll never taste like a "real" beef hamburger.
  
  Enter "The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen." Rather than trying to replicate meat dishes with soy substitutes, Donna Klein focuses on recipes that naturally had little or no meat or dairy to begin with. Believe me, I love a good flavorful meal and would NEVER be able to stick with a cookbook unless I've tried several recipes and found them successful. This book is the real deal. Try cooking the Quick Tuscan Bean Soup and see if anyone even notices that there is no meat or cheese. After a few weeks of these great recipes, you'll never miss meat again....more info
• This is a great cookbook even for non-vegans
  There are so many recipes in this cookbook that everyone should be able to find favorites and 'keepers'. Even my non-vegan husband cannot tell sometimes when I cook something up from this book. I also feel like the ingredients are usually on-hand so it is not that difficult to open it up and make a meal....more info
• Absolutely Fantastic!
  I'm not even a vegetarian , let alone a vegan, and this book offers such flavorful and simple recipes. Some more time consuming than others but definitely worth the wait! Unless you hate veggies, this book is a must have! I just made the Herb Scalloped potatoes as a side dish and the author was right, it's hard to believe there's no cheese or cream! the pizza with caramelized onions, kalmata olives and tomatoes is fantastic too!. . . . .lots of yummyness!...more info
• 2 years later, still my favorite cookbook
  I've been vegetarian for 19 years and vegan-ish for 13 of those years. I've got my share of veggie and vegan cookbooks, and this is the one I go to first. The great feat of the book is that it makes simple, ordinary ingredients taste wonderful together. Every recipe I've made has been a pleasant surprise at the end. I like food spicy, and I always tend to question the spice measurements of most recipes, but Donna Klein's recipes seem to always get it just right. I also like that the recipes are free of soy products and meat substitutes.
  
  Another reviewer complained that the recipes were old hat, but I wonder if that reviewer actually tried them out or just read them. Have faith that these recipes will surprise you with their great flavor, even when extremely simple....more info
• An excellent cookbook!
  I was recently diagnosed with endometriosis. My doctor wanted me to try an endo diet to see if that would lessen my pain. The endo diet consists of only whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits. Meat, dairy, eggs and soy are not allowed.

  The few cookbooks that I do own have all the basic, standard recipes using meat, dairy and eggs. I did an on-line search and came across "The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen". What a lifesaver this cookbook is! I have been cooking suppers from this cookbook for almost two weeks now and every single recipe that I've tried has been delicious! Even my husband is impressed with the recipes!

  The recipes use real food with no soy substitutes and the ingredients have been found easily at our local supermarket. The recipes have been easy to follow and easy to prepare.

  I would highly recommend this book!...more info

• yummy!
  This book has an excellent collection of recipes even if you're not vegan. It's much better than other vegetarian/vegan recipe books I've tried. ...more info
• delicious surprises await you
  These recipes are fairly simple and steps are minimal for making really delectable vegan fare, from appetizers to desserts. Easy to present beautifully, they will leave guests wanting more of everything. Olive oil-drizzled bliss. Partaking of this stuff will give any omnivore friends of yours second thoughts......more info
• Easy and Delicious
  I love how easy and delicious the recipes are in this book. I was happy to find a vegan Mediterranean cookbook that focuses on simple flavors. It is always easy for me to find a recipe to make without having to grocery shop first!...more info
• Awesome no "meat replacers" Vegan Cookbook!!!
  I truly cannot say enough good things about this cookbook. It is the first vegan cookbook I've seen that doesn't use "meat replacements" in its recipes. These are true, natural flavors and textures as they were meant to be consumed, not pre-packaged artificially-created I-just-need-to-think-I'm-eating-meat textures. The recipes in this book are designed around the vegan lifestyle. There are no "veggie hotdogs" or "veggie burgers", yet every recipe I have made with this book has come out wonderful, tasty, and unique.
  
  The recipes in this book, for the most part DO take a bit of work, but most recipes I have made are under 45 minutes, and I take my time when I cook, so I'm sure some stock-car-paced cooks could get them done in 30.
  
  This is not like some other vegetarian cookbooks where you have breakfasts as only muesli, lunches as bland salads, entrees as grain-sauce concotions and desserts as fruit only. This is not to say that meat replacers and standard vegan cookbooks are not on my shelves and used daily, but rather sometimes I just crave CLEAN, substaintial, healthy food in my-goodness-why-didn't-I-think-of-that easy combinations.
  
