Tofu, seitan, tempeh, tofu, seitan, tempeh...it seems like so many vegans rely on these products as meat substitutes. Isn't it time to break out of the mold? Taking a fresh, bold, and alternative approach to vegan cooking without the substitutes, Dino Sarma brings you over 100 fully vegan recipes, many of which draw from his South Asian roots. Sharing his jazz-style approach to cooking, Dino also discusses how you can improvise in your own cooking with simple ingredients and how you can stock your kitchen to prepare simple and delicious vegan meals quickly. Whether you love tofu, seitan, and tempeh or hate it, Alternative Vegan shows you how to let the flavor shine through by cooking simply with fresh ingredients.

2007-07-08 Innovative and tasty!

This is a vegan cookbook with a difference- it doesn't rely on meat substitutes and instead has recipes showcasing how tasty vegan food can be.

There's a very helpful guide to kitchen equipment at the beginning and it's great for beginners or experienced cooks alike. The basic recipes section really *is* basic, with few ingredients and simple instructions, but innovative ideas that work really well. Even the advanced section is easy to follow.

Variations are offered for many of the recipes if you dislike or don't have certain ingredients, and the author encourages you to adapt recipes to your own tastes rather than stick rigidly to the recipes, which is great.

This book is a great all-rounder, but particularly good for anyone with soya allergies or anyone who just wants a vegan cookbook that's a bit different from the rest. Highly recommended.