„Vegan durch den Tag“

hardback | number of pages: 287 | publisher: self published | language : German (only) | publishing year: 2022 | ISBN-13: 978-3-9824682-0-4

Who wrote it?

Zucker & Jagdwurst, that’s Isa and Julia from Berlin. The two have been running the food blog of the same name since 2016 with the aim of showing that vegans don’t only ever have to eat “green stuff”. You can find all sorts of vegan comfort food recipes for cooking and baking on their blog. In particular, veganized classics are among Isa and Julia’s specialties.

And what is it about?

I’ll boldly use Isa and Julia’s own description of their first