  All in all, this is one cookbook you cannot afford NOT to buy! You'd be missing out!!!...more info
• Vegan food from planet earth!
  The recipes are appealing, delicious, and clearly explained. They should appeal to anyone who loves any of the Mediterranean cooking styles -- though buyers should be warned that the book leans heavily toward the Italian, with much less representation of Middle Eastern/North African cuisine.
  Two points that distinguish this from most vegan cookbooks:
  - Almost all the recipes use ingredients that can be obtained at grocery stores outside major cities. If you're tired of books that require you to dig up things like kanten (??) or teff (???), this will be a relief to you.
  - The recipes have all been eaten by actual people in actual traditional societies, a great guarantor of taste and quality....more info
• I love this book so far!
  I'm a fairly new vegan and I got this because I was excited to find a cookbook with all mediterranean recipes that were all vegan! I love how the author was able to find recipes that were hardly altered from their original preparation so you know that you are making an authentic dish. I've only tried two recipes so far (Lemon Herb Rice and Green Beans with Sun Dried Tomato and Black olive sauce) and they were easy to prepare and full of fresh ingredients and flavorful components like garlic, lemon and fresh herbs. The end result was beautiful. My book has post-its all over the place on recipes that I can't wait to try!...more info
• A fantastic cookbook!
  Updated 14 Nov 2005
  
  This is simply a fantastic cookbook, vegan or not. In fact, I would even be willing to say that this is one of the best cookbooks I have ever owned, out of some 20+ thoroughly used and abused cookbooks, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian.
  
  There are three particularly exceptional things about this cookbook:
  
  First, it has a high percentage of great recipes. I've liked almost every receipe I've tried out of this book. No other cookbook I've ever owned has had recipes as consistently good as this one.
  
  Second, the author has gone to tremendous lengths to stay as close to authenticity as possible. All of her recipes are based on some regional variation of a traditional Mediterraean (or sometimes Middle Eastern) dish that, for reasons of economics or location, is mostly or entirely vegetarian. One of my favorite recipes in the book, the Quick Farmer's Paella, is based on an inland region variation of Spanish paella, which, because of its location in a fertile growing areas, just happens to incorporate primarily fresh vegetables instead of seafood. This adherence to authenticity is probably the reason that so many of her recipes are so good.
  
  Third, there are absolutely no soy products in this book whatsoever... none! I, personally, can't stand tofu and soy substitutes, and am always disappointed when I buy a new vegan or vegetarian cookbook and find that it's chock full of "tofu" this or "soy cheese" that. This book is a welcome relief from all of those cookbooks that try to "fill in the missing ingredient" with tofu products.
  
  My favorite recipes thus far are the Pumpkin Soup with Winter Pistou (incredible), the Quick Farmer's Paella (a fantastic recipe that's colorful, tasty, and easy to prepare), and the mouthwateringly delicious Roasted Eggplant Salad (also known as Baba Ganoush).
  
  My hat's off to Donna Klein for writing this wonderful book....more info
• Delicious and Healthy
  I was given this book as a gift when I was looking for recipes to feed my diabetic husband who also suffers from high cholesterol and is an incredibly picky eater. This book was - and is! - a godsend.
  
  Every recipe I've tried has been tasty and simple to prepare. What's more, the nutritional information listed with each recipe helps me keep track of how it's going to influence my husband's blood sugar levels.
  
  No, we're not vegans. We're not even vegetarians. What does that matter? This is a great cookbook any way you slice it. Whether you are interested in this book for philosophic concerns, health reasons, or simply because you love good Mediterranian food, this book is a clear winner....more info
• Great little cookbook
  The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen cookbook makes healthy cooking taste heavenly. I especially enjoy recipes that do not use cheese and still deliver optimum flavor. The book is well organized and the recipes are easy to follow. If you are serious about getting or staying healthy, this one is a must-have....more info
• Not innovative, but good.
  If you gleaned all the world's good Italian cookbooks for their best recipes, then omitted all animal ingredients, and then added some beans to various recipes, you would have this book.
  
