Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes Reviews

• 
  Elevate Difference

  My library copy of Vegan with a Vengeance shouldn’t have been returned. Not in the state it was in after it lived in my kitchen for five renewed status cycles (the maximum number I was allowed before I had to return it to my local library). The book shouldn’t have been returned because it smelled like food. A cookbook, naturally, absorbs the effort of its teachings: oils and buttered thumb prints, dried arrow root smudges, and one small berry stain on two of the pages when I tried to turn them with fruit juice-stained fingers. Luckily, I don’t have to return Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s newest book, Appetite for Reduction, which is doomed to the same fate as its predecessor: lovingly used with pages that are turned with excitement, torn at its edges and bearing of all kinds of quirky marks, compliments of the daring cook.
  
  Moskowitz discloses her personal health reasons that resulted in her decision to find more recipes that are lighter in caloric intake. She also stresses her reluctance to contribute to the war on bigger bodied women. So what does Moskowitz do? She writes a cookbook for vegan stomachs searching lowfat, delicious recipes. For those in the vegan community who are also health conscious, Moskowitz has delivered the goods on a plate too irresistible to deny.
  
  Isa Chandra Moskowitz is the best friend we’re all looking for: she writes in a way we understand, a language that is easily understood and humorous. She is also the cook we want for our healthy lives and families. She gets it. She gets that we don’t want to give up taste and satisfaction for healthy living. With this book, she dismantles the notion that vegan eating and cooking is not either extreme of the rumor spectrum. Veganhood is not bland rabbit food, nor is it substituting large amount of full fat in place of flavor.
  
  From funky hummus creative ideas to “OMG Oven-Baked Onion Rings,” from sides to satisfying full entrée ideas, Moskowitz turns your vegan kitchen upside down, shakes out the fat, and replaces it with novel and tasty ideas to keep your mind interested and your tongue happy you tried something new. For this, I raise my spatula to Moskowitz with a need and heartfelt thank you. Vegan or omnivore, you will find something to rave about and savor in Appetite for Reduction.
  
  Written by: Lisa Factora-Borchers
• 
  Maggie

  I'm not a vegan. In fact, I'm not even a vegetarian. But I am someone who likes a variety of foods and is always looking for fast, healthy recipes. I bought this book after being a fan of Isa's Post Punk Kitchen website, and a few months later, I can say it was a great investment.
  
  I've really liked every recipe I've tried from this book. The writing style here is friendly, funny, and very easy to follow. There are a few more involved recipes, but there are plenty for when you're crunched for time and still want to eat something fresh and healthy.
  
  The nutrition information is provided for every recipe, as is information about whether or not the recipe is gluten- or soy-free, and there's a great introduction that talks about the different vitamins and minerals we get from fresh vegetables. A few of my friends are vegans, and a few also have wheat allergies, so I'm thrilled to have plenty of recipes to choose from if I'd like to cook for them.
  
  I highly recommend this cookbook for herbivores and omnivores alike (even if you decide to add a little bacon to your black-eyed peas and collards...)
• 
  susie

  I feel weird adding a cookbook to my "read" list, but I really think cookbooks are some of the most often referenced/read books in my house, and this is my favorite one of all. Isa's a genius.
  
  Everything I've made from this cookbook has been both easy to prepare and unbelievably delicious. It's taught me so much about whipping up a simple, quick, healthy meal. I've bought many copies as gifts for friends and family & would recommend it to anyone interested in cooking, especially vegans and vegetarians (or people who are just trying to keep a low fat diet going) who want to cook more for themselves but feel frustrated with the elaborate 40-ingredient, 3 hour dishes that many other cookbooks suggest.
• 
  Lisa Vegan

  A cookbook doesn’t have to be perfect for me to give it 5 stars. This is a 5 star book for me. It’s more perfect than most. Yes, I don’t use salt when I cook and I’d use even less oil than appears in some of these recipes, trying to lose weight or not, but most of the recipes are innovative and creative in how to maximize flavor using mostly healthy ingredients. The world isn’t the way it was when I first went vegan and, before that when I first went vegetarian. Now very available are plentiful vegan junk foods, vegan desserts, and other high caloric density, high fat, high sugar, and heavily processed vegan foods. So, I welcome books such as these, especially because over the past couple of months I’ve started losing some of the weight I gained over six and a half years ago when I hurt my knees and had to severely reduce my activity level. (This is the second weight control focused vegan cookbook I’ve read recently. The other book was Color Me Vegan: Maximize Your Nutrient Intake and Optimize Your Health by Eating Antioxidant-Rich, Fiber-Packed, Color-Intense Meals by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, who is another Goodreads’ author member.) The author of this book does share some of why she wanted to create these recipes and, yes, a part of it was the time she spent writing her all vegan cupcakes book. As is usual for this author, the book is written in an entertaining way; it’s fun to read. I do appreciate that she pays attention to cost and alerts the reader about costly ingredients.
  
