"Mouthwatering Vegan" by Miriam Sorrell

In 2010, Miriam Sorrell started a blog to help others learn and prepare delicious vegan dishes.  Her goal was to inspire other vegans as well as omnivores and vegetarians to live a healthier life.  Her blog took off and before she knew it she was approached to write her own cookbook.  The result is Mouthwatering Vegan, with over 130 irresistible recipes for everyone.  As the cover says, "welcome to the meat-free revolution."

I didn't actually know about Sorrell's blog before I picked up this book, I'm just a big fan of vegan recipes and vegetarian living and am always on the lookout for new and exciting cookbooks.  What I really liked about this one is that it goes beyond what many vegan cookbooks do and expands on the wonderful foods and flavours available.  In other words, there is more than just another recipe for black bean quesadillas and meat-free spaghetti sauce in this book.

Miriam Sorrell comes from a Mediterranean background and it shows in a lot of her recipes including Greek Garlic Bean Stew, Sweet Potato Moussaka, and My Greek Family Tree Hummus.  But this book also offers a wide variety of cuisines with recipes such as Tandoori Kofta Masala, Moroccan Smoked Eggplant Dip, Spanish-Style Omelette, and Swiss Vegan Fondue.

And for those who think that vegan eating isn't exciting, check out the dessert section that includes Crème Caramel Extraordinaire, Hot Apple and Chocolate Crumble, Lime and Coconut Cheesecake, Chocoholics Cheesecake, and Luscious Red Velvet Cake.  My favourite out of this bunch is the Bountiful Coconut Chocolate Bar.  If you're a fan of coconut and chocolate together then you will enjoy this very easy to make vegan version of the Bounty chocolate bar.

In addition to recipes, this book includes a section on why going vegan is a good option as well as vegan basics like what to put in your pantry and what are great meat and dairy alternatives.  I always appreciate when specific brands are recommended as it makes shopping easier for the new vegan or the just curious.  

My only criticism of this cookbook is the photography.  It seems as though the same personal photos from the blog are used and while it makes sense, some of the photos could look a bit more professional.  Some seemed a bit blurry to me and there were a few times where the photo made me hesitant to give the recipe a try.  I think it really came down to the photos being a little too close up to the food for me.  

I wouldn't recommend this as the place to start for anyone who is considering going vegan in terms of learning about vegan nutrition (for those go here) but I would definitely give this one a mention as one that will prove that vegan eating doesn't have to be boring or bland.  I'm positive that even life-long vegans will find some great new dishes for their repertoire from this book.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Random House of Canada.  The opinions expressed above are purely my own.