  The author cooks like a friend of mine--perfectly, but not creatively. The pesto recipe seems to be a big frustration to Donna Klein. She wrings her hands and almost apologizes for it in the introduction to the book and in the introduction to the pesto recipe and even in the recipe's title: "Poor Man's Pesto." So, of course, that was the first recipe I tried. It was worthy of some apologies. It was a typical pesto recipe, sans the cheese. I understand that the author didn't want to use any non-Mediterranean ingredients, but why not add a little lemon juice for a cheesy tang? Why not substitute walnuts for the pine nuts to increase the richness?
  
  The other recipes I've tried in this book have turned out to be delicious, and, again, they sometimes remind me of my friend's cooking. When I visit her house, my non-vegetarian friend prepares amazing animal-free dishes--then she tosses some beans in, because, hey, isn't that how vegans get their protein? Here are some recipe titles from this book: "Ratatouille with WHITE BEANS" "Tabbouleh Salad with CHICKPEAS" "Quick Tuscan-Style Pizza with WHITE BEANS, Tomato, Basil." Do whole beans belong in these recipes?
  
  But in general the food I've made from this cookbook is really good. My young kids eat it eagerly (they don't always eat my more "creative" foods!)....more info
• At Last, a vegan mediterranean cookbook
  I was extremely happy to finally find a Mediterranean cookbook that was vegan. I thought the recipes were excellent, good variety of Greek dishes, and good spicing. Since there are not many vegan Mediterranean cookbooks out there, this will build a foundation for others to come.
  A very good start for vegan Mediterranean cooking.
  ...more info
• Authentic Mediterranean flavor
  A vegan recipe book that uses real foods not fake substitutes, all of which are easily obtainable. Recipes have authentic Mediterranean flavor....more info
• so so cookbook
  I tried a few of the recipes, some were good, some weren't. There are no pictures to inspire you to try the recipes....more info
• Fantastic Flavors!
  My (non-vegetarian) husband and I both enjoy cooking and range pretty freely through a large number of cookbooks. This book is one of my staples - I've made about 20 of the recipes and each one has been at worst good, at best outstanding. I try never to substitute ingredients or otherwise tinker with her recipes since they are put together so well. Highly recommended!...more info
• I'm not a vegan and I love the recipes!
  This is the most used cookbook in my household. I am a vegetarian, not vegan. I think the recipes, exactly as prepared, are absolutely delicious. I've made almost every recipe in the book many, many times. My favorites are Farmer's Paella, Cabbage with Red Beans and Rice, Enraged Penne, etc. Seriously a great book. I appreciate the nutritional information, too. This is not your "average vegan fare". I promise! (PS: I can say that because I used to be vegan)....more info
• This book makes it easy to be vegan
  This is a rare find; it's not often that I find a vegan cookbook in which the recipes don't taste like they're missing something. Every dish can stand on its own, and I guarantee you if you made an entire meal from this book, even the most die-hard dairy eater would barely notice. (I can't really speak for meat eaters, never having been one myself.)

  Leading a vegan lifestyle is not easy, especially if you really enjoy food. If you're having problems with eliminating dairy from your diet, you must buy this book. The recipes are easy and delicious and you really won't feel like you're missing out....more info

