Full disclosure: I'm not a vegan. I'm not even a vegetarian, but admittedly I do enjoy working plant based meals into my repertoire. Even though I've never heard of Dustin Harder nor his TV show I was very much drawn to the cover and description of this book, which reminded me so much of the American diners that I enjoyed as a child. In fact as an adult living abroad I still gleefully visit retro American style diners that have sprouted up all over the UK. Epic Vegan is a love letter to that kind of jaw dropping, technicolour food. There are riffs on high street favourites like Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Auntie Anne's pretzels and a legendary cheddar biscuit that I'm almost certain is inspired by Red Lobster. I also loved the nostalgic comfort foods such as mac and cheese with a suggested topping of potato crisps or my personal favourite crab rangoon.
Alongside all the fun stackable foods I really appreciate the more refined recipes included for dinner party wow factor. A small gripe is that I would have liked more than just a lettuce bowl as a healthier option since surely healthy can be fun too? And I do wish that more recipes had their own accompanying photo however the ones that are included are both eye catching and fun. Because let's face it, if you're making a carbonara the final step is always to live your best Lady And The Tramp fantasy.

First off: hell yes to all those desserts! But also, more pictures please? Maybe I'm being greedy, but I'd love to see pictures of all this epic sounding food, not just some of it. There were a few recipes that made me raise an eyebrow ("unicorn" french bread pizza where the rainbow just comes from edible flowers? pass.) but overall there was some really tasty sounding food in here that looks like real food and not just non-stop salads.

Epic Vegan lives up to its title with a vast array of recipes that vary from the unusual to comforting favorites. The book is also gorgeous with full-color images and stylized pages. I enjoyed the conversational tone of the author's voice, which was very appropriate for this type of book. It was also awesome to receive a good guide to the basics that recommended many resources for vegan food. Even as a vegetarian of 28 years, there were still a few resources listed that I'd never heard of.

Some of the recipes may be a bit too out there for my rather plain tastes, but I'm sure that people who thrive on trying new things will absolutely love all of the selections. I'm already a huge fan of the book's vegan macaroni & cheese, which is the first time I've ever truly enjoyed a vegan substitute for this classic favorite.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

I am not a vegan or a vegetarian even, but oh my God these recipes look amazing. This book is full of food that looks amazing, sounds amazing and from the ingredients you can tell will be tasty. I tried the ‘fried chicken’ noodle soup tonight and it’s so tasty. The book is well laid out, easy to navigate with clear chapters and subheadings. It’s bright and attractive with appealing photos. I think this is one of the best cook books I’ve seen in a long time. Highly recommended (and this is from a non vegan). I think this will be great to encourage nay-sayers who pull their faces when you say vegan. Brilliant.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion