Bake and Destroy: Good Food for Bad Vegans

Vegan food isn’t all raw vegetables and marinated tofu dishes. Vegan food, just like the people who are cooking it, can have a ton of personality when it is done right and Bake and Destroy: Good Food for Bad Vegans is definitely not short on personality. The cookbook offers up dozens of recipes that deliver a lot of flavor – and demonstrate a lot of creativity – that should prove to any doubters that vegan food can be delicious.

The book has a fun, funky feel to it – something you pick up on immediately after looking at the illustrations tattooing the cover. They’re found throughout the book, adding a little extra flair to the recipes. The recipes also have fun names, like Crouching Cornbread, Hidden Broccoli; You Don’t Know Jack Hash; and the Non Cop Out Tofu Scramble. Beautiful photos (some adorned with additional doodles, like the cover art) illustrate each of the recipes in a little more serious way and they make them look seriously good. The book opens with desserts and sweets, then moves on to chapters that include Morning Munchies, Party Hard Entrees, Snacks and Sides. The final chapter includes some definitions of terms and ingredients, as well as suggestions for equipment you might need to make the recipes.

All of the recipes in the book are very accessible, and just about all of the ingredients should be readily available at your local grocery store, so getting started on anything that catches your eye is easy. The instructions are all clearly written, and this delivers a great introduction to vegan cooking and baking even for those who aren’t familiar with it – and it definitely provides lots of flavorful recipes ideas for those who are already familiar with vegan cooking. It isn’t all health food – with Samoas-inspired cupcakes and whoopie pie recipes in the mix – but it is a bit healthier thanks to the fact that you’ll find new ways to eat your vegetables in this book in between all those funky illustrations.