  I love the layout and organization of this book, even though all the photos are in the center (with page number of the recipes, which is helpful.) About 36 of the recipe results are photographed; in some photos two or three dishes appear together. I wish every recipe had an accompanying photo; the ones that are there look fabulous!
  
  There is a mini nutrition lesson at the beginning of the book that I did not need, but for novices to vegan eating or nutrition, it’s a good addition. The second listed author of the book is a R.D.
  
  The recipes have icons for: gluten-free, soy-free, 30 minutes or under, and downtime. (I love downtime!) Throughout the book there are text boxes for: tip, nutrition tip, note, bulk it up, ingredient scavenger hunt, etc.
  
  For each recipe there is quite a bit of additional information given: number of servings, active time, total time, and per serving calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat (I think always 0), total carb, fiber, sugars, protein, cholesterol (definitely always 0 since all the recipes are vegan), sodum, and (%) vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.
  
  All sorts of recipe preparation tips are given. I like that she gives steaming times for various vegetables, variations for hummus, variations for marinara sauce, and other such useful information. Best of all, in addition to the regular index, there is a recipe by icon appendix too. Even better, virtually all the recipes look quick and easy to prepare, and the author makes following these recipes look so doable.
  
  Some recipes that looked particularly enticing to me are lasagna with roasted cauliflower ricotta & spinach, baked falafel, Bistro broccoli chowder, Edamame pesto for pasta dishes, Arabian lentil & rice soup, yam & black bean soup with orange & cilantro, cauliflower mashed potatoes (caulipots), polenta stuffing, oven-baked onion rings, mushroom & cannellini paprikas, eggplant-chickpea curry, chipotle chili with sweet potatoes & Brussels sprouts, lentil & eggplant chili mole, fresh corn & scallion corn bread, sweet potato drop biscuits, cauliflower pesto soup, tortilla soup, guacamole, and (amazing because I very rarely like any salad dressings) green goddess garlic dressing.
  
  Contents:
  
  Introduction
  Metric Conversion Chart
  Mission: Nutrition
  About the Recipe Icons
  
  Chapter 1. Full-On Salads
  Chapter 2. Totally Stuffed Sides
  Chapter 3. Rub-Your-tummy Veggies
  Chapter 4. Main Event Beans
  Chapter 5. Sink-Your-Teeth-Into Tofu & Tempeh
  Chapter 6. Talk Pasta To Me (& Noodles!)
  Chapter 7. Soul-Satisfying Soups
  Chapter 8. Comfort Curries, Chili, & Stews
  The Elements of a Bowl
  The Importance of Eating Sandwich
  
  Acknowledgments
  Appendix: Recipes by Icon
  Index
  About the Authors
• 
  Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629)

  First off great title, right? I feel like I should be listening to my GNR tape while reading.
  
  The author, straightaway, makes it known that this is not our mother’s low-fat cookbook. (Thank God!). She then pointed out that the book was designed with the busy week night chef in mind (can we get a second thank God?!).
  
  The author promises I’ll become the mayor of the produce aisle. Hot damn! I can’t wait for the inaugural ball.
  
  The writer is very tongue-in-cheek (don’t worry that is vegan friendly, I checked). In speaking of the salads of yore she states: “there was a time, a lonely lonely time, when salads were a pale and limp affair, regulated to the side of your plate, practically weeping. I think those dark days were also known as the 80s”. Haha
  
  She then closes the salad paragraph with: “sometimes it’s nice to time travel back to those days when haircuts for asymmetrical, Axl ruled the airwaves, and the salad was just a salad”. She's a hoot!!
  
  The fact that Isa uses “lettuce begin” as a paragraph opener surely must mean we were separated at birth!
  
  Full disclosure: although there are not a gaggle of colorful photos in the book I felt they were not necessary and I actually did not miss them. But those recipes that did have photos included (center of book) were treated very well. The photos had a vintage\Amy Butler feel to them.
  
  Oh yeah – the author has a cat. That is ace in my book (Pun intended).
  
  I also totally loved the author’s use of the word “loverly” [mmmm, mmmm wouldn’t it be loverly…]
  
  The author, Isa, also offers a great feature on certain recipes: “ ingredient scavenger hunt”. Here she provide some important information regarding any lesser-known foodstuffs.
  
