I seriously love my cookbooks. I’d have been completely lost without them when I first started eating vegan. I’m a decent cook (much better since I went vegan, actually) but I really don’t have the time or the talent for ground-up, recipe development. And honestly, with these books at my disposal, I don’t really need to.

As you can see, the books I’m talking about are:

• The Kind Diet, Alicia Silverstone
• Veganomicon, Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
• Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook, Kim Barnouin
• Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin

I know that four cookbooks doesn’t a library make but I also supplement with recipes I discover online at least as often as I reference one of these books for meal ideas. Additionally, the style of each of these titles (with the exception of the Skinny Bitch books, of course) is pretty different. Even the more traditional recipes in The Kind Diet have a strong “health” focus and tend to be fairly simple. Veganomicon is so huge as to encompass all kinds of foods and influences, but tends to concentrate on traditional, made-from-scratch recipes. The Skinny Bitch books (especially Bitch in the Kitch) often take more liberties with culinary shortcuts and the occasional use of prepared foods.

Veganomicon and Skinny Bitch in the Kitch were the first two books I bought when I went vegan. The Kind Diet came next, followed later by Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook. I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating: I love all my cookbooks equally but if I had to choose a fave, I’d give it to Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook.

True to its title, this book is best suited to everyday use, meaning you don’t necessarily need to spend a ton of time preparing these recipes and they’re all fairly simple to follow. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some showstoppers here (because there definitely are) but I find it best for day to day use.

I’m certain I’ll add to my collection gradually, but for the time being, these four books (and the internet!) are all I need to keep my kitchen vegan. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting a more in-depth review of each book, including a few of my favorite recipes from each.

So tell me, are there any books I’m missing that you couldn’t live without?

Always a crowd pleaser, this recipe is one of my faves for parties, holidays, trivia nights, etc. It comes from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, the absolute most hilarious cookbook you’ll ever read, which also happens to be packed with a wide variety of tasty vegan stuff!

The heat of these nuts is perfectly complemented by the sweetness. If you’re not big on spice though, keep your distance. They do have a kick!

In the book, the bitches leave specific instructions not to eat the entire batch in one sitting. They ain’t kiddin’. I’ll take it one step further and challenge you to eat just one. I am confident you will not succeed.

Vegan Spicy Mixed Nuts
Recipe Courtesy of Skinny Bitch in the Kitch

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer
2 tbs warm water
1 lb roasted, salted mixed nuts
1/3 cup evaporated cane sugar
2 tsp kosher or other coarse salt
1 1/2 tsp cayenne powder

Directions

• Preheat oven to 250° F
• In a medium bowl, whisk the egg replacer and water until foamy. Add the nuts and toss to coat. Transfer the nuts to a strainer and let drain for at least 2 minutes
• Meanwhile, wipe out the bowl and combine the sugar, salt and cayenne. Add the nuts, tossing to coat. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes
• Stir with a spatula and spread the nuts out again. Reduce the oven to 200°F and bake another 30 minutes, or until dry
• The nuts will crisp as they cool to room temperature
• Thoroughly cooled, they can be stored for up to one week in an airtight container

Note:I use a premium mixed nuts mix from Whole Foods when I make this. It’s almonds, cashews, pecans, brazil nuts and hazelnuts. It makes for a really pretty mix…but we always find ourselves picking out the cashews and pecans. The next time I make this, I may just buy 1/2 lb of each of those and go all in. Use whatever you like best!