The Art of Tofu: Celebrated Vegetarian Recipes from Around the World

I'm a little late to the party with my review of this cookbook, but since it's still in print I'll give it a go. I've got dozens of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks and I acquire more each year. I can tell you that none of them have better desserts than this cookbook. They are really outstanding. The rest of the recipes are very good too. The tofu piccata is really delicious. Most of them are doable even on a busy weeknight. Yes, the book was sponsored by mori-nu and I confess I am not a big fan of those asceptically packaged boxes of silken tofu. I think it has a slightly odd taste compared with the regular refrigerated Chinese-style tofu. However, I LOVE that it is shelf stable and that it can sit in my cabinet so I always have some on hand. In desserts, you can't taste the difference anyway and it actually works better than regular tofu. If you really don't like the mori-nu you can just use regular firm tofu. Don't let that stop you from trying out this book. All the recipes are vegan and mindful of the fat content. I especially appreciate the nutritional information at the bottom of each page.

The recipes are clear, well balanced and...imaginative. My husband and I live in the South of Spain, and unfortunately we can only find firm tofu. Neverteless, I tried the recipes and they turn out to be delicious. My friends love them too.

The recipes in this book are easy and delicious. The tofu satay w/ peanut sauce was easy to make and was a good complement to cous-cous. The extra sauce was used over some pasta to make noodle w/ peanut sauce. The tofu swiss steak would make anyone want to forget about meat. Other tried and true main course recipes were the Louisiana Tofu Cakes and the Southern Tofu Fricassee. For lunch, the eggless egg salad was a perfect replacement for egg salad. The desserts in this book have become a mainstay and replacement for store bought treats. The Tofu House Chocolate Chip cookies are great. Sunday breakfast has been host to the Orange Blueberry Coffee cake, Banana Chocolate Chip Cake, and the Pineapple upside-Down Cake. My personal favorite has been the Florida Key Lime Pie. The desserts have received great reviews while the other dishes have been just tested by me and my girlfriend. Usually, we end up eating all of the main course before we have a chance to share it with others.

I'm a cookbook collector, and a long-time natural foods consumer. I spent several years in the natural foods industry and have seen a growing trend towards prepared foods that really aren't particularly healthy; therefore I prefer to cook most of my meals from scratch. I have tried for years to find tricks in creating healthier but great tasting baked desserts, with less than successful results. Akasha Richmond's baking blend replaces those hard to replace ingredients such as eggs and oils, and still gives you wonderful results. Her Banana Chocolate Chip Snack Cake is INCREDIBLE in one simple word. I was in disbelief when I tasted this moistly rich and fluffy vegan treat, and promptly made another to try out on my co-workers with more mainstream tastebuds. When THEY were also in disbelief, I knew I had found one of those lifelong favorite recipes. How wonderful that it's got such healthy ingredients also! This base recipe has inspired much experimentation in my kitchen, which is one of my signs of a top-notch cookbook. Most (maybe all?) recipes are 100% VEGAN also. Her vegan version of another Italian favorite of mine, Spinach Gnocci (spinach dumplings) is also deliciously clever and the After Akasha version is stunningly healthy compared to the classic with eggs and ricotta cheese. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is watching their health, wanting to add more soy products to their diets, and anyone interested in vegetarianism and experimenting with veganism. Vegans, REJOICE!

Love this book!!! It's perfect for tofu beginners and accomplished cooks. The recipes are creative and delicious. I think they're great because they work WITH the tofu rather than against it. People seem to think tofu has to be covered up but actually it's such a versatile ingredient and Akasha really gets that. And, the recipes WORK. I like the green goddess dressing, plump and rich and creamy from the tofu, also the Thai peanut sauce - it is to die for. I love Akasha's method for freezing Mori-Nu tofu to get a good texture for stir fries, salads, whatever. It really works. Eat great stuff with no guilt!! GREAT book, thanks Akasha for writing it!! I'm a recent culinary school graduate - wish my teachers knew as much about tofu as Akasha does!