  One of the most important tidbits of information I picked up from this book was that lentils are nutritional rock stars! Rock on Wayne… Rock on lentil.
  
  I highly recommend this book for anybody who cooks or would like to learn how to cook. You don't have to be vegan. You don't have to be a vegetarian. You don't have to be a carnivore. I don't think cannibals would like this book though. Yes so maybe cannibals shouldn’t buy it. But anybody else who eats should buy this book. You can then come over and make my following favorite recipes for me:
  
  Quinoa Puttanesca
  Curried Chickpeas and Grains
  Eggplant Chickpea Curry
  Lentil and Eggplant Chili Mole
  
  Note to Isa: I'm sorry I must pet the cat the instant I walk in the door. But I promise cooking the grains will come before kissing the husband :)
• 
  Gina

  After making six of the recipes, I think I can definitively say that this is the best cookbook in the universe. My zillions of other cookbooks are getting dusty and sad. Sorry, Deborah Madison.
  
  
  Red Thai Tofu: Delicious and easy! I will make this again.
  
  Butternut Coconut Rice: Amazing, and I don't love butternut squash.
  
  Chili-Lime Rubbed Tofu: Okay. I've never been a huge fan of lemon or lime on tufu. It seemed a little bland. Maybe I need a better chili powder. I don't think I would make this again.
  
  Smoky Split Pea Soup: I will never eat a pea--fresh, canned, or frozen. I hate, hate, hate them. But this soup is goooood. I'm going to put smoked paprika on everything from now on. ETA: I looked it up and it turns out that split peas and peas are totally different things. No wonder I liked this soup.
  
  Arabian Lentil & Rice Soup: Last time I made lentil soup it had a very dog-food aura about it. This one is about a million times better. The addition of rice gives it a little texture and I love it. Easy, too. It has cumin in it, which is the only spice I ever run out of before its expiration date. Cumin smells a bit like B.O. but it is so good. ETA: My first batch got eaten up so quickly that I made a double batch a few days later. That one was gone within 24 hours. This is good soup. It's also fast and easy, or at least it would be if I was faster at chopping onions. I can't seem to get the finger curl down. ETA: I have made this at least 5 times. It is a winner.
  
  Quinoa, White Bean, and Kale Stew: I like this a lot, but I'm not sure it would be my first choice when making soup. I used cannelini beans and I suspect chickpeas might taste better. It's good, though, and a great way to eat kale (which I don't like raw). Also, I now know how to clean and cut a leek (thanks lady on youtube!) ETA: I made this again with Great Northern beans this time and liked it much better. They are slightly more subtle than cannelinis.
  
  Baked Falafel: These just might be my favorite thing from the book so far, and that's saying a lot. I have made falafel before and it was a greasy mess and didn't really taste that great. These are fabulous and really easy. I made a double batch in the time it took me to fry up about 5 falafel last time (and they were from a mix!) It's also a really, really cheap recipe. I tossed a handful of dried garbanzos in the vitamix to make the chickpea flour (this is loud, but much cheaper than buying chickpea flour if you ignore the cost of the vitamix itself) and then mixed some sesame seeds, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, water, garlic, and just a tiny bit of agave in the vitamix to make a tahini dressing (which was really more of a paste). Then we wrapped it all up in a whole wheat tortilla with spinach, cucumber, tomato, lemon juice, and hot sauce. And feta cheese, which is not vegan, but neither am I. Perfect, even if the tortilla was not authentic pita. Personally, I think pitas are way overrated. I'm never buying them again. ETA: I've made these at least 5 times--always a quadruple batch.
  
  Classic Black Bean and Veggie Chili: As written, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be crazy about this one. It looked like it might be a little on the bland side, so I used this as more of a general guide, creating my own black bean chili. This cavalier attitude had already ended in disaster once this week (nastiest black bean quinoa salad ever), but it worked out this time and this soup is pretty tasty. Mods: added two large jalapenos with the green pepper, left out corn, put in a sweet potato (small dice), instead of chili powder I used dried chipotle flakes (not a 1-1 swap), doubled the broth, doubled the beans, and put in 2 T of smoked paprika to add smoke without heat. I would have liked to up the spice a bit, but some people around here are a little wimpy about that. Plus I'm a little wary after the great Chipotle Sweet Potato Enchilada debacle of 2010, where the enchiladas were so hot they were basically inedible and by the time you got through a few bites you were already ill and bloated from all the water you had to drink. So I just put some hot sauce in my bowl instead. I also tripled the garlic, but that's standard for me. When I see a recipe that calls for 2 cloves, I put in at least 6. Always. Generally my family is so glad they don't have to cook that they don't complain. I just realized that I left out the lime and agave, too, but I didn't miss them. Oh, and the cilantro. Not a big enough fan to intentionally add it to stuff. ETA: I've made this twice.
  
  Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin Mustard Tofu Tempeh Stir Fry: Mustard is one of those things I really miss about meat. I just don't come across a lot of vegetarian meals crying out for a big glob of yellow mustard. So I have been looking forward to trying out this recipe, although I can't really review the actual recipe, since I didn't use it, but the basics are the same. Sort of. I really wanted broccoli and didn't feel like pressing tofu, so I made a stir-fry with tempeh instead of tofu wraps and I didn't use the mirin. I found the sauce to be very, very sweet, so I added some soy sauce and seasoned rice vinegar. I like it, but probably not enough to make again. I'll just have to find some other use for my French's.
• 
  Dianna

  I made a bunch of salads from this book this week. Every one was good, and the dressings were very creative. This is a vegan cookbook, but it's very compatible with WFPB eating as well, as the oil in this book is either left out or greatly reduced. I'm glad I own this book; I only wish I had tried cooking from it sooner!
  
• 
  Laurie

  I'm a definite Isa Chandra fan now (well, the Chickpea Cutlets from Veganomican had already won me over). I've been a vegetarian for almost 18 years and have lately taken to making about 40% - 50% of my meals vegan. I've never had such wonderful taste sensations and combinations as Isa Chandra makes. I really don't know how she comes up with so many delicious recipes. I really love her down-to-earth style of writing directions and all of the informative sidebars. It's like she's right there with you in the kitchen.
  
  Anyway, all of the recipes I've tried have indeed been "fast & filling" (and of course, low-fat) and quite easy. I encourage anyone to try some of these regardless of their diet. *Exception- chickpea haters need not apply.* :) Many recipes are also gluten & soy free, or can be made that way with the proper ingredients. Tons of recipes are under 30 minutes and others have plenty of "downtime", or hands-off time.
  
  The chapter subjects are salads, sides, veggies, beans, tofu & tempeh, pasta, soups, curries, chilis & stews, as well as some interesting quick little suggestions on bowls & sandwiches.
  
  I've yet to try one dish from every chapter, but I'm getting there. Here's the rundown of everything my hubby & I have tried & loved:
  
  ~Everyday Chickpeak-Quinoa Salad 3*
  ~Balsamic Vinaigrette 4*
  ~Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes 4* for flavor, 5* for lightening up mashed potatoes
  ~Silky Chickpea Gravy 4*
  ~Chickpea Piccata 3*
  ~Basic Baked Tempeh 4*
  ~Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine 4*
  ~Ceci-Roasted Red Pepper Soup 5*
  ~Bistro Broccoli Chowder 4*
  ~Caldo Verde with Crumbled Tempeh 5*
  ~I also tried her Gravy Bowl suggestion for lunch 4*
  
  I've already mentally bookmarked many more to try very soon. The only thing missing are some delicious low-fat desserts. Let's hope she's testing recipes now for another book!
• 
  Dane Cobain

  The idea behind this recipe book is to provide a range of low-fat vegan recipes, and I guess I can’t really fault it with that. The problem for me was that a lot of the dishes just tasted pretty bland, and I’m also not convinced about the measurements for the seasoning. It was always way over-seasoned, to the point at which when she said to use two teaspoons of something, what it actually needed was just a pinch.
  
  I also felt like it cheated in a lot of ways to make sure that each meal was under 500 calories. For example, a curry would be under 500 calories, but then I feel like most normal people would want to eat that with something like rice or chips. With the hoi sin mustard tofu recipe, it would have been much better served in actual wraps than served in lettuce, and whole wheat pitta wouldn’t be too bad for you.
  
  Still, there were maybe half a dozen recipes here that I liked enough to keep in my permanent rotation of recipes that I like, but that’s a surprisingly small ratio. I also appreciate the fact that not all low fat vegan recipes are going to taste amazing because by their very nature, they’re limited to a certain number of ingredients.
  
  Would I recommend this? Probably not, especially not if you’re just looking for regular vegan recipes. It’s not bad if you’re looking for low fat vegan recipes for whatever reason, but I think it’d be easier just to take regular vegan recipes and to make them low fat.
• 
  Christina Wiseman

  After making a few recipes from my copy from the library, I’ve added this book to my Amazon wish list! Recipes are easy to follow, adjustable, and taste great, without needing to search for difficult-to-find ingredients or tools.
• 
  Jennifer Hanicq

  The recipes were too hit or miss in this cookbook which is surprising for an Isa cookbook. I love Vegan with a Vengeance and also Isa Does It! Here are my thoughts on recipes I've made.
  
