Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan: Everyday Vegan Recipes Worth Celebrating.

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Vegan means not eating animals or animal products. No meat, fish, or poultry. No milk, cheese, yoghurt, eggs, or any product—such as chocolate or gelatin—that contains animal-based ingredients. Burton presents 150 recipes that meet the criteria and also stress the use of whole grain, unrefined sugars, non-hydrogenated oils, and organic choices The emphasis is on new flavour combinations, looking at how old standbys can be given a fresh twist.

The recipe selection is heavy on hummus, dips and spreads, soups and sauces. Main-dish casseroles receive some space, and desserts are present in force.

The recipes make extensive use of ingredients that may be staples for vegans but will be hard to find except at health food or specialty shops; some may not be available in smaller towns. These include tempeh, nutritional yeast, hemp, carob flour, brown rice syrup, vegan cheese and margarine, agave nectar, and barley flakes. Non-dairy products such as soy milk, tofu, and soy yoghurt are used extensively, as are grains (quinoa, spelt), lentils, and beans. Specific brands are mentioned quite frequently. Many of the dishes are wheat free.

Although the emphasis in on healthy eating, there is no nutritional analysis given for the recipes. Measurements are in imperial only—unusual for a Canadian work. A small sprinkling of 16 colour photos add some interest to an otherwise visually flat book, but are too few to “sell” the recipes to the reader unfamiliar with the vegan lifestyle.