• A very good vegan cookbook!
  I picked this book up at the library and liked it so much that I bought it. The recipe for Beans In A Bottle on page 162 is fabulous! I added cremini mushrooms sauteed in Earth Balance margarine and then glazed with a dry white wine to it after it was cooked, and it was a perfect lunch on toast--my coworkers are so envious of the lunches I bring to work, thanks to this book! Between this and the quiche recipe in The Garden of Vegan by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer, I've got LOTS of good stuff to eat!...more info
• Excellent Vegan Offering
  Vegan recipes should be all about health and freshness--but this doesn't mean that vegan food can't taste incredible as well. Far from it. Donna Klein proves as much with this wonderful cookbook, which is full of interesting recipes AND beautiful photographs. It'd be a great book even if you were just going to use it as a coffee table curio. However, you should definitely check out the underground cookbook phenomenon Cooking com Bigode if you're into this sort of vegan food...go to somethingconstructive.net/jamanta and see what sorts of vegan recipes you WON'T find in Klein's wonderful, but mainstream, Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen. ...more info
• no more cheese please!
  I'm a vegetarian TOTALLY SICK OF CHEESE! I love cheese, but found myself putting cheese on everything as a meat substitute. I switched to toasted almonds, but this got boring too. Being not too enthusiastic about tofu, and recently going to a vegetarian restaurant which tried to re-create meat dishes with minimal success, this is a much better to approach to yummy vegetarian food...I don't miss the meat or cheese. Also, it's easy to substitute things. I often use almonds instead of pine nuts, or leave out a spice or two I don't have...makes little difference. Overall, a great book perfect for the bored vegetarian, and through making these dishes I've actually learned a lot about flavor profiles and combinations. All hail to the olive oil!...more info
• Terrific food, vegan or not
  I bought this book to make food for a close friend who recently became vegan. Expected the items to be fine for somebody stuck with those limitations, but the recipies are fantastic period. (And I am soooo not vegan.) Most are surprisingly simple for the quality of the outcome. At a dinner party recently everybody, Bay Area foodie to meat-and-potatoes guy to vegan couldn't get enough, including of the "poor man's pesto" (no cheese) and the bruschetta dip,of which she gives multiple varieties, and the chick pea appetizer. The author adds make ahead tips for many recipies which was super helpful. And she tells you if things can be served various ways, such as either chilled or at room temperature. The instructions are clear. ...more info
• Finally
  I am not a vegan, but I am dairy-free and don't eat meat at home, and I have been searching for a vegan cookbook that does not rely on faux-meat or faux-cheese as the basis for recipes. This book celebrates produce and grains on their own merits, without relying on faking it with faux foods to make it. All of the Mediterranean classics are here. ...more info
• A must have for every Vegan Kitchen
  I highly recommend this cookbook. This book is a wonderful change of pace from my other meat substitute dependent cookbooks. I use mine daily for quick dinners and wonderful desserts....more info
• Love this book ... I'm not vegan or vegetarian ....
  I ran across this book a few years ago at the library (where I work). I've made the minestrone recipe for years now and it is my favorite ever. I finally decided that I needed to own this book... and I'm not vegan or veggie. It's a great way to boost vegetable intake while keeping things simple. I personally hate tofu and I love it that this book has no "substitute" foods like tofu in it. It's just the veggies speaking for themselves. Highly recommended for everyone who wants some good veggie recipes with ingredients you can find even at a small town supermarket. On a side note, it's perfect for folks who practice Lent (if you give up all animal foods) ... I think I recall reading that this is how some of the recipes were inspired. ...more info
• Vegan, but not necessarily healthy
  I bought the book with the expectation of finding recipes that might be compatible with Dr. Fuhrman's "Eat To Live" diet. After skimming through the book, I found that most of the recipes had 10-20 grams of fat, which is too fat much for Fuhrman, Ornish and McDougall diets. This is a lot of fat for anyone to include as a regular part of their diet.

  There are some low-fat dishes (<8 grams) in the book that look good. Most of the desserts are low-fat. Unfortunately, most of the desserts add significant amounts of sugar, which also pose dietary problems....more info

• Surprisingly Tasty!
  I'm not a vegan, but I bought this book because I wanted to learn how to cook with vegetables and grains, instead of constantly adding butter and cheese to everything in order to make it taste great! I will say, the other reviews that rate this book are right. It's surprisingly tasty, and I'm learning how to use vegetables and grains in ways I have never thought of before. None of the recipes I've tried so far feel anything short of restaurant-yumminess.
  
  If you're trying to diet, many of the recipes here are also lower-calorie, and provide the nutritional content on each recipe. I find that very helpful when I am trying to keep track of my calories, fat grams, carbs, protein, and sodium intake.
  
  I would recommend this cookbook for anyone, not just vegans or vegetarians. It's delicious...honest!...more info
• One of the best vegan cookbooks.
  My husband loves Mediterranean food. He's not vegetarian and I am. He loves all the dishes I've cooked from this book, because none of the recipes use weird meat or dairy substitutes. They are all authentic recipes that taste like what they are supposed to taste like. So far he's loved the Eggplant Napoleons and some of the pasta dishes. I've made the Apples Poached in White Wine several times, and it's even better if you don't boil down the sauce to a syrup, but leave it liquidy, then leave it in the fridge to marinate. It's like a wonderful chunky applesauce. Unlike my tofu dishes, my family doesn't find these dishes weird. The ingredients are easy to find, and the recipes are easy to prepare. This is my favorite cookbook after to "How it All Vegan" and "Garden of Vegan."...more info
• Beginning Cook and Veggie Person
  Im a wanna-be vegetarian who really enjoys most mediterranean foods. Most of the recipes are very easy and the ingredients are stuff that you can get from your local grocery store or street market.

