#quarto publishing

I drew this with help from Draw Amazing Faces by Pypah Santos, and I can't recommend the book enough!

I've never seen this tip for side profile drawing before reading Draw Amazing Faces by Pypah Santos, but I really like it tbh

It feels intuitive for me, and I usually roll with artistic advice that meshes with my brain, lol

REVIEW

Vegan Fast Food by Brian Watson

Copycat Burgers, Tacos, Fried Chicken, Pizza, Milkshakes, and More!

 Feasting on the photos was a delight and made me drool…would love to have picked up a burger ready to eat right from one of those pages but instead hope to make one at home in the future, if I can find the ingredients here in Lebanon.

 What I liked:

* The gorgeous photos with every recipe

* Concise recipes that are easy to follow

* The ingredients are probably easy to find in the West and sources and products are recommended

* Reading about variations on how to grill the burgers

* That there was one bean burger I can probably find the ingredients for locally

* That there were alternatives offered for basic “not-meat” ingredient

* Safety tips

* Kitchen tools, tips, and suggestions

* How closely the vegan recipes resembled the real fast foods

* Recipes I’d like to try: rice paper bacon, vegan Ranch Dressing Recipe and other condiments, actually… a lot of them!

* Kind of wondered about the nutritional information on the recipes but perhaps it is better NOT to know ;)

* The variety of recipes provided

 What I didn’t like:

* That many of the recipes are ones I probably cannot make locally as many ingredients are not available in Lebanon and if they are, they are prohibitively expensive due to the current local economy.

 Did I like this book? Yes

Would I give it as a gift to someone? Yes

 Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 5 Stars

      BLURB

REVIEW

The Plant Protein Revolution by Robin Robertson

 Supercharge Your Body with More Than 85 Delicious Vegan Recipes Made with Protein-Rich Plant-Based Ingredients

 With decades of experience cooking vegan meals, preparing recipes for cookbooks, and sharing her information, Robin Robertson has once again presented a book with wonderful vegan recipes to prepare for family and friends. This time the focus is on protein and how to provide it in vegan meals.

 I have and use Robertson’s book with 1000 recipes and have taken more than one dish to potlucks made from that cookbook. Each time they have been a hit. I have taken the Veganuary challenge for the last three years and every year come closer to becoming vegan 24/7 year round. With this goal in mind I am always on the lookout for new recipes and cookbooks that use readily available, inexpensive ingredients used in tasty sounding meals. Living overseas a lot of ingredients are not easy to find so “basics” are my mainstays.

 The book begins with an Introduction and is followed by a section on plant protein before moving on to the recipes. I was especially on the lookout for bean, seed, nut and grain recipes since tofu, plant milks and other commercially produced items are hard to find in Lebanon…or exorbitantly expensive. The chapters are then presented as follows: appetizers & snacks, salad power, super sandwiches, stovetop simmers & skillets, from the oven, breakfasts of champions, protein rich sweets and finally plant protein basics…with of course some references, acknowledgements, information about the author and an index. Scattered throughout the pages are boxes in gold with tidbits, words of wisdom, and other information.

 What I liked:

* The photographs

* The information and chart on protein

* Allergies information

* Substitutions

* How to add more protein

* Nutritional Analysis

* Layout of recipes

* Introduction to each recipe

* Flavor palette ideas I might be able to play with

* Variety of nations included

* Comfort foods – or what sounded like comfort foods to me

* Basic recipes to create replacements for some meats and dairy products, mayonnaise, and such.

 What I didn’t like:

*  Knowing that to make many of the recipes that sounded good would require substitutions since many ingredients common in the West are not available where I live.

 Did I like this cookbook? Yes

Would I read more cookbooks by this author? Yes

 Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing-Harvard Common Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 4-5 Stars

   BLURB

REVIEW

The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet, revised and updated by Joni Marie Newman

More than 100 plant-based recipes for vegan burgers, fries and more

Vegetarianism and Veganism is not new to me. Living overseas where commercial convenience foods found in the USA are not easily found it does make the lifestyle somewhat more challenging. Only in the last few years have I found vital wheat gluten, TVP is relatively new, tofu options are limited and though the “health food” options are on the rise they are still limited by Western standards. That said, the produce found in Lebanon is phenomenal year round and many fast foods are vegan or easily vegan-ized.

When I saw this book I thought, “Hooray! I will find recipes I can make easily.” and that is not exactly true as some of those items mentioned above that are not easily found are listed in many of the recipes in this book. That said, I did get a LOT of fun ideas for enhancing the veggie burgers I currently make and look forward to using some of those ideas in the near future. I may ask my daughter to pick this book up for me before she comes next time to visit so I can have a hands-on copy near at hand.

What I liked:

* The photographs

* The way the chapters are set up and what is included in them

* The variety of flavor options

* The allergy indicator icons for every recipe

* The introduction to each recipe

* The “so vegan” comment at the bottom of each recipe

* The notes and recipes for homemade or store bought items like mayonnaise

* The addition of bread recipes

* The ideas I came away with

What I wished for:

* A basic recipe to play with that does not require items I can’t find locally (liquid smoke, nutritional yeast, tempeh, etc)

Overall I believe this is a book I would like to have in my cookbook library and I know that if I ever return to the USA to live I would pick up a copy to use in my home.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43251351-the-best-veggie-burgers-on-the-planet-revised-and-updated

BLURB

Ella Queen of Jazz is a Young Reader’s Introduction to a Music Legend

Ella Fitzgerald’s name is no stranger to the realm of music legends now, but this almost wasn’t the case. Helen Hancocks tells the story of Ella Queen of Jazz is an enjoyable children’s book that addresses the talent of Fitzgerald, while also showing the racism faced by African American performers.

The illustrations in Ella Queen of Jazz are fun to flip through and the book is enjoyable. Be…