Marilyn Peterson may not be as well-known to the vegan crowd as some other chefs, but she has been the personal cook for many celebrities, as she details at the end of her book Vegan Bite by Bite (3 Ton Tomato Press 2011, ISBN: 978-0982413005). Peterson is 76, but looks younger than her age - probably because she has been a vegan for decades.
For Peterson becoming a vegan was relatively easy, but sometimes people struggle with it. Her book is all about the transition from an omnivorous diet to healthy veganism, or as the cover puts it: "How do you transition to a plant-based diet? The same way you eat a three-ton tomato: Bite By Bite!"
The book features information about the health benefits of veganism, tips for the transition phase and many recipes. The focus is on ending up on a vegan diet that contains as much raw ingredients as possible, but the transition is done in phases and the book emphasizes that both our tastebuds and routines need time to adapt. It is okay to use processed mock meats and such initially, but better to leave them out later.
At the end of the book there are interviews of several vegan celebrities, including doctors and nutritionists who believe in the healing power of veganism. Other interviews are of people who have transitioned from often very meat and dairy laden diets to veganism, some more because of animals, some purely for themselves.
Book Contents
While this is a practical book, it is heavy on the spiritual side as well. Peterson sees veganism not only as physically healthy, but also as a spiritually sound choice. There is plenty of discussion about karma and quotes from Indian gurus.
Some readers no doubt find this spiritual aspect inspiring, others preachy. This is perhaps not the best book for those who think vegans are new age hippies and don't want to be a part of that crowd. At times the karma talk definitely crosses the line to awkward, as when Peterson suggests that schizophrenia is paying off bad karma.
On the other hand, the book also goes to bust old yet stubborn myths like "one can't get enough protein from vegan food" - with great practical examples of protein sources (who knew even watermelon contains protein?).
The first part of the book is quite heavy on quotes in general. The amount of books, media and people cited is impressive, but the book falls into the same trap as many nutrition guides, mostly citing secondary sources, not original papers. As a result some errors have crept in, though this reviewer is grateful for the help from the author (and a well-known researcher) in helping to sort out a misplaced cite.
Review
There are other types of errors in the book as well, some of them small enough not to be meaningful, but the claim about kamut and spelt being "non-gluten products" is a more serious one, even potentially dangerous. (Touting buckwheat sprouts while not warning about their phototoxicity also sounded risky to this reviewer.) The GMO information was not entirely scientifically kosher, either.
There is still a wealth of useful information and tons of resources, weekly menu suggestions and lists of ingredients to use and where to find them. The recipes sound bold and interesting. Most of them contain flavourful umami ingredients like miso, tahini and sundried tomatoes, so that omnivores don't have to feel that "vegan food is bland" before their tastebuds have adjusted to the world of new flavours.
Sadly the information is also rather U.S. centric, which is typical of cookbooks, but definitely not the only way to do things. There could have been more practical cooking tips, too - like letting the reader know it's possible to make creamy ice cream without an ice cream machine by blending it after freezing.
The book contains black and white and color illustrations, cartoons and photos, including photos of some dishes, but most photos are of the interviewees and other experts. Some parts of the layout seem a bit old-fashioned, but it is very clean and easy to read.
Vegan Bite by Bite is a useful book to anyone considering vegan (or vegetarian) diet. Even those who have been vegans for a while can find useful information and recipes, though it is definitely geared towards the novice.
Join the Conversation