The Lantern Vegan Family Cookbook

Lest I allow a previous reviewer get away with making pat judgments about the kind of person who would give this cookbook a 5-star review, I am a very experienced cook, have been cooking vegan food for 7 years, and collect vegan cookbooks. This is one of the best I've ever used because: 1. Recipes call for ingredients that are available at your regular grocery store. The only ingredient I've needed that I know I can't find at Safeway is nutritional yeast, and that's okay because I bought a huge jar of it at Whole Foods awhile back. 2. The ingredients are not expensive, and it's easy to see where substitutions could be made if you don't have something on hand. 3. The recipes do not take a really long time to make, which makes them practical for weeknights when everyone is tired from being at work & school all day. 4. The format is very easy to follow, making this perfect for getting your kids or spouse to help with the meal. 5. These recipes are great for new vegans or non-vegans who want to start eating more meatless, dairy-free meals. These foods will be familiar to people who have unsophisticated palates. There is a lot of "comfort food" in this book. I have made over 25 recipes from this cookbook so far, and every single one of them has been a 5-star or 4-star recipe in my food log. That's a much higher average than almost every other vegan cookbook I've used regularly.

This is the perfect every day cookbook: no bells and whistles, but delicious, simple, healthy, easy to prepare vegan food. This cookbook was a pleasant surprise with its simple layout, no-nonsense format, and diverse range of recipes; I think every vegan would want to own this collection. There are so many vegan cookbooks on the market these days (and I own many of them), but many are filled with complicated (but delicious!) recipes that are not suited to life in the Real World. I enjoy those kinds of recipes now and then, but there is great pleasure in making fast, easy and YUMMY meals that aren't tedious and involved. One last thing: This cookbook is better than a few of the other "simple" cookbooks (an exception being Vegan With a Vengeance, which is just astounding). If this is the genre you're shopping for, including the aforementioned, this is one of the very best.

The book is clearly geared towards new vegans, their families or people who would like to cook for vegans, but don't always know what to make. It makes an ideal intro to basic vegan cooking, offering short, concise recipes that rely on items you would find in a well stocked vegan pantry. Our son, who just turned 12 has really taken to the book, cooking from it every weekend. I only wish this book had been available when I was 12... One minor quibble would be the lack of pictures, and use of canned food where fresh might be better (canned green chiles?), but this is family food, not a Thomas Keller coffee table book ;)

I own over 300 cookbooks and it takes a lot to wow me, but Chef Brian P. McCarthy pulled it off. With over 400 practical, easy to make recipes, he has created some great recipes, whether or not you're vegan. But if you are vegan, this is a gem. He has recipes for everything from make-it-yourself Tofurky with stuffing, to a truly delicious pumpkin pancake. He takes everyday recipes and makes them vegan friendly, which is wonderful. I know some of the vegan cookbooks out there are making food into art, but in this crazy modern world how many of us have time to make 20 ingredient recipes with item we have to order? The Vegan Family Cookbook takes care of that. Often the recipes have around 5-6 ingredients commonly found in every grocery store, and small prep times. Yes, a few are special occasion, and one or two recipes in the entire book contain items you might have to send away for, but these are the exception, not the rule. This book is a delight, and I can't wait to make more food from it! Highly recommended! P.S. Also, if you don't have How it All Vegan by Sarah Kramer and Tayna Barnard, treat yourself to that, too. It's still my favorite, along with its two sisters, The Garden of Vegan and La Dolce Vegan, but the Vegan Family Cookbook is a close second!

This is a high quality cookbook with many healthful and tasty recipes, all of which are animal-free as the title states. The most impressive aspect of this book is how simple and easy are the recipes, nothing complicated. The recipes I've prepared so far have all tasted very good. And the ingredients required are most likely already in your cupboard. As I said, this book is simplicity times 400 (the number of recipes contained in it). Highly recommended. Enjoy!