  I've had the book for one week and cooked the lentil soup and a pasta dish with a tomato and green bean sauce.

  As a starting veggie person, the food prepared so far fell somewhat short of spicy flavor so I kicked both recipes up two notches by adding tabasco sauce and using other chili items. Keep in mind Im a beginner in the veggie world and I'm going to continue along with the recipes only because they're simple, I don't have to go online and purchase exotic ingredients like I'd have to for a Martha Stewart recipe, and they're cost effective, and my palette hasn't yet developed fully away from meat-eating just yet.

  But I'll tell ya, as a beginning cook...a beginning veggie cook, the book keeps me motivated because - as stated previously - these dishes are fairly simple to make. And economical.

  Oh, one more thing. I too wanted to make food using fresh ingredients. I wanted to get away from the standard tofu and soy stuff and this book does that. The ingredient requirements take me to the fresh produce section and the open markets. It's all a new great experience....more info

• Not good for heart disease
  The recipes in this book are good for vegetarians/vegans without heart disease. However, almost every single recipe uses olive oil which should not be consumed by persons with heart disease. I was hopeful this recipe book would be the one but was terribly disappointed....more info
• Vegan Made Easy and Delicious
  Most of the recipes are easy and reasonably quick. The ingredients are usually ones you can find in a normal grocery store -- even in the Midwest. And all I've tried so far have been tasty. Because the recipes were designed without dairy, they don't feel like poor substitutes for something that should have had dairy; they just taste like something you'd want to eat....more info
• Awesome Cookbook!
  I absolutely love this cookbook. I have about six other vegan cookbooks, but none compare to this one. It has wonderful, flavorful recipes that use many fresh vegetables and spices. The recipes are creative and colorful. No "meat substitutes" are used. Includes nutritional information. I highly recommend this to anyone, vegan or omnivore....more info
• The Mediterranean Vegan Kietchen
  Unbelievably great cookbook. EVERY receipt that I have tried, I love. Easy to understand, easy ingredients, and very fresh approach. Flavor, freshness, delicious. I cannot say enough good about this book....more info
• high-fat is not neccessarily high-risk
  another reviewer complained that many of the recipes in this book are high in fat, but neglected to notice that most of that fat is unsaturated, and as such can actually help your blood cholesterol. If the fat content of these mediterranean recipes concerns you, read up on 'good fat' versus 'bad fat', the 'revised' food pyramid, which encourages liberal intake of unsaturated fats, and also look into the 'mediterranean diet' in general--supposedly the peoples who eat these traditional foods have greater life expectancy and greater overall health than many other cultures (although this may be related to a greater deal of physical activity.)...more info
• Fantastic for "what should I eat tonight"
  My mom bought me this book last summer while I was breastfeeding my daughter who had allergies to soy and dairy. As a vegetarian (who loves cheese), it was hard for me to cut out dairy and most vegan cookbooks heavily use soy in some form. I went back to this cookbook again and again. It's filled with recipes that I could prepare primarily from staples I have on hand in my pantry (admittedly, I have a fairly stocked pantry which includes dried porcini mushrooms, an abundance of beans, canned tomatoes, different kinds of pasta, stone ground polenta (not instant)). I usually just needed to figure out what vegetables I had available and would have most of the other ingredients available. A number of the recipes could be prepared in 30-45 minutes total, and even more required additional cooking time, but only 30-45 minutes hands-on time.
  
  Even now that I'm able to eat soy and dairy again, I still turn to this cookbook over and over again. I find the recipes easy to follow (and amenable to changes as some do seem to call for more olive oil or salt than necessary, not to say the extra oil or salt hurts the flavor of the dish). There are lasagana recipes, multiple recipes for pesto, paella any many other dishes that I never thought of making when I couldn't have cheese, many of these I now prefer to my previous versions. Overall, we have yet to find a recipe that we haven't liked enough to fix again (and for many of them, we do fix them over and over)....more info
• A what?
  Great ideas. Lots of the ingredients are a little hard to find in my area and when I do find them, they're extremely expensive. If you live in a larger city or have access to specialty foods stores, you'll probably have an easier time of following the recipes exactly.
  
  I have had to make several substitutions or just leave things out with a decent success rate.
  
