Everyone's reviews are all over the map, because there are great things about this cookbook and some bad things. In fact, I like this cookbook better than I rated it, but I had to knock down a star in recognition of others.

What is great about this cookbook is that it sticks with just the vegan basics (sorry for those who think these ingredients are weird, but I went page by page and you really have to learn all of these to get along in the vegan world). There are some recipes that use prepared food for the lazy/busy, but most of the recipes are simple and clean eating (which is great for me because I hate processed food, but I hate the fake meat and fake cheese even more - I am convinced only true vegans like that stuff, because they forget what the real stuff tastes like). The recipes are also fairly cheap, most of them, so it is good for students or others on a tight budget.

And, oh yeah, the recipes are good!

Now a lot of people comment on the lack of photos in this cookbook. I am used to it: it used to be very rare that vegan cookbooks had photos (most of the classics don't), I suspect because the audience was small so the printing had to be cheap. That's not the real problem with this cookbook.

I suspect the author, having been vegetarian since she was young and vegan for years, is so used to this, she forgets how to explain this to beginners. If you are calling it "part time vegan," you are going to be attracting the non-vegan audience. It is not enough to state briefly that you can substitute non-vegan ingredients into the recipes (which, from reading the reviews, I think people miss) unless you explain the ingredients so people know what they do!

Here's a primer:

SOY: Whether it is tofu, Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP), (fermented) tempeh, it's all soy. Most of the time, it replaces meat, but your silken tofu can replace some dairy products. While you can sometimes switch out these for what you are replacing in the first place, it changes the cooking time and varies by recipe so this is a more advanced cooking skill.

SEITAN: An alternative to soy, this is a wheat product that is 75% protein. Once again, animal protein is what it is meant to replace, but replacing it with something else is an advanced skill as it can vary by recipe.

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Whether it is soy, almond, rice, oat, whatever your preference, non-cow's milk drinkers all say the same thing: you might buy a sweetened or flavoured milk to drink, but always buy unsweetened and unflavoured for cooking (95% of the time, that's the same for baking too). Usually you can buy the alternative of your preference, as usually you can interchange them in recipes with little consequence to taste, since it is usually lost amongst the other ingredients. If using cow's milk, substitute skim or at least low fat.

VEGAN MARGARINE: An easy substitute that anyone can figure: whatever margarine you have or butter. The one thing the book gets wrong, which may be due to the time it was written or the region she was shopping in, you can no longer assume most margarines are vegan; manufacturers are using modified milk ingredients in margarines, likely for cheapness or buttery flavour. The best lists of ingredients to avoid are those for milk allergy sufferers; if you don't have time to read the ingredient list, look for the obvious "vegan" or the less obvious "all plant-based ingredients."

NUTRITIONAL YEAST/FLAKES: Nutrition is a high priority for this ingredient, as these yellow flakes give vegans (and vegetarians) a non-animal source of the all-important B12, which some vegans can be missing if not controlling in their diet (or anyone who drinks too much). Often described by vegans as having a cheesy Parmesan-like taste by vegans, non-vegans will tell you it does not... But it does have that umami flavour Parmesan is famous for, just not the entire beauty of Parmesan! So you can substitute Parmesan or your favourite umami paste but, better yet, buy some and start adding it to your dishes: sprinkle on popcorn or eggs, pair with tomatoes or tomato sauces, stir into soups... Anywhere you would use Parmesan, add some nutritional flakes too!

I found this book on super-sale. If you can get it for sale, and you know a little bit about your ingredients, or at least are willing to just try these ingredients to explore, I say it is worth a buy. If you aren't willing to try new food, just eat a salad and save yourself the heartache. ( )

Everyone's reviews are all over the map, because there are great things about this cookbook and some bad things. In fact, I like this cookbook better than I rated it, but I had to knock down a star in recognition of others.

What is great about this cookbook is that it sticks with just the vegan basics (sorry for those who think these ingredients are weird, but I went page by page and you really have to learn all of these to get along in the vegan world). There are some recipes that use prepared food for the lazy/busy, but most of the recipes are simple and clean eating (which is great for me because I hate processed food, but I hate the fake meat and fake cheese even more - I am convinced only true vegans like that stuff, because they forget what the real stuff tastes like). The recipes are also fairly cheap, most of them, so it is good for students or others on a tight budget.

And, oh yeah, the recipes are good!

Now a lot of people comment on the lack of photos in this cookbook. I am used to it: it used to be very rare that vegan cookbooks had photos (most of the classics don't), I suspect because the audience was small so the printing had to be cheap. That's not the real problem with this cookbook.

I suspect the author, having been vegetarian since she was young and vegan for years, is so used to this, she forgets how to explain this to beginners. If you are calling it "part time vegan," you are going to be attracting the non-vegan audience. It is not enough to state briefly that you can substitute non-vegan ingredients into the recipes (which, from reading the reviews, I think people miss) unless you explain the ingredients so people know what they do!

Here's a primer:

SOY: Whether it is tofu, Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP), (fermented) tempeh, it's all soy. Most of the time, it replaces meat, but your silken tofu can replace some dairy products. While you can sometimes switch out these for what you are replacing in the first place, it changes the cooking time and varies by recipe so this is a more advanced cooking skill.

SEITAN: An alternative to soy, this is a wheat product that is 75% protein. Once again, animal protein is what it is meant to replace, but replacing it with something else is an advanced skill as it can vary by recipe.

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Whether it is soy, almond, rice, oat, whatever your preference, non-cow's milk drinkers all say the same thing: you might buy a sweetened or flavoured milk to drink, but always buy unsweetened and unflavoured for cooking (95% of the time, that's the same for baking too). Usually you can buy the alternative of your preference, as usually you can interchange them in recipes with little consequence to taste, since it is usually lost amongst the other ingredients. If using cow's milk, substitute skim or at least low fat.

VEGAN MARGARINE: An easy substitute that anyone can figure: whatever margarine you have or butter. The one thing the book gets wrong, which may be due to the time it was written or the region she was shopping in, you can no longer assume most margarines are vegan; manufacturers are using modified milk ingredients in margarines, likely for cheapness or buttery flavour. The best lists of ingredients to avoid are those for milk allergy sufferers; if you don't have time to read the ingredient list, look for the obvious "vegan" or the less obvious "all plant-based ingredients."

NUTRITIONAL YEAST/FLAKES: Nutrition is a high priority for this ingredient, as these yellow flakes give vegans (and vegetarians) a non-animal source of the all-important B12, which some vegans can be missing if not controlling in their diet (or anyone who drinks too much). Often described by vegans as having a cheesy Parmesan-like taste by vegans, non-vegans will tell you it does not... But it does have that umami flavour Parmesan is famous for, just not the entire beauty of Parmesan! So you can substitute Parmesan or your favourite umami paste but, better yet, buy some and start adding it to your dishes: sprinkle on popcorn or eggs, pair with tomatoes or tomato sauces, stir into soups... Anywhere you would use Parmesan, add some nutritional flakes too!

I found this book on super-sale. If you can get it for sale, and you know a little bit about your ingredients, or at least are willing to just try these ingredients to explore, I say it is worth a buy. If you aren't willing to try new food, just eat a salad and save yourself the heartache. ( )