Colleen Patrick-Goudreau: A Colorful Companion for Vegans

Aside / by / March 9, 2011 / 22 Comments

I recently added two Colleen Patrick-Goudreau books, Color Me Vegan and Vegan’s Daily Companion, to my library.

Vegan’s Daily Companion

This book got me on Day One.  Let me back up.  The Vegan’s Daily Companion is a collection of 365 essays and recipes, one a day.  Day One? Kale!  In this entry Patrick-Goudreau describes the nutrition-dense vegetable and offers suggestions on how to use kale. Throughout the year you will find essays and recipes, categorized by day:

Monday: For the Love of Food
Tuesday:  Compassionate Communication
Wednesday:  Optimum Health for Body, Mind, and Spirit
Thursday:  Animals in the Arts: Literature and Film
Friday: Stories of Hope, Rescue, and Transformation
Saturday – Sunday:  Healthful Recipes

As someone who has followed a vegan diet for one year and is finding herself more firmly in the ethical vegan camp, it’s a terrific book. In short essays Patrick-Goudreau equips a new vegan with how to talk about the vegan diet and lifestyle and shares stories and essays on the non-dietary aspect of veganism — the animals. As a lover of literature, I’m enjoying the film and literary recommendations.  And I love that on the weekend — when I do most of my cooking — there are recipes.

I decided the best way to choose a recipe was simply to pick up the book, let it open, and thumb to the next Saturday-Sunday recipe entry.  Lucky me! I landed on page 132 and found Nut Butter Dip (A.K.A. Crack Dip).

One bite of this surprisingly spicy and sweet and savory creaminess and you’ll understand the addictive nature, too. I have enjoyed it with apples, celery, carrots and crackers.

I highly recommend Vegan’s Daily Companion for new vegans.  It covers the spectrum of the vegan lifestyle.  You get nutrition facts and recipes. And you are also gently, and compassionately, reminded that it really is about the animals.

Color Me Vegan

Many friends on Twitter suggested that I pick up a copy of Color Me Vegan, specifically because of my love for green foods.  Earlier this year, when making a rather massive vegan cookbook order on Amazon, I finally did. Patrick-Goudreau offers a variety of plant-based recipes by color/section— a creative way to encourage us to eat varied, nutritious foods from each color, each day.  In every hued section you will find starters and salads, soups and stews, sides, main dishes and desserts.

While you may think that I went directly to the green section when looking for a recipe, I did not. Instead, I perused my cupboards, counter and refrigerator. I wanted to see how many recipes I could make simply by what I already had on hand—this is sort of how I judge cookbooks.  Color Me Vegan passed that test.  I had almost too many choices!

When unsure, go with what you know. I know kale.  I found myself in the Orange section “The ‘beta’ to see you with.”  I prepared the Citrus Salad (p. 46) in no time flat.

This bowl of fruit and vegetables will be a mainstay in my weekly diet.

I’ll conclude with this.  While, yes, I want a cookbook that offers recipes with ingredients I typically have on hand, I do love to be challenged. I look forward to picking up ingredients for the Lavender-Roasted Purple Potatoes and Purple Onions (p 147).  Color Me Vegan is an excellent addition to your vegan cookbook collection.

Do you have one or both of these books? Share your thoughts and / or favorite recipes!

***

A big thank you to one my favorite bloggers, Keri of I Eat Trees, for inviting me to guest post!  Check out Lessons From A Vegan Newbie in the Kitchen and be sure to follow Keri Twitter and Facebook.

I was also honored to be featured on VeganConsultant.com in a Q&A about why I went vegan. You can follow Vegan Consultant on Twitter and Facebook.

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22 thoughts on “Colleen Patrick-Goudreau: A Colorful Companion for Vegans”

  2. Thanks for the book recommendations, JL! I was wondering if there was a good ‘primer’ or ‘Veganism for Dummies’ book available. I did an online search for “Vegan’s Daily Companion” in my library system and the resulting list included books by John James Audubon and Charles Darwin, about official White House china and the complete short stories of Somerset Maugham. I’ll be spending the rest of the day puzzling out the connections. Off to Amazon.com I go. 🙂

  3. Color Me Vegan is definitely on my list!
    Thank you so much for the link, JL! 🙂

  4. Thanks for the reviews. I haven’t heard of the first book, but have the 2nd one on my wish list.

  5. I am a little dissapointed by Color me Vegan. I tried 2 recipes which didn’t turn out well at all. I’m hoping for success with some others. Love Joy of Vegan baking, though.

    1. That’s too bad, Robin. I suppose there will be some hit and misses. Thanks for the reminder about J of V B. I’m not much of a baker so I’m hoping that book might nudge me along. Need to add to my wish list!

  6. I don’t have either cookbook but I LOVE her podcast…I listen to it during my long commute and even though she’s preaching to the choir with me…I’m mesmerized. It’s a free podcast and there are tons of back episodes (I’m still catching up).

      1. I want both of these! I really like the vegan table too. her podcast is what started my vegan journey more than two years ago…i (reluctantly) downloaded a few of the “food” only episodes and i was HOOKED. i listened to them all and went on a research binge and never looked back!

  7. Very cool on the guest posts! I don’t have either of these books and have yet to add a cooked vegan book to my collection! But these sound great, especially Color Me vegan.

  8. Great recommendation! I am not vegan, but love vegan foods because they are so creative/inspiring. Not to mention tasty. 🙂

  9. I love love love Color Me Vegan. Everything Colleen writes is gorgeous, thought-provoking and well laid-out. So happy you got these books.

  10. I love the orange-glazed tempeh. Superior replacement for mandarin chicken I used to ear!

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