Plum: Gratifying Vegan Dishes from Seattle's Plum Bistro

I don't usually review things on Amazon, but seeing as this book has a couple of negative reviews I felt compelled to add my 2 cents. I have never eaten at Plum Bistro in Seattle, so fans of the restaurant may need to adjust their expectations.I received this book and I must say that I am in LOVE with it. It is definitely my kind of cookbook, fancy yet simple if that makes sense. I've made these three things so far: grilled spelt pizza w/ pears and ricotta, blue corn pizza w/ pesto-grilled heirloom tomatoes & ricotta, and raw tostadas w/ spicy strawberry avocado salad and cilantro relish. Words can't explain how much I adore these 3 recipes and how much I am looking forward to making more from this book. My favorite of the 3 is probably the pear pizza, but each dish is delicious and unique. I love the way this chef knows just how to incorporate fruit into a savory dish, without the dish becoming too sweet or the fruit becoming over-bearing. Each dish was full of flavor, yet the ingredients were all relatively simple and easy to find at the market. The flavors in each thing married perfectly and the worst part was trying not eat everything at once....one bite being better than the next. And everything seemed so fancy! Grilled pears and ricotta....blue corn pizza crust--which, btw, is wonderfully tender and tasty. (Arrowhead Mills makes blue cornmeal if you're wondering). The raw tostadas are not totally raw, but are 90% there and are delicious. I am generally not a huge raw fan, but these were just delicious perfection.Another thing I like about this book is that if you make up batches of the ricotta and pesto, you can use them for multiple recipes throughout the book so your leftovers don't go to waste. They are also both very easy to make and adaptable to what you have.I have heard some complaints that this book calls for a few ingredients from Plum or that are Plum brand. Well, I used the tofu I had on hand for the ricotta, which was not what the recipe called for. I used my common sense to decide whether my extra firm water packed tofu would suffice and the adapted recipe worked beautifully--so much so that I may never follow the actual recipe exactly. So, when the book calls for Plum's smoked tofu or for jerk tofu, here's an idea....smoke or jerk your own 'fu! It's very easy and if you don't have a smoker or any ability to smoke the tofu, then simply bathe the tofu in a smokey marinade of liquid smoke and a few other ingredients and bake it in the oven. It's not difficult at all. Same thing with making it jerk, make or buy the seasonings, marinate the tofu and bake it up. Bam, no need for Plum brand if you don't have access like I don't. Maybe people would like it better if the book offered up a DIY recipe, but I consider myself a seasoned cook so I don't really worry about stuff like that. This isn't really a great cookbook for a beginning cook, vegan or otherwise. This is one of those books you get when you're a little tired of the same old/same old vegan cookbooks that are out there. There are a ton of wonderful ones out there, but many of them have recipes for the same stuff and I think a lot of them lack the creativity and complexity that this book DOES have. It's refreshing to receive a vegan cookbook made for a "foodie" type person and that's what this book is.This book is also NOT for people who are sensitive or allergic to soy. The whole first part of the book introduces dairy replacement recipes which are mostly made out of soy. I have no problem eating healthy, minimally processed soy in moderation, so this is not something I mind at all.I hope food lovers and adventurous vegan cooks looking to raise the bar a little give this great book a chance to wow you like it did me!

This is one of the most beautiful cookbooks I own. Gorgeous photos, nicely spaced text, and very sturdy. I think this book might last me forever! I bought it because I loved visiting Plum Bistro in Seattle and was hoping to recreate some of my favorite dishes at home. As others have noted, the Mac n' Yease is nowhere to be found, which is really heart breaking, but I thankfully found new favorites to enjoy out of my kitchen. Once I had the Basil Soy Ricotta made, I could cook so many things! The Peppered Agave Figs rocked my vegan cheese plate, and the Pesto Plum Pizza was the simplest, fanciest pizza to ever come out of my oven. It tasted like pure summer bliss. The rest of the ricotta complimented heirloom tomatoes on sandwiches and appetizers.It's nerve-wracking to a new chef to be told to use a specific ingredient and being unable to find it, so I really wish Makini gave that a little more thought before recommending packaged ingredients you can only get in Seattle. I was concerned that I couldn't find the extra-firm silken water-packed tofu she recommends to make the Basil Soy Ricotta, but was successful (I think? I have nothing to compare it to) using Wildwood's silken water-packed tofu. So don't be deterred if you can't find specific ingredients. If you're even slightly close, despite her warnings on substituting, I think you'll still have a delicious meal.Her recipes are simply elegant, and I will turn to "Plum" again and again when I want to elevate my cooking.

Yes, this is a beautiful cookbook, but it does not have pictures of every recipe. Yes, the recipes seem appealing, but such specialty tofu is not available locally. Yes, the food must be appetizing, but now I am seeing nothing that sounds familiar. Yes, it is for hip foodies, but most reviewers seem to have eaten at the restaurant before investing in expensive ingredients. On reflection, I am not such a risk taker. I returned the book.

If I had been able to see more in the preview, I would not have purchased. Ridiculously heavy reliance on tofu and vegan substitutes for conventional dairy products. If that is your thing it might be of interest, but very little struck me as anything I was excited to try.

I recently was prescribed a Vegan Diet for health reasons, and I am going to say that it is really hard. I find myself reading every label and only eating salads. i have to say I got pretty tired of salads. I knew I have to do something. Then I came across Plum gratifying Vegan dishes. I have to say I loved the photos, and it ignited a new passion for searching out the best in taste. I am a little afraid of cooking with tofu, but I found some recipes that are doable and sound great to eat. I loved the charred broccolini, and the purple smashed potatoes. The photos are beautiful, and the dishes are quiet delicious. I loved this cookbook and I decided I am going to attempt to cook every dish. I recommend this book to all the Vegans, and Foodies out there. This is truly a keeper.

The recipes are easy to follow, but the time necessary is a luxury most humans don't have in my sphere. The restaurant is among my favorite places to eat in the world (which is why it's a good thing for my wallet and waist size that I live on the opposite coast). I don't often go to Seattle, but when I do, you can be sure I'll be eating at one of their shops. If you have any desire to throw a vegan dinner party, this is a need. And yes, every omnivore I've brought here (most kicking and screaming and wishing I didn't have hold of their hair) has remarked later how joyful the experience was after they took their first bite.

I'm in the early phases of trying to live a completely cruelty free life and there are somethings that I feared I could never replace - like whip cream and cheese on pizza. In this cookbook I have found several little tips and tricks that have made becoming vegan so much easier. The vegan ricotta in this book is an amazing, dairy free pizza topping, it has just the right texture and tang. The soy creme fraiche has also rocked my world. And the vegan pesto is just as good as any non-vegan pesto I have made. The pictures in this book are also very beautiful.

Encourages me just with the photos. A little intimidating, but overall good. Not the first one I'd buy if the topic is new to you, but definitely worth the price.