Reviews with TLC

  American Grown by Michelle Obama inspired me to rethink our backyard garden and find ways to make it more productive. Vegetables fresh from the garden are so tasty and healthy. I want to grow more, but I often slack off because I want to enjoy other things.  Obama and other contributors are very upbeat and optimistic about gardening.  American Grown shows garden plans, the benefits of gardens, the benefits of moving more, and the benefits of eating more vegetables. I did, however, take issue with some of the nutritional information cited regarding other dietary choices as I know there is research that contradicts it. There are several recipes included in the book, a few would even qualify as vegan or vegetarian, and I plan to adapt some of them for my household and possibly my cooking blog, Vegan Cooking with TLC . Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau was an interesting read. I had long wanted to read both works, so I was happy to find them in on...

  Vegan Cheese: Become a 5-Star Cheese Maker by Earnest Cinnamon is filled with interesting vegan cheese recipes. I bought this book as part of my research into making vegan cheese. Sadly, with all the research I've done, I haven't actually made very many of the recipes, so I can't say how well the recipes work. The book was inspiring and interesting though. I hope to eventually make some of the recipes. T he How Not to Diet Cookbook: 100+ Recipes for Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss by Michael Greger is filled with interesting recipes. While I can't claim to have made many of them, I have used several for inspiration for my own recipes. I hope to make more the recipes as time goes on. I would highly recommend this cookbook to anyone trying to find interesting ways to eat a plant-based or vegan diet. Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition by Colin T. Campbell (also in nonfiction) breaks down how the nutrition industry has broken down nutrition to its barest element...

Here are the Food Related Books I Read in 2020 How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss by Michael Gregor, M.D., FACLM - I'm not a fan of diet books, but I am a fan of Dr. Gregor's work because he focuses on scientific research. I read this book for this reason and found it quite interesting. Though I'm not interested in losing weight, I am interested in eating healthy. How Not to Diet is about eating healthy. For a more in-depth exploration of my thoughts on this book, please visit Eating for Health Not Weight Loss . One Hour Dairy Free Cheese: Make Mozzarella, Cheddar, Feta, and Brie-Style Cheeses --Using Nuts, Seeds, and Vegetables * by Claudia Lucero -  This book was easy to read and seems like it could be useful. I made a smattering of recipes from it but not enough to really find recipes to fit into our rotation of recipes. Artisan Vegan Cheese * by Miyoko Schinner - This recipes in this book were a bit more complicated than th...

I bought The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen even before I adopted a plant-based diet because I was intrigued by the recipes in the book. I've made several of the very interesting recipes in The Conscious Cook.    I rarely make the recipes in it anymore, but  I keep this cookbook on my shelves and occasionally use it as a reference or for inspiration. As I sit here looking through the cookbook, I'm tempted to make some of the recipes again soon, adapted to fit my cooking style which doesn't include the oils and the highly processed foods he uses. Beyond even that, many of the recipes require ingredients I don't necessarily keep in the kitchen, so I'd need to shop for them. This is probably the main reason I don't use this cookbook as much as some of the others on my shelves. Many of the recipes are also quite involved and time consuming.  That said, the recipes I have tried all tasted delicious, so if you're willing to put in the time and effort, it's a ...

Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook by Del Sroufe contains a wide variety of plant-based recipes that prove eating a plant-based diet can be satisfying. I've made many of the recipes in Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook and have enjoyed the vast majority of them.  Sroufe demonstrates techniques to make plant-based cooking accessible to anyone while keeping the recipes interesting. The vast diversity of these recipes provides something to tease just about any taste bud. The simplicity of the recipes makes Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook  great for those with little to no cooking experience while still containing recipes that will appeal to experienced cooks. I'd highly recommend Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook for anyone interested in trying a plant-based diet or even those who just enjoy trying out different methods of cooking.

The Green Gourmet Perfect Cup of Tea Book by Lori Jane Stewart is a nice appetizer for tea time. Stewart whets the appetite for a delightful cup of tea any time of the day. She explains some of the history of tea, tea's influence around the world, and how make a cup of tea. It was a quick and interesting read that left me wanting to know more about the tea I drink several cups of a day.

