Bestselling author Isa Chandra Moskowitz shows you how to create your own vegan meats, like deli slices and ground beef, that will satisfy every craving.

“I’m an animal lover, and that love doesn’t end when I get hungry. Do I miss meat? Not really. But here’s what I do miss: Aromas. Experiences. Methods. Traditions.

“I remember all the tastes and sensations from my omnivore days, even though they were so long ago. My grandmother’s meatballs burnt on one side. Slurpy seafood pasta at a café along the bay, my teeth scraping against the hard oyster shells. My favorite pizza burger from a diner underneath a Midtown office building, the feel of the vinyl seat as I bounced with excitement at the sight of the melty mozz arriving at the table.

“These are the moments you could say I miss. Maybe you do, too. But we don’t have to.”
—from the Introduction

Fake Meat is packed with 125 recipes that will satisfy every kind of meat craving, from a vegan Philly cheesesteak and a basket of wings to a rich, gooey lasagna.

Amazon * Abrams Books * B&N * Bookshop

My thoughts

I am not a vegan, but I am not opposed to the variety of foods and recipes that tend to make up a vegan diet. Many times it is a nice healthy alternative with only a few odd things, which are probably only odd to me because I haven’t heard of some of these ingredients. However, a cookbook like this will take me out of my comfort zone and expose me to new dishes.

I will say that if someone has been vegan their entire life, or a majority of it, they aren’t obsessed with finding a way to eat meat in a non-meat way. But for those that have recently changed how they eat, this cookbook could be right up their alley. You’ve seen the memes that bacon is the best food; well, this cookbook has several “bacon” recipes made from mushrooms.

This is not a cookbook to use when trying to cook a quick meal, as several recipes include additional recipes. So if you want to make the Sheetpan Tandoori Chick’N, for example, be prepared to also make the chick’n. Granted, it is a dish you could make ahead and use for multiple recipes, but if you don’t have it made already, it will add additional time.

If you are a meat eater, you can easily substitute meat for the faux meat. I want to try the Tandoori Chick’n and a few other recipes.

I showed this to a Vegetarian friend, and I think she is eyeballing the book and might just have to borrow it to try for herself.

This is aimed at a very specific audience, but there are aspects that any cook could incorporate into their weekly dinner menu.

Recipe

I had to figure out what recipe to share that didn’t involve multiple recipes for some of the ingredients. I thought this Carrot Lox was a good one because it is something that I would enjoy since I don’t like seafood.

Carrot Lox

Makes a 12″ “fillet”

Ingredients:

1 lb carrots, preferably large (at least 1″ thick)
3T organic sugar
2T rice vinegar
1 tsp kelp powder
1T smoked salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/3 cup aquafaba (chickpea cooking liquid)
1T olive oil, plus additional for oiling parchment paper

For garnish:

Sprigs of fresh dill
Paper-thin lemon slices

1. Thoroughly scrub carrots and trim off any stems. Use a peeler to make ribbons that are as long as you can manage.
2. In a 9×11 pan, mix together the carrot ribbons, sugar, rice vinegar, kelp powder, smoked salt, and smoked paprika. Toss to coat with spices and set aside for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper; lightly grease the paper with olive oil.
4. Stir the aquafaba and olive oil into the carrot ribbons, coating completely.
5. Neatly layer the carrot ribbons over the parchment paper. Arrange the ribbons in the same direction, with strips overlapping one another. Ideally, the longer strips will be in the middle and the shorter ones at the ends so they taper in a diamond shape. Brush the top with the remaining aquafaba mixture.
6. Tightly cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Transfer the paper to a cooling rack and keep it covered until cool enough to handle.
7. Transfer the cooled lox, still on the parchment, to a small cutting board or something that will fit in the fridge. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.