Pretty in Pink

Since I became a vegetarian, I started eating more cheese, eggs,… in order to get my daily dose of protein. Gradually I also began incorporating a lot of beans, lentils, tofu, seitan and what not. But then I was diagnosed with high cholesterol, forcing me to change my eating habits once again: out with the full fat cheese, eggs and butter and in with oily fish, nuts and an obscene amount of soy products.

Because I didn’t want to give up on my new vegetarian lifestyle, I tried to find a way to combine a low cholesterol diet with as little animal products as possible. I still don’t eat artery clogging meat or poultry but we do have fish at least twice a week now. Seeing as I am forced to read the labels on everything I eat, I discovered that vegetarian food is often high in fat because most pastes and burgers are filled with oil. So I was faced with a dilemma, namely where do I find low fat vegetarian cooking? The answer: Appetite for Reduction, 125 Fast and Filling Low Fat Vegan Recipes.

I doubt I’d be able to keep up a vegan lifestyle, especially seeing as my doctor ordered me to eat fish, but this book is filled with tasty and easy recipes full of gorgeous greens, tofu, quorn and all that jazz but more importantly, they’re low fat! I just loved the funky rock and roll cover (not to mention that it’s pink!) and immediately decided to give this book a go.

Although the recipes rock, the layout sadly doesn’t. The recipes aren’t illustrated, apart from a few photos in the middle, which is a shame and also the reason why I don’t use it as much as I ought to despite the fact that everything I’ve ever made has turned out great. Call me crazy, but I need visual stimulation. I often just sit on the couch, leafing through cook books just for the hell of it and dream of the scrumptious dishes I’ll serve, one day, making Appetite for Reduction less appealing. Cook books, just like travel guides (sorry Lonely Planet), need photographs, it’s as simple as that.

Founder of the Post Punk Kitchen and author of the renowned Veganomicon, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, has written a delicious and original cook book equipped with nutritional information and several innovative recipes. It’s easy, colorful and above all accessible cooking that perfectly fits into a niche audience, just don’t expect too many too many yummy pictures.