Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not *that* good
Review: I've made a load of the recipes in this book and many of them are very decent indeed. Nonetheless I think there are some things about this book that haven't been touched upon by other reviewers that you need to know...1. No pictures. Maybe because I'm used to more lavishly illustrated British cookbooks (Delia Smith, Jamie Oliver, Gary Rhodes etc.) that the complete absence of pictures hits so hard, but I do think the book would be better with some nice photos. It looks so dated without them, like the sort of cookbooks my granny has... 2. No nutritional information. Which I thought was odd for a book espousing the health benefits of a Vegan diet. It would have been very useful to have some kind of nutritional breakdown for each recipe. 3. Authenticity, or lack thereof. The 'Fantastic Flavors from Around the World' have been desperately Westernised :-( The Thai soup is nothing like a Thai meal, the Indian foods contain celery and sweet potato... Personally I would have preferred to see recipes more sympathetic to their country of origin. In the breads section for example one of the side notes babbles on about some traditional flatbreads from around the world, however NONE of these are offered as recipes and instead the usual variations of banana/seed/nut breads are trotted out again. The sesame & cumin flatbread is fantastic mind you but once again it's a poor interpretation of an Indian naan bread. 4. 400 recipes eh? More like 300 with a number of variations. Shame that. Still most of those 300 are good.
Rating: 
Summary: So far, a keeper!
Review: I've only made a few recipes from this book so far: Bowties with Buttons (i eliminated the kasha as my family is picky, but it still made an interesting side dish!), the Chocolate Chip Cookies--very good and didn't require any esoteric ingredients!, and the Lasagna Primavera, which was admittedly a bit time consuming but well worth it as both my husband and 4 year old enjoyed it. I think i'll be making quite a few recipes out of this book, if only to expose my family to more ethnic flavors and dishes. I gave the book four stars just because i have had to tweak seasonings--the vegan bechamel sauce was a bit bland without some garlic and salt, and the tofu filling for the lasagna called for parsley which is fine but not very flavorful for an Italian dish. I would rather she had exact measurement for salt and pepper instead of "to taste".
Rating: 
Summary: The best vegan cookbook by far!
Review: If your vegan, you know that its tough to make or find good food. Every single dish (and there have been plenty of them) that I have made from this cookbook has been 100% delicious. The consistancy is impecable. I have many cookbooks and this one is by far the best. The recipes are easy to follow and the varity of dishes is what keeps me opening it up night after night. I recommend this cookbook to anyone who is interested in having GOOD vegan food. I have served some dishes from this book to my non vegan or non vegetarian friends and they have said "wow, i could totally go vegan if you cooked for me." You wont be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Vegan Planet -- Culinary Worldbeat
Review: In her newest cookbook Vegan Planet, Robin Robertson creates the culinary equivalent of worldbeat music: an intriguing fusion of elements from diverse culture. Like worldbeat, her recipes interweave the familiar and exotic in surprising, enjoyable harmonies. This global trek takes many colorful excursions into less-charted cookbook territory: "Chutneys, Salsas, and Other Condiments," "Food that Sizzles," "Simply Stuffed," and "New World Pizza." Robertson also makes numerous side-trips beyond the recipe border, with sections on nutrition, food selection, cooking techniques, serving ideas, menus, and much more. Every recipe I made produced a flavorful result. The "Tuscan-Style Pasta with Chickpeas, Zucchini and Rosemary" was deliciously seasoned. The "Balsamic-Glazed Carrots and Kale" and "Quinoa and Pan-Fried Corn with Orange Zest and Chives" complemented each other as parts of one meal. Combining corn with quinoa is a great idea, as it adds much-needed textural interest; the orange flavoring works beautifully in this. The "Ultimate Shepherd's Pie" was so good, we could hardly stop eating it. I did make the occasional adjustment due to personal preferences. For