I am vegetarian wanting to become vegan. What books would you recommend? This can be both cooks and cook books. So far I have Veganomicon, although I haven't made anything from it yet because many of the recipes include ingredients that aren't available where i'm located. Any suggestions would be very helpful.

Thank you.

If you aren't completely sure about vegan nutrition, I would recommend the book Vegan for Life - it is a wealth of science-based information on various nutrients, how to plan a healthy diet, etc. It also covers all stages of life (as suggested by the title) from childhood, pregnancy, and older adults.

As far as cookbooks, I do love Veganomicon. There are lots of recipes that don't require special ingredients. If I recall correctly, I think there is a little shopping cart icon for this? Or am I thinking of a different book? I am somewhat addicted to cookbooks, but I don't generally have very many that I make more than a couple recipes out of. I like getting cookbooks from the library to try them out - if that is an option where you live, I'd definitely recommend it. Usually you can find at least a couple recipes from a cookbook online, too. I would recommend shopping around - there are a few vegan cookbook authors that are very good - Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero, Robin Robertson. Finding an author your like might be one way to go. Some people like the Moosewood cookbooks, which aren't strictly vegan (or even vegetarian), but do have lots of veggie-friendly recipes.

Also remember that you can veganize lots of lacto-ovo recipes with egg substitutes, vegan cheeses, and plant milks, so you might not really need specifically vegan cookbooks if you already have lots of recipes you like.

I also highly recommend that you read Vegan for Life by Norris and Messina. I read most of it and it a great guide. It has practical advice backed by hard evidence. I also read another but that is over a decade old now. Vegan for life is 2011. They talked about nutrients I did not even know existed. If you choose not to read any serious source you will be taking a serious risk. So I think reading it is a very wise time investment. If you do read it you will feel secure about a vegan diet. I actually thought about opening a thread about this.

I have a cookbook called The Vegan Family Cookbook. It seems good but I would rather stick to bad taste and less work rather spend time on intricate meals. There are many recipes online too and they are no less detailed than a cookbook.

Good luck!

RunnerVeggie mentioned Robin Robertson and I must say of all my vegan cookbooks, Robertson's 1000 Vegan Recipes is the one I use most. As the title suggests, there are tons of straightforward recipes, most of which have pretty easy-to-find ingredients.  Also, while I haven't tried it yet, her newer Quick Fix Vegan cookbook looks great too.

I'll 3rd the praise for Robertson. I have quite a few of her books, which happened quite by accident. It just turned out that way!

Terry Romero's Viva Vegan is a current favorite of mine.

Rosalie and Frank Hurd's Ten Talents is a good all-around classic. It's older (although it has been updated several times over the 44(!) years since it first appeared).

New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook was (I think) the first vegan cookbook I ever bought. It's hippie origins show (I'd never accuse it of being slick), but it's a solid foundation to build from.

EDIT: I should add that Ten Talents and Farm predate modern vegan convenience foods, so ingredient availability might be better for you.

Hey, I'm stuck in italics mode!!! Ack!

Thanks everyone. Any other books?

Depends what kind of food you like, and what kind of cooking you are prepared to do. It seems there are 2-3 new vegan cookbooks coming out every month now, so there is a lot to choose from: grilling, slow cooking, healthy cooking, desserts, cookies, pies, cuisine from around the world, etc.

You might be interested in my Pinterest boards.  I compile photos of various recipes that people have made from vegan cookbooks. I've got photos from 31 books so far.

My favourite is The Happy Herbivore Cookbook that has easy recipes with easy to find incredients. Recipes are also categorized by time so you can look for something that you can prepare in less than 30 minutes, and for people who are trying to watch their weight there are also calorie counts of those foods. For me it just takes so much time to convert all measurements before cooking (different measurement unit).

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverstrawberry 

My favourite is The Happy Herbivore Cookbook that has easy recipes with easy to find incredients. Recipes are also categorized by time so you can look for something that you can prepare in less than 30 minutes, and for people who are trying to watch their weight there are also calorie counts of those foods. For me it just takes so much time to convert all measurements before cooking (different measurement unit).

I love that book and also Everyday Happy Herbivore. Wholesome, affordable and easy to prepare recipes. :)

I don't know how this one is, but I want the vegan lunchbox by Jennifer McCann.  The person who writes it has a wonderful website, and I want it for ideas of stuff to take to work for lunch! She has two, The Vegan Lunchbox and Vegan Lunchbox around the world.  

They are both very good.