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The Vegan Sourcebook by Joanne Stepaniak - Nutrition section by Virginia Messina ISBN 1-56565-880-9 Lowell House 1998 £9.95 p/b |
Published four years ago this is a new addition to the Norwich library. The author is an American with several previously published cookbooks. The front cover gives the impression that it is the ultimate guide to everything vegan and at 350 pages, all text and no pictures, it is a hefty read.
Does it live up to its promise? In short, no. I found it rather dull and tedious. Stepaniak doesn't seem to have anything original to say and instead recites list after list of facts and figures regarding animal exploitation and cruelty. The only respite comes from the liberal sprinkling of quotations from people who have got something interesting to say. The book is a much more interesting experience if you just flick through and read the quotes that catch your eye.
For anyone without any knowledge of nutrition there is a sensible chapter by Virginia Messina that would be useful to read. This is followed by a section on planning menus and about fifty recipes. You'll have to get some of the fashionable ingredients such as flax seed oil, maple syrup or canola oil as at least one of these seems to feature in every recipe, along with salt and pepper.