I bought The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook by Ann Crile Esselstyn and Jane Esselstyn when it was released in 2014. I've used it several times though there are several recipes in it I've yet to make. Most of the recipes are quite easy to make and offering interesting flavors. It's a wonderful cookbook for those just starting on a plant-based diet or those looking to add some simple but tasty recipes to their plant-based diet. I've made some of the recipes for friends who quite enjoyed the food even though they haven't adopted a plant-based diet.  The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook offers a nice variety of recipes to appeal to differing moods and taste preferences offering options for me to keep trying .

The How Not to Die Cookbook by Michael Greger with Gene Stone offers a plethora of plant-based recipes that are easy and interesting. Greger makes the recipes accessible even for those who aren't adventurous cooks. While he does include some ingredients that might be unfamiliar to some, they are relatively easy to find. In addition, The How Not to Die Cookbook includes a handy guide to tell you which items on Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen from How Not to Die, you can mark off after eating it. I've only made a few recipes from The How Not to Die Cookbook thus far, but all have been successful and delightful. I look forward to making many more of the recipes in this cookbook. For those who find cooking plant-based meals overwhelming, this cookbook simplifies it in a reassuring manner. I've shared some of these recipes with several people who don't eat a plant-based diet who were surprised at how tasty the dishes were. The How Not to Die Cookbook is a great addition t...

I won a copy of F lavors from Home by Aimee Zaring in a contest sponsored by the publisher, The University Press of Kentucky . I very much enjoyed reading the stories of the refugees in Flavors from Home . Zaring told their stories in an engaging, compassionate, and fair way. While at times, Zaring seems to lean a little heavily on how much the refugees appreciate their new lives in America, she also presents the refugees as productive members of society.  She tops each refugees story with a recipe from their homeland. As a vegan, I can't imagine eating, let alone fixing, most of the recipes in this book, but there are a few I will likely adapt to vegan recipes, or at least try to. The refugees' life stories and their relationship to the food of their homelands reminded me just how intricately food is woven into our identities. F lavors from Home demonstrates the power of food to bridge the divide between people turning strangers into friends and friends into family.

Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. M.D. provides an interesting take on the effect of diet on health. Esselstyn presents his theory and backs it up in an easy to read book. Dr. Esselstyn's conclusions make a lot of sense even if the reader questions some aspects of the study he conducted to find his results. He presents the evidence for a plant-based diet in clear and convincing language even if at times his presentation feels heavy handed. The recipes I've tried in Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease aren't particularly exciting but are easy to follow, tasty and provide guidelines for adapting one's own favorite recipes to meet the guidelines of the diet. I read Dr. Esselstyn's book because I have a strong interest in how food can be used to promote good health, so I found much of what he had to say interesting and worth giving serious thought. I've read several such books, and this one made me want to read more on the subject. For a...

I bought The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone because it contains several recipes I want to try. I didn't plan to read Silverstone's story of her journey to becoming vegan. I've been vegetarian for a while and have dabbled with becoming vegan for a while, so I didn't need convinced. I was pleasantly surprised with her story. She lines out her reasons and supports her decisions with both fact and emotion. I even learned a few things I didn't know about being vegan. The Kind Diet is engaging and interesting. Silverstone leaves no doubt how important she considers her mission to encourage the world to both become vegan and to treat animals with kindness in The Kind Diet. Now, I just need to try some of her recipes and hope they're as good as they sound...

The Gorgeously Green Diet by Sophie Uliano builds off her chapter on food in her book, Gorgeously Green.  Uliano makes some excellent points about the importance of eating healthy, nutritious food that doesn't add things our bodies don't need, like pesticides, artificial hormones, and preservatives.  She explains the difference between natural, organic and certified organic in easy to understand language.  The Gorgeously Green Diet provides a list of excellent resources for more information as well as recommendations of brands to try.  A section of the book is dedicated to inexpensive, easy to make, healthy, environmentally friendly recipes.  The Gorgeously Green Diet makes a great, easy to read  reference book for easting healthier, more environmentally friendly, and saving some money.