The Tipsy Vegan

November 28, 2011
Schlimm (The Ultimate Beer Lovers Cookbook) puts his boozy cooking experience to work in this collection of vegan recipes that incorporate alcohol for added depth. Yes, there are Jell-O shots (made here with a vegan-friendly gelatin substitute), salads, and hummus, but there are also a handful of soups (Roasted Yellow Pepper with cognac), six sorbets, and flavor-packed roasted potatoes with rosemary, horseradish, Dijon mustard, and cayenne tossed with vodka and vermouth to keep them crispy. Though recipe titles are often cringe-worthy ("Hey, Baby! Artichokes," anyone?), his recipes are often spot-on and don't require too many arcane or hard-to-source ingredients. Moreover, the addition of alcohol to his dishesâBottom's Up VegeBean Stew employs a dark beer for added oomph, Triple Sec is added to a blueberry pie as well as homemade granolaâtruly serves a purpose other than novelty. Though the book feels padded in terms of page count (there are many gorgeous full-page images), Schlimm's efforts will pay off for vegans, as well as their omnivorous guests.