Saturday, January 14, 2012

Book Review: Rabbit Food Cookbook

Title: Rabbit Food Cookbook
Author: Beth A. Barnett
Subject: Vegan Cooking
Publisher: Sasquatch Books
Release date: October, 2011
Length: 224 pages
I got this book: from the publisher for review.

Summary:
From Goodreads:
"This isn’t just a cookbook; it’s a thoughtful and accessible guide eating well for your body and for the world. Beth Barnett is an incredibly popular illustrator and writer – and Rabbit Food is her opus. Including tips on everything from how to plant your first garden to how to sew your own reusable grocery bag, Barnett provides ample detail for living a thoughtful, sustainable life."

Personal opinion:
This book is indeed much more than just a cookbook. Beth writes about various subjects like the history of food, about nutrition for vegans, how to start your first garden, what a vegan pantry should include and cooking times on grains and beans. The book doesn't have any pictures but it is full of tiny illustrations which give the book something personal. Another personal touch is the fact that the part with the recipes is handwritten. The recipe section has various menu items like we know from most cookbooks, like soups and main courses, but also vegan baking gets a place in the book. I have two minor points about the book. One is that the main courses do rely a lot on tofu. So if you are not a tofu lover, this book isn't really for you. The other thing is that with the recipes it doesn't always state how many servings a recipe makes and I find this a bit hard to work with. It surely is a cute book that gives that bit of extra information that can make it easier to start on a vegan diet. I got an e-book for review but the real cookbook is spiral bound, which is always a plus.

Purchase links: Amazon
Other reviews: None yet.
If you have reviewed this book and want your link here, please leave a comment with the link, and I will add it :)

Of course here is a recipe from the book. I choose an easy, low budget pasta recipe to make. I loved the white beans in a pasta dish. I never had that before. 


Pasta with White Beans (serves 3)
- 2 cups pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced (I used spring onion)
- 3 cloves of garlic, choped
- 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can diced tomatoes, Italian style (didn't have those so I just added Italian herbs myself)
- 1-2 tsp fresh rosemary
- dashes of pepper, oregano and basil

First cook the pasta. In the mean time heat some olive oil skillet on medium heat. Add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and sauté until the onions are softened. Add the beans to the pan and stir occasionally for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, rosemary and other spices. Cover and let it simmer for about 10 more minutes. Rinse and drain the pasta when done and add with the sauce or serve the sauce on top of the pasta.   

This post is part of Weekend Cooking. Please make sure you check out the other participants as well. You never know what you will end up making! :)

9 comments:

  1. Pasta and beans! Never had that combination either. A nice simple and hearty dish. Delicious! Sounds like a versatile cookbook with lots of ideas.

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  2. I love reading cookbooks and this one looks like it would make for an fun read. I don't recall ever making a dish combining pasta and beans. It sounds delicious and I'm going to give it a try.

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  3. That looks tasty and good. It's annoying not to have an idea of how many servings a dish makes, but it sounds like the book has a lot of good points.

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  4. I love pasta and beans..in fact I had something like this for dinner in a restaurant last night.
    well, except for the sausage. :-)

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  5. This sounds like a quick and tasty dish for a busy weekend. Making a note of it!

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  6. The Pasta with White Beans looks delicious! I do like white beans, but I've never thought to pair it with pasta like this. I will have to try it.

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  7. That does look like a cute book with a fun title. Your pasta looks yummy!
    Joy's Book Blog

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  8. I love the sound of this book especially since it looks handwritten and contains little illustrations. :-)

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  9. I definitely want to get a copy of this book!
    Here's Mine

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