Book Review: Vegan Yum Yum by Lauren Ulm

A current trend is that popular vegan blogs spin off into books. Why buy a book when you can get very similar content on a blog, you might ask? My answer is that there’s nothing like a bound book that you can take to bed, to the kitchen, and on the train, something that will last long beyond the little button you click that says “Older Posts.” And that is the history ofVegan Yum Yum, a luscious blog profusely illustrated with photographs by Lauren Ulm, a talented young cook, writer, and photographer.

Vegan Yum Yum’s subtitle is Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining & Every Day. Lauren seems to favor a lot of ingredients that I like and use a lot, including tofu, seitan, kale, corn, and broccoli, so even without turning a burner on, I was off to a good start with this book.

I’ve made the Corn Fritters, Crispy Sesame Kale, Smoky Miso Tofu Sandwiches (minus the Sandwich part), Chicken-Syle Seitan, and Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta. All came out well and passed the ease, reliability, and above all, the ”yum yum” test. I have post-its on many more recipes; in fact, there are few in here that don’t sound really good to me, and even fewer that don’t look really good, as a photo accompanies each recipe. I also enjoyed the Tahini Lemon Rice and Beans, which features seitan and kale, and is topped with shredded raw carrot. What could be bad?

Vegan Yum Yum is a fun book filled with hearty meals (even the salads are hearty!) and graced with some nice baked goods and desserts as well. We’re lucky to have such talented young foodies like Lauren in this world. Read more about Vegan Yum Yum (published by Health Communications, Inc., 2009).

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