A MUST-HAVE for all vegan students - cook with only a microwave! (PETA's Vegan College Cookbook)

Member Name: InsaneStar

Product:	PETA's Vegan College Cookbook
Date:	04/05/09 (43 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Simple and clear recipes, all vegan, a recipe for every occasion and you only need a microwave!

Disadvantages: No finished product pictures and very America (ingredients and measurements).

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is an animal rights group that are mainly based in America but they're slowly branching across the globe.

PETA's Vegan College Cookbook can be bought directly from PETA (so some of the funds go towards them) or it can be bought much more cheaply from Amazon.

It's a very new book and was only released in April 2009.

It contains 275 vegan recipes that can all be made using simple ingredients and a microwave!

As all the recipes are vegan they contain no meat, eggs, milk, cheese, honey or any other animal products but some do include faux alternatives for example vegan mayonnaise or meat-free sausages.

The book is split into two parts: What you need to know and recipes you'll love.

It starts with a foreword from Ingrid Newkirk, PETA's president and then has an acknowledgments page.

Part One: What You Need to Know
This starts with a brief section about microwaves and safety tips. These may seem like common sense but it IS a book for college students, some of whom may have never cooked before. Plus I guess PETA are covering their backs so they don't get sued if someone has a kitchen accident.
There's a quick section on what vegans can eat and the staple foods you should stock your kitchen with.
Lastly there's a long list of vegan alternatives to meat, eggs, dairy etc. but most of these are American brands and very few are available to the UK.

Part Two: Recipes You'll Love
This is split into thirteen sections: Breakfast, sandwiches, spotlight on peanut butter, salads, soups & stews, spotlight on ramen, sauces & dressings, dinner, drinks, dips, snacks, spotlight on potatoes and desserts.
Every section starts with a small paragraph explaining the recipes and a 'Did You Know?' containing vegan facts.
Each recipe is no longer than a page long and contains very few assembly steps. They all have "hip" names like 'Pimp my ramen noodles', 'Road trip red beans and rice' and 'Exam week fuel' which I find a little irritating yet fun at the same time!
All the measurements are in American units i.e. cups so some conversion will be necessary for students in the UK (a quick rule I use that seems to work: one American cup is about half a UK mug!)
There are no pictures of the completed recipes which I would've found useful to check if my dish looked like it was supposed to!

The book ends with an ingredients index and a bit about the authors.

I find this book very easy to read and understand. The pages are simple and uncluttered. There are a few pictures of vegetables and bread so it doesn't seem so bare but these don't intrude at all.
Some of the recipes seem repetitive and maybe too simple but, as I said before, this is aimed at college/university students so it's been made as uncomplicated as possible. I think it's great that you only need a microwave as many student digs don't have ovens; I wish this book had been published when I was at uni!

I can personally recommend this book and the recipes as I helped contribute to it! (My name is even in the acknowledgments, yay!)

I have tried many of the recipes myself and if I can manage to cook using them, then anyone can!

Summary: A must-have for all vegan students, especially those who are a bit hopeless at cooking...like me!