Chloe's Kitchen

January 2, 2012
With the explosion of vegan cookbooks on the scene, there are more meatless Monday options than ever, and this book, from the winner of the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, is an accessible addition to the fold. Coscarelli’s focus is comfort food, and she reboots classic meat and dairy dishes with plant-based formulas. Her pantry is the foundation: international ingredients like mirin and tahini mingle with trendy health food staples like coconut oil and agave nectar. As in so many vegan cookbooks, there’s some proselytizing—and an introduction from a doctor inviting readers to try a vegan diet. For the most part, though, Coscarelli lets her food speak for itself. Crispy potato leek patties with a tofu-based lemon dip; falafel sliders with avocado hummus; and those award-winning cupcakes (ginger nutmeg spice with vanilla “buttercream” and date caramel topping) are welcome surprises. Meanwhile, creative workarounds such as cheesy broccoli soup made from soy milk and nutritional yeast flakes; spaghetti Bolognese made with mushrooms, beans, and walnuts; and fudge made from coconut milk will please even stubborn eaters. A good choice for the newly converted looking to replace their nonvegan favorites. Photos. Agent: Eric Lupfer, WME.

January 1, 2012
A past winner of Food Network's Cupcake Wars presents a cavalcade of easy meatless recipes and culinary notions. The first vegan chef ever to win a Food Network competition, Coscarelli shares her wealth of knowledge on plant-based cuisine with marked enthusiasm. She opens with a variety of basic pantry-stocking items useful in vegan kitchens, explaining the particular benefits of shelf-stable coconut oil, vegan margarine and soybean-based flavorings like hoisin sauce or miso paste, as well as tempeh, a protein and fiber-rich meat replacement. The author keeps her recipes refreshingly uncomplicated (many can be prepared well ahead of serving time), dividing the book into sections such as small appetizers, soups, salads, finger foods, entrees and desserts. She concludes with a winning section on stock sauces and ingredients. For more traditional palates, mouthwatering offerings like pizzas, paninis and pastas will entice more than the international flare of main dishes like the Indian Buffet Trio, Eggplant Timbales and Seitan Scallopini. In varied recipes, Coscarelli incorporates the unique flavors of maple syrup, mustard and curry and shares tips on cleaning leeks, wrangling fragile phyllo dough and dicing mangos. The surprisingly manageable "formerly secret" recipe for her Cupcake Wars–winning vegan Ginger Nutmeg Spice Cupcakes is in good company with Iced Apple Cake Squares and agave-sweetened Yoga Cookies. Some substitutions seem stretched, however. Can sushi ever be convincingly swapped out with shiitake mushrooms? Will the flavor of dairy-free coconut and almond milk used in the "ice cream" recipes satisfy? Leaving no family member excluded, the vegan chef even includes her all-natural peanut-butter dog treats. Coscarelli's sleek volume is crisply photographed and includes the kind of straightforward, go-to recipes busy foodies can appreciate.

(COPYRIGHT (2012) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

January 1, 2012

Coscarelli is the first vegan to win Food Network's Cupcake Wars. After an introduction to the vegan diet and a guide to pantry staples, she here offers veganized recipes for familiar favorites, e.g., Best-Ever Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Thyme for Creamy Scalloped Potatoes, Tempeh Piccata, Baked Sprinkle Donuts, and her winning Ginger Nutmeg Spice Cupcakes. Coscarelli's contagious enthusiasm and full-flavored recipes will appeal to readers who are considering going vegan but aren't sure if they're ready. Recommended for vegans interested in appetizing recipes that emphasize taste over health benefits.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.