  Godess Nicoise Salad - Fantastic! If it didn't take so long to make, this would be a regular repeat.
  Everyday Chickpea & Quinoa - Good. Would repeat but not anything to write home about.
  Pad Thai Salad- Was disappointed. The dressing was a very strong flavor and was easy to overdo.
  Caulipots-not bad. Would make it if I needed to use up cauliflower but prefer regular mashed potatoes.
  Refried beans -Loved this! Just didn't keep for very long. Best eaten day 1-2.
  Coriander mushrooms with cherry tomatoes - Loved this! Just didn't keep for very long. Best eaten day 1-2
  Mushroom and cannelini paprika's -too strong of a flavor and felt like it wasn't quite balanced.
  Black bean, olive and zucchini tacos- great! A lot more flavor without the corn tortilla. Will probably try again over rice so the flavor isn't muted.
  Apple miso tofu -disgusting! Maybe I just don't like large amounts of miso?
  Scallion potato pancakes- also found this disgusting. It seems like she might have trouble building flavor in certain recipes without fat.
  2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma- loved with recipe with extra salt! I think unmodified it was drastically undersalted.
• 
  Lisa (Harmonybites)

  I'm partly rating this on faith, since I haven't had a chance to try many of the recipes yet. I was talking diets with a friend of mine who is a vegetarian (and note, never has had excess fat on her body in her life, sometimes I hate her. I told her I was once on the Scarsdale diet and described it to her--and her comment was that that sounded like the grimmest book on the planet--and recommended this if I wanted to cut fats from my diet. Mind you, my skinny friend uses recipes from this everyday.
  
  I, on the other hand, am very far away from the target group for this book. I'm not a vegetarian--and this isn't just vegetarian but Vegan. And this is very, very hippie. The introduction speaks much of things like "cruelty free" and animal rights and the environment. This isn't just a cookbook, nosiree, it's a cause! There's even a recipe for "Caesar Chavez Dressing." I kid you not. And that's not me. Although Moskovitz's sense of humor did mean I was more amused than irritated. This is the opening sentence of "Chapter 1 - Full-On Salads:" THERE WAS A TIME—A LONELY, LONELY TIME—WHEN SALADS were a pale and limp affair, relegated to the side of your plate, practically weeping. I think those dark days were also known as the ’80s. *snerk*
  
  I do appreciate the plethora of nutritional information. Each recipe tells you how many servings, how long it takes to make, and per serving the calories, calories from fat, total fat, trans fat, total carb, fiber, sugars, protein, cholesterol, sodium, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron. Also included are suggestions for what other recipes in the book would partner the dish well.
  
  I asked my friend some of her favorites--what I should try first. She told me the Buffalo Tempeh had become a standard with her, the mushroom tibs are delicious, the Garlicky Mushrooms and Kale a staple, the Onion Rings a treat, but the Chickpea Piccata is special. So that I decided to make first. The Grilled Portobello and Caulipots (Potatoes and Cauliflower mashed together with some broth and olive oil) were suggested as accompaniments. It was delicious! Portobello mushrooms, where have you been all my life! And the Picatta served over Arugula and the Caulipots? Nom! Nom! Nom! And this is a carnivore speaking. And btw, not someone I'd call an expert cook--but this was all easy to make.
  
  So, I'm rating this a five and calling it a hit. And I don't think I'm being premature.
• 
  Lady Jane

  There was a time-a lonely, lonely time-when salads were a pale and limp affair, relegated to the side of your plate, practically weeping. I think those dark days were also known as the '80s." (p.11)
  
  Appetite for Reduction is filled with easy, flavorful, low fat, plant-based recipes. It is perfect for the cook who is pressed for time, but isn't satisfied to exchange flavor for healthy eating. Isa Chandra Moskowitz spells out her approach to developing recipes in Veganomicon, a more comprehensive, instructive and sophisticated cousin of Appetite for Reduction. She explains that she loves strong flavors, relies heavily on her food processor, and likes easily obtainable ingredients. Check, check and check! Appetite for Reduction continues that approach with recipes using little to no oil and cane sugar. The fact that Ms. Moskowitz's fun, narrative instruction is chatty, breezy and occasionally a little bit irreverent is a bonus.
  
