Like many vegans, I was dependent on my various vegan cookbooks when I first converted and transformed my diet. I could not seem to acquire enough to expand my culinary horizons as broadly as I desired. Everything was so new and so delicious!  Over the past year or so, I have returned again and again to a few favorites. Here they are.

Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson is one of the best How To cookbooks for a new vegan.  Robin provides many innovative recipes from around the globe; her Asian recipes passed muster in this household, too. Mine is a paperbook and offers no photos, but the recipes are still worth the price.  Lots of variety and lots of ethnic cuisine from an American perspective.

Veganomicon by Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero is a hardbound book with unremarkable paper within – but the quality of the recipes make up for it.  For a good basic cookbook with delicious results, this one is a sure thing. Lots of good takes on old favorites like spaghetti marinara, pot pie, and macaroni and cheese keep this one in constant use.

Alternative Vegan by Dino Sarma is all plant food without the need for any of those packaged goods. Look for no seitan, no tofu, no boxed items here.  This one is great for those living on a budget, on primarily produce and a few grains or legumes.  From soup to salads, from daal to curry, Dino will have you salivating at the mere mention of some of these recipes. Venn Pongal alone is worth the price of this little paperback book.

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