VBQ—The Ultimate Vegan Barbecue Cookbook

March 1, 2018

Vegan may seem the antithesis of barbecue, but German vegan bloggers Horn and Mayer (EatThis!) put vegan first in barbecue. In this new cookbook, electric vs. gas vs. charcoal leads a discussion of grilling basics and techniques. Ingredients for steaks, ribs, sausages, cutlets, and burgers include tempeh, tofu, cauliflower, eggplant and variously seasoned homemade seitan. While the smoked "meat" is the centerpiece to any barbecue, it is the accompaniments that make the meal. Recipes for grilled vegetables, salads, marinades, and even pickles account for about half of the book. Most recipes seem fast, but making scratch seitan and vegan sour cream require extra steps. Preparation and actual grilling time are good for organizing the whole meal. Small slips, such as failure to equate centimeters to inches, highlight the difficulty of using both metric and U.S. units. Readers of John Schlimm's Grilling Vegan Style may question if this is the "ultimate vegan barbecue" book, but there are enough different recipes to entice a true barbecue believer. VERDICT Vegans and vegetarians who can never get enough barbecue will want this book.--Jeanette McVeigh, Univ. of the Sciences, Philadelphia

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 5, 2018
German vegan food bloggers Horn and Mayer (Eat This! blog) attempt to transform an American institution in this collection of more than 80 recipes for those who like to grill, but do not eat meat. The result, a combination of minimal chitchat, concise instructions, and 100 photographs, is a mixed bag. At times, the authors find ideal ways to elevate their ingredients. Eggplant gyros with tahini and yogurt sauce are brightly seasoned; grilled butternut squash tacos are topped with a cashew queso made from cashew sour cream and a red chile pepper. But there are also the usual attempts to make veggies seem meaty (a quinoa and chickpea burger, eggplant hot dogs) as well as some questionable attempts, such as a pulled mushroom sandwich where oyster mushrooms are crisped, torn into strips and served on a bun with carrots, spinach, and vegan mayonnaise. Only three of the nine salad recipes involve any grill work, with a kale salad deriving its smokiness not from wood smoke but from a dressing made with peanut butter, maple syrup, and paprika. Nevertheless, Horn and Mayer enthusiastically present innovative plant-based recipes.