  Our home is what you might say "uneven" in its pursuit of plant-based, or even just healthy, eating, so I must mention how well these recipes pass my husband's skeptical scrutiny. Night after night, Ms. Moskowitz provides me with out of the ballpark hits. My husband's face is literally transformed by amazed shock at how good our latest vegan meal tastes. It happened with Big Fat Taco Salad, Cesar Salad with Eggplant Bacon, Sushi Roll Edamame Salad, and more. He couldn't get enough of Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine and would like me to make it regularly. Her recipes aren't just great "for vegan food," as though the standard for flavor is lower. They're great, period. I highly recommend Appetite for Reduction, even if you aren't pursuing "reduction" or the elimination of animal products from your diet.
  
  
• 
  Jess

  I use Appetite for Reduction all the time. I really like this cookbook. I have markers sticking out to quickly shortcut to my favorite recipes. If you are interested in a leaner vegan diet or adding healthy plant-based dishes to your current menu, this is a fun diverse resource. Isa Chandra Moskowitz has credibility and experience supporting deliciousness without using animal products. In this follow up to other books like Veganomicon and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, she reduces high calorie fats and sugars in nutrition-packed recipes.
  
  Cool Slaw is a quick-to-make-and-clean-up addition to a meal. Curried Cabbage and Peas is easy and terrific, using classic seasonings and everyday ingredients like frozen peas. Few of the dishes require complex steps and exotic ingredients. There are vegan “replacement for junk food” dishes like Buffalo Tempeh to satisfy a buffalo flavor craving. Baked falafel is fine for a lunch box. Hummus and Friends inspires additions of flavor while minimizing calorie content. I could go on. I haven’t had a failure with it yet.
  
  Simplicity is a great feature of this cookbook. The dishes are not so involved that I have to plan to use it or make a trip out of town to get something obscure. However, there are glossaries and explanations to help build a vocabulary for using new ingredients. As a bonus, nutritional contents are listed for each recipe. I like the tone and attitude as well- direct and a bit humorous. I feel like I am cooking with Isa when I make recipes from the book.
• 
  Rachel Kramer Bussel

  I bought this book not because I'm a vegan or necessarily trying to lose weight, but because I wanted to incorporate more healthy, vegan meals into my diet, and learn to cook vegetables that I want to eat but haven't found a way to make to my liking. I am a relative newcomer to cooking and often get intimidated by recipes with lots of ingredients and instructions. That's not to say those are bad recipes, but that I am less likely to make them. I like the creativity, variety and relative simplicity of the recipes here. Moskowitz takes something that I already enjoy, Brussels sprouts, but had previously only knew how to bake, and gives us shaved Brussels sprouts that are delicious and easy. I've also made the Masala curry tofu and the chil-lime rubbed tofu, both of which I enjoyed. There are recipes here for salads, sides, beans, tofu/tempeh, noodles, soups, chiles and stews. Some I know I probably won't actually make (like hummus), but just browsing them has given me lots of ideas (like forty-clove chickpeas and broccoli). And nutritional information IS provided alongside each recipe along with tips and serving suggestions. This is a great cookbook for both vegans and non-vegans offering a range of tastes (Bhutanese pineapple rice, anyone?), flavors and plenty of variety. I especially like that it has ideas for things I've been wanting to try but wasn't sure how to make as well as new to me suggestions (I had never heard of delicata squash) but the thing I most appreciate is that health and cooking basics are presented in a way that isn't intimidating to the novice cook.
• 
  Gabrielle

  I am a big fan of Miss Moscowitz, and this book is jam-packed with yummy recipes that even non-vegans can appreciate. Wanting to eat low-fat does not mean you have to sacrifice that wonderful feeling you get after a filling and satisfying meal, and this book shows you exactly how!
  
  We have enjoyed many recipes from this book, but my highlights are the pad thai salad, grilled portobellos, pasta con broccoli, marinara sauce, eggplant and chickpea curry, Moroccan chickpea and zucchini stew; delicious! I usually adjust the seasoning in most recipes I get from cookbooks, but not with these! Adventurous palates will be very pleased: as much attention has been put into making these dishes taste amazing as it has been put into making them healthy. The very precise nutritional info for each recipe is great, and the ingredients are generally very easy to get your hands on, even if the meal ends up tasting exotic. There are also plenty of tips for variations, clever ways to use leftovers, and combining recipes to create stunning meals. I refer to this book constantly when low on culinary inspiration, and I wouldn't go without it.
  
  I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a delicious home-cooked meal, but especially to people looking for low-fat recipe ideas, or to omnivores looking to use more vegetables and meat-free alternative in their cooking routines. Also check out her book "Vegan with a Vengeance".
• 
  Viènna

  I love this cookbook! Admittedly I've only actually made 4 of the 125 recipes in this book, but they were all delicious. I'd love to take credit and say that's solely because I'm a good cook, but it's the way these dishes are shaped and how the instructions are writen that really make this work. Vegan food tastes so good!
  