the "Farmhouse Vegetable Soup," I felt the vegetables were just-right after simmering for only twenty minutes, rather than the recommended forty. I reduced the tempeh by one-third in the "Curried Chickenless Salad Sandwiches." The resulting ingredient balance seemed perfect, and still made four generous servings. Finally, the "Curried Lentils with Carrots and Peas" turned out both very tasty, and Indian-restaurant hot; I'll cut back on cayenne next time. I enjoyed all the recipe results so much, that I'm sorry to interject a less-positive note -- but for me, the book was somewhat hard to use. For one thing, the ingredient lists -- in tiny, mustard-color print -- were very hard for me to read, especially while trying to work fast. Moreover, Robertson's basic ingredient palette is quite different from mine. Parsley, celery, olives, chipotles, shallots, alcoholic beverages, shiitake and oyster mushrooms -- all common in these recipes -- are rarely on hand in my kitchen, which meant a number of extra trips to the store. Finally, a lot of the recipes are labor-intensive, with much chopping, parboiling, and making separate sauces; none of them took me less than an hour to prepare. But these are minor quibbles. They may mean that Vegan Planet won't become my first choice for weekday dinners, but I'll certainly turn to it often when I entertain. Here's the bottom line: every recipe I tried was delicious, looked attractive, and worked.
Rating:
Summary: If I could only have one cookbook, this would be the one!
Review: Ms. Robertson has written a very comprehensive, easy to use cookbook. She presents a vast array of recipes; there are 20 chapters covering all aspects of a meal, including appetizers ("Love at First Bite"), "Soups that Satisfy", "Salads and Slaws", "Veggies in the Middle", "Going with the Grain", "From the Stew and Chili Pot", "The Global Oven", "A Bakers Dozen of Breads", and "Desert Heaven", to name a few of the chapters. The recipes are uncomplicated, using ingredients easy to find in almost any grocery store. Although a few recipes call for using tofu, tempeh, etc., most of the recipes focus on the abundant varieties of vegetables, grains, and beans that are readily available. There are multiple dishes that could stand alone as a complete meal. For the ambitious cook wanting to create a meal of multiple dishes, one can almost randomly select a variety of dishes from several of the chapters to create a meal of dishes that seem to naturally complement one another. In addition to being healthy for ourselves, the animals, and our planet, the recipes also taste great. Each of the recipes I've tried thus far have been wonderful. At this point I've made enough of the dishes that I feel confident that I could make any of the recipes in the book for the first time and serve it to company, knowing that each of the recipes is sure to taste great. The dishes are also very visually appealing due to the color combinations of the various ingredients. This is a great book for either a novice or a long-standing vegan. It's also a terrific book to give others who are exploring a vegan diet as all the recipes are certain to please. Some of the recipes I've tried (and loved!) thus far include: Here's My Heart Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette, Ancient Grains on Wild Greens, Rosemary-Lemon Potatoes with Black Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Caribbean Rice with Red Beands and Chiles, Alfredo-Style Fettuccine, Mediterranean Bean Ragout, Grilled Portobellos with rosemary Roasted Vegetables, Spiced Apple-Walnut Muffins, and Mom's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies- Only Better.
Rating:
Summary: great Vegan cooking and lifestyle
Review: Not only are there hordes of recipes, but also a wonderful section on vegan lifestyle and helpful things to know for new vegans (like vegan egg substitutes, where to buy vegan shoes, and how you are helping to save the planet). It's written in a friendly, fun to read style, but without skimping on the hard facts of the omnivore diet and it's global implications. Also buy How it all Vegan, Garden of Vegan, and anything by John Robbins.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, Easy Recipes
Review: Tasty, easy to make recipes. Ingredients are easy to find. I've shared this book and others have enjoyed it as well.
Rating:
Summary: fantastic book with large variety of recipes!
Review: This book is great for anyone who enjoys variety. There are many dishes to choose from and divided into categories to make it pretty easy for you. I enjoyed the curry dishes in here, the Red Bean and Sweet Potato Curry is fantastic. I did not care if it had pictures because I do not really need them. (But if you like to follow pictures of each dish this is not the book for you) Once you have been cooking for some time you like to ad lib on recipes to add your own extra flair and you can do that with these recipes. I did not think they were bland at all. You need to have great spices and fresh ingredients for any recipe to turn out in any cookbook. Most items (except for some of the oriental dishes)can be found at your local supermarket.
The majority of recipes are really easy, and there are a few more time consuming for weekend meals. I definately recommend this book to anyone who enjoys vegan cuisine, with simple ingredients and great flavor.
Rating:
Summary: Good for you and delicious too!
Review: This book makes an excellent gift for someone just starting to explore the vegetarian lifestyle. Surprisingly, it is also an excellent resource for the tried-and-true vegan. For those just familiarizing themselves with the vegan diet, the author explains all potentially new terminology and describes common ingredients used in vegan food preparation: tofu, seitan, and miso for instance. For the most part, his recipes use readily-accessible ingredients, available in most supermarkets. In the rare cases where exotic ingredients are called for, the appendix lists mail-order sources for those who may not live near a natural food store. The book starts with an excellent first chapter on nutrition. The author notes that a vegan diet provides all essential nutrients, though without proper supplementation it can be deficient in vitamin B12. This deficiency is often considered by those reluctant to switch to a vegetarian diet as the "Achilles Heel" of a vegan diet. In fact, having just one easily-remedied deficiency makes the standard non-vegan diet look pretty awful in comparison. While a standard dairy-and-meat-based diet may not be deficient in vitamin B12, it is certainly problematic in its propensity to cause heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, and a wide range of other serious illnesses. In fact, as the author points out, a comprehensive set of long-term studies on diet and health done at Cornell University indicates that 80 to 90 percent of all cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other forms of degenerative illness are directly linked to the consumption of meat and dairy products. Talk about an Achilles Heel! Interspersed between the recipes in this book are lots of hidden gems including lists of 10 environmental reasons to go vegan, 12 really great health reasons to go vegan, 7 great reasons to eat soy every day, and 9 compelling ethical reasons to go vegan. The author provides useful kitchen tips, such as stove-top cooking times for 15 kinds of grains and for 13 different beans. Nutritional profiles are provided for many foods, including the vitamin, mineral, and fatty acid content of 16 different nuts and seeds and 10 different kinds of sea vegetables. For those interested in switching away from use of white sugar, the author introduces the alternative natural sweetener called stevia. He also provides guidelines for using maple syrup in place of white sugar in baking (indicating how to reduce the liquid in your recipe when you use a liquid sweetener instead of sugar). Furthermore, the author explains how to bake using egg alternatives. Gosh, I haven't even mentioned the recipes themselves yet! The collection of tempting tasties covers the whole spectrum from A (Adzuki beans) to Z (Zucchini). 20 chapters of recipes provide great ideas for tasty chutneys, gnocchi, curries, pizzas, burgers, pancakes, "cheesecake", and so much more. This is the most comprehensive vegetarian cookbook I've ever come across. This book is a great addition to any library of cookbooks, helpful to vegetarians and soon-to-be vegetarians alike. (Even meat-eaters won't feel deprived by the very creative recipes in this book.) I can't resist giving Vegan Planet my highest recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: Best vegan cookbook I have
Review: This cookbook is a great one to have on hand just to flip through when you don't know what to make for dinner. Most of the recipes I've tried have come through like a charm. However, a couple are flops (the "sour cream" is so not right!). The main thing that I like about this cookbook is that, unlike so many vegan cookbooks, its recipes don't rely on nutritional yeast. So for vegans who don't like the stuff - you won't find it much here! But, it is more complex than a basic 'how to make toast' kind of cookbook. My favorite recipe is, by far, the ginger-spiced cashew scones. mmmm. amy
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