  I would recommend 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes, in addition to this book....more info
• Wonderful Recipes
  This book is a wonderful resource! We eat vegan for certain parts of the year, and now I actually look forward to it because of the many wonderful recipes in this book. The flavorings and simple ways to spice up the food without meat and dairy is wonderful. It's changed many of the ways I used to cook, even when I do use meat and dairy. Just reading the recipes makes me hungry and excited about cooking. I highly recommend this book to any vegan cook, or just for a change in your regular diet....more info
• The best cookbook I have come across
  I recieved this cookbook as a gift a year or two ago after hungering after it for a very long time. What really intrigued me was that she uses real authentic recipes, that were already vegan. I'm not into "meat" subs and such things, and this cookbook is free of them. This cookbook has some of the most tasty dishes that i've made. They're very simple recipes, no "weird" ingredients. This really is my favourite cookbook. The rosemary focaccia is the simplest and tastiest bread recipe ever.
  I reccomend this to vegans and non-vegans alike. :]]...more info
• Wonderful recipes - whether you are vegan or not!
  I bought this book for my daughter who had decided to go vegan. I have made many (maybe 20 or so)of the recipes and both of us LOVED every single one of them. The recipes really work and do not require any fancy or outlandish ingredients. Best of all, they do not require any substitutes (I am not a vegan myself and find a lot of the fake stuff - think "tofu yoghurt" - rather disgusting)because the mediterranean kitchen is kind of naturally vegan. Lots of olive oil and lost of vegetables - how can you go wrong! And the pizza with caramelized onions instead of cheese is just out of this world. Even the cakes are delicious. I keep making them for vegans and omnivores alike and everybody loves them. The quality of our meals - both in terms of taste and nutrition - has definitely improved thanks to this great book. I just bought two more copies as gifts for friends who tried some of the meals at my house and wanted a copy. Recommend HIGHLY!...more info
• Love it!
  This vegan cookbook is a great one if you are like us & would prefer "real" food rather than using a bunch of "meat" subsitutes. ...more info
• THE cookbook for VEGANS, VEGETARIANS, and EVERYONE
  This book contains real recipes that don't involve making your own seitan or pressing tofu. All of the creations I have tried so far have come out wonderfully. If you think eggplant is yucky, or that it only belongs in eggplant parm, covered in cheese, think again. I'm not a vegan yet, but when I started to look through this book, it was the first time I thought that a vegan lifestyle could actuallly work for me....more info
• Excellent addition to the kitchen library
  Though we aren't vegans, we do enjoy vegetarian/vegan cuisine and have almost worn our copy of this cookbook out. The recipes taste great, are clearly explained, and don't require a lot of specialty (hard-to-find) ingredients. The conversion index in the back, for metric/US measurements and temperatures is also very helpful. ...more info
• Excellent vegan cookbook
  I can only back up what everyone has said in their reviews about this book - it really is great. No strange ingredients are called for in the recipes. All the recipes have ingredients I guarantee you have in your pantry all the time and you won't need to search the entire grocery store for any one particular item nor will you have to go to the health food store. The recipes are truly Mediterranean and they are very delicious. I haven't tried a bad recipe yet. I can honestly say that you will not be disappointed at all in this book. It is a great buy and a terrific bargain - you'll definitely get your money's worth out of this book by making the recipes over and over again!...more info
• Very tasty, A little labor intensive
  I have made several recipes out of this book that I enjoyed immensely! Many of the recipes call out for vegetable broth which is fairly time consuming to make but worthwhile. I made up a batch and froze it in 1 cup containers. It may be just the recipes that I have made but I've been through four heads of garlic in 4 recipes. Many of the recipes call out for fresh herbs. I look forward to using this book for many years....more info
• Best Vegetarian (Not Just Vegan) Cookbook
  How many "vegetarian" cookbooks have an excess of fats and cheeses to compensate? Too many. We are not vegans, but this book is the best "vegetarian" cookbook we have ever used. Every dish is bursting with flavors, chiefly garlic, wich we love. Highly recommended....more info
• Excellent
  This books is filled with excellent dishes that even get my parents asking me to cook for them. While I am not completely vegan, I prefer to stay as close to it as possible with my lifestyle. This book has been a great addition to my slowly growing collection of vegan books. The only slight problem with this book is that many of the recipes take over an hour to complete, time that during the school year, I do not have. On the other hand, most ingredients are easy to find or easy to substitute, adding to the variety. It also includes helpful nutrition facts which are always a plus....more info