This book is essentially about providing an easy basis for adopting a vegan lifestyle and enjoying it for a lifetime. It is about grounding oneself in book of familiar sounding "comfort" foods that are yet distinctly free of all saturated fat, cholesterol and dirty animal proteins. It is about unplugging from the mainstream of culinary knowledge with its roots in animal products, and entering a world of interrelated vegetable sourced materials that is all inclusive, with as much depth and color as anything ever created from animals. It is also about the future of our planet, humanity and ourselves, as we begin to evolve into who we really are, and what our real purpose is on this planet. The chief interest of this book is its sheer magnitude. With 494 pages of recipes and information, this cookbook covers everything anyone would want to know about vegan home-style cooking. Using a relatively small grocery list of vegetables, specialized substances and vegetable protein concentrates Chef Rasmussen has spun an intricate web of interrelated recipes that is both far reaching in its scope and yet self contained. Whether you are a novice or professional chef, this book has something in it for you. In a rapidly growing market for vegetarian products and information, the 'Veggie Works Vegan Cookbook' is a well spring of knowledge. In this cookbook I have attempted to catalogue many of my best recipes and put together a comprehensive work that covers every aspect of the craft. The recipes are home style and easily reproduced. The introductory chapters help the reader to become accustomed to the concepts and formats associated with the remainder of the work. Chapter one lists everything, from ingredients to equipment, the reader will need to prepare any of the recipes in this book. Subsequent chapters include 375 recipes and methodology in thirteen different categories. Recipes found in one chapter, such as chapter 11, "Vegan 'Meats'" may be used in another chapter such as chapter 9, "Sautes". This method creates themes and motifs that wind through the book like harmonies. There are chapters and recipe examples for every meal of the day including side dishes, appetizers and desserts. There is also a chapter on daily menu planning and banquet affairs. A section in the back of the book called ! "Home Spun Recipes" provides formatted templates to include up to ten of your own favorite recipes. A Resource Directory is also included to help you locate and purchase specialized ingredients. For nearly seven years, the Veggie Works Vegetarian Restaurant has been serving the most satisfying vegan cuisine found anywhere on the planet. Best known for its original dishes featuring a large variety of homemade vegan meat analogs, Veggie Works offers nearly 150 menu offerings every day! In this book, author and chef- Mark Rasmussen- shares over 375 of his unique recipe creations with the world. Every aspect of vegan cookery is covered, with numerous examples on each subject. Starting from a simple list of common ingredients, Rasmussen has created a masterpiece of interwoven formulas, that together, deliver a work of monumental proportions. Preface Introduction: Welcome to the Veggie Works Vegetarian Restaurant's vegan Cookbook! "Veggie Works" is a popular vegetarian restaurant located in the New Jersey shore town of Belmar. Ever since we opened in 1994, Veggie Works has received so much local and national acclaim for its unique cuisine, we've decided to share it with you. All the recipes in this book have been prepared and served to happy customers at our restaurant and are designed to work. The methods and processes described have been perfected through thousands of man-hours of work and can be relied upon. Every meal from breakfast through dinner is covered, as well as snacks, appetizers and desserts. You'll learn how to prepare delicious and nutritious food from the raw ingredients that you have assembled. Your kitchen will become your workshop and you... the master artist. You'll impress family and friends with your wholesome cooking, as well as yourself. Every recipe in this book contains easy to find natural ingredients that are low in fat, cholesterol free, and entirely vegan. You will learn how to use high protein vegetable meat analogs and concentrated vegetable flavorings to create meals packed with nutrition. Even the most reluctant cynics will easily succumb to the satisfying meals that you prepare. There are sections on stocking your pantry, necessary equipment and grocery shopping. If a recipe requires the use of another prerequisite recipe, that ingredient will be highlighted in Italicized Bold type. Use the Table of Contents or Index to find these prerequisite recipes. If you're not sure what an ingredient is, try looking it up in the Glossary chapter. The Resource Directory includes contact information for the purchase of most ingredients. In addition, the Measurement Conversion Table is included as a handy