  Being a vegetarian, I do a fair share of vegan cooking already, but this book takes it to a different level. I love her use of spices, teaspoons instead of pinches. How even the odd ingredients give just that little extra touch to the dish. I would have loved to see Isa experiment in the kitchen, concocting these lovely meals. Love the little stories before each recipe, the little notes and tips throughout the book. There's information and inspiration everywhere.
  
  I'm going to try and make many, many more of these recipes in the coming weeks. Makes me a little disappointed to know I'm not able to get all the original ingredients in the Netherlands. A little note: some of the recipes are for pretty large portions. Since I'm cooking for one I already halved all recipes and am still able to eat for at least 3 days. Be prepared to either binge, share, or enjoy these dishes for more than one day.
  
  If you think vegan cooking is bland and uninspired, get a copy of this book and see how wrong you are!
• 
  Alana

  Love love love this cookbook! The recipes range from easy to somewhat complicated but so far they all taste great! Sometimes I add a few things or substitute something here and there and it always works out beautifully! I took this book out of the library thinking I'd try a few meals and copy down the ones I wanted to keep but I ended up tagging half the book so I decided to buy my own copy. Moskowitz breaks down everything so nicely and explains all the things a person new to vegan foods needs to know, like how to prepare tofu and when it's necessary to splurge on pre-made things and when you can make them yourself. Most of the recipes are made up of things I already keep in my kitchen regularly like red and green peppers, garlic, onions, squash and tomatoes, I only had to add a couple new spices and some tofu. Most vegan cookbooks I've encountered (eg. skinny bitch) require you to fully empty and refill your cupboards with fancy oils and things you can only find at the health food store, which isn't very practical with my budget. I'd defiantly recommend this cookbook to anyone interested in eating less or no meat.
• 
  Trish

  Comparing it to the
  Veganomicon, I'd have to say it doesn't eclipse that earlier book. I adore the things in it: OMG Oven-Baken Onion Rings, for instance. But I have an eBook edition, and I have to complain to the publishers on this one. It is many things I don't like about eCookbooks: page numbers do not relate to the eScript, the Index is not hyperlinked, no hyperlinked Table of Contents, references within the recipes should be hyperlinked...complain, complain, complain. Everyone knows that in the throes of cooking, one simply must have easy references or the references are for naught. Yes, it makes cookbooks more expensive to make as eBooks. Good reason why they should be priced higher, if need be.
  
  Anyway, I haven't lost any weight as a result of owning this book, but I can't blame Isa for that. I tend to dislike low-calorie dishes, but I'm always willing to listen. My feeling is eat less of regular food, exercise more, eat fruit instead of desserts. Of course, that means it is up to me :D
• 
  Kristy Lantz

  This book is incredible.
  
  In the past several years, I have bookmarked a number of online recipes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. All of which are vegan, and absolutely delicious.
  
  I will point out here that I'm not vegan.
  
  Yet, this doesn't matter. After taking a vacation, my husband and I used this book as an inspiration for a "one week vegan detox". How bad could it possibly be? We both figured that we could do just about anything for seven days, and this most recent experiment was no exception.
  
  Turns out, it wasn't bad at all. In fact, I'm adding an extra day, just because.
  
  Many of these recipes can be put together with ingredients that you already have in your pantry. Others require a bit more attention to detail, but the results are well worth the effort. The completed meal is tasty, flavorful, and as a rule... under 400 calories. Without even trying, we both lost some weight. Unbelievable!
  
  I should also point out that it's not just the recipes that make this cookbook so wonderful, it's the vision and creativity that the author inspires.
• 
  Lisa

  I've pulled this book off of my shelf and have been cooking with it a little at a time over the past few weeks. The salad ideas as well as the suggested "bowls" and sandwiches towards the back are invaluable. I really enjoyed the caulipots, buffalo tempeh, sweet potato biscuits, curried potatoes and greens, Caesar Chavez dressing (my new favorite), miso udon with beans and greens (very garlicky), eggplant bacon, and silky chickpea gravy (I could eat the entire batch but I resisted - I'll make a double batch next time). After these successes I'm eager to try others from this book! I think the sanctuary dressing may be next or maybe it will be the the sushi roll with edamame salad, chickpeas with forty cloves of garlic, curried chickpeas and greens, OMG baked onion rings, hoisin mustard tofu lettuce wraps, scallion potato pancakes, baked falafel, lotsa veggies lentil soup, or 2nd Ave Veg Korma. I'll be making the Thai red tofu and the pad Thai salad next week. There's a lot of goodness in this book.
• 
  Cydni Perkins

  This is a book that really works for both vegans and omnivores. I've made recipes from it for both my mom and my husband, both of whom are omni, and my mom actually went and bought her own copy because she like it so much. My husband sometimes asks me to make meals from this book. He really loved the Arabian Rice And Lentils and the Ginger Mashed Sweet Potatoes And Apples recipes, and my mom loved the Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad. My personal favorite is Miso Udon Stir-Fry With Greens And Beans. So simple and yet so yummy. Moskowitz is a talented chef and she seems to intuitively know one or two tweaks that will make a dish taste good without the addition of meat or cheese. Or sugar, which is my personal nemesis. There is no dessert section in this book, which makes it double awesome. Just hearty, delicious, wonderful food that works for lots of different seasons and occasions. I haven't made every recipe in the book...yet.
• 
  Nicol

  So you might be asking yourself (as with every new addition to the Isa Vegan library): do I really need another awesome Isa cookbook? The answer is yes! For those desperately wanting all the numbers of fiber, fat, calories, etc (which Isa leaves out of other books) is supplied here for every recipe. For calorie counting vegans or dieters, Isa offers real meals that are satisfying. I added this book to my collection for another reason. One of the dearest people to me is gluten sensitive. She isn't a vegan or vegetarian but I am so that's the way I cook. In this book, Isa offers more gluten free recipes than ever before. Also, she has new recipes for my favorite vegetable: eggplant. If you're a home cooking vegan that already loves Isa, there's really no choice here but to check this out!
• 
  Bex

  I am new to vegan cooking, and not a vegan to tell the truth. I eat meat very rarely. That out of the way, I came across post punk kitchen, and have been making recipes from there. The spaghettio's were a lot of fun. As I wander through my forties, it's time to get more serious about what I eat. I bought "Appetite for Reduction" as a way to do that, and to say "Thank you, Isa, for sharing your wonderful, creative recipes with the world."
  
  I almost forgot....If it wasn't for this book, I wouldn't have known that I actually do like brussels sprouts. Sadly, I there just will not ever be any love for eggplant.
• 
  Anula

  Not as good and enjoyable as
  Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook but equally informative and helpful when it comes to vegan cooking/baking.
  
  This book is aimed at people not only looking for plant based recipes, but also those who want to keep their weight in check.
  Personally I believe that eating mostly vegan you're already doing your body a big favour - given that your vegan food is not highly processed and your diet doesn't consist of mostly ready made meals (which is also easy and possible on a plant based diet!).
• 
  Sophie

  Basically, I want three things of a good cookbook:
  
  1. The recipes need to be easy to make and practical.
  2. The list of ingredients shouldn't contain too many exotica.
  3. The dishes should be delicious.
  
  I don't need fancy pictures or extravagant dishes - well, two or three of these don't hurt, but I want cookbooks that I can actually use in my every day life. And this one definitely delivers. I also love the way Isa Chandra Moskowitz writes - reading it feels like chatting with a friend, and it makes cooking even more fun.
  
• 
  Jennifer

  This is one of my favorite cookbooks of all time! Although I love cookbooks, I don't often use them to make recipes, they are more for inspiration. Appetite for Reduction is both! I have made many of the recipes and they are simple, flavorful, and very healthy. Since this is similar to the kind of food I tend to eat anyway, it is nice to scroll through (I bought the eBook version) and take some inspiration for a new combination of vegetables for a quick lunch, or a tasty salad dressing.
  
  This book is for everyone, and makes healthy, filling, plant-based meals a snap!
• 
  Leya

  Love it, quick easy meals from whole foods. However, I have one pretty big issue with this book: sodium. Jeezy creezy! Some of these recipes have half your daily recommended intake of sodium in just one serving. There's no reason for these meals to be this salty. In a book aimed and helping you to eat more healthfully overlooking to keep sodium at a decent level is pretty shocking. I'm not even asking for low sodium just not the salt bombs a lot of these recipes are.
• 
  Lauren Blankenship

  If I was forced to throw out all of my cookbooks and only keep one, this would be it. These recipes are delicious, full of flavor, and in my opinion (if you cook often) simple enough. I wouldn't even look at it as a "diet" cookbook; Isa just finds low fat/calorie ways to make food really flavorful (fresh herbs, spices, citrus, etc).
• 
  Kat Milby

  This is the most-used cookbook on our shelf. Really great, flavorful recipes that have yet to fail on me. I've been more willing to try a strange food or recipe just because it's in this book - since I know it will still be good! (See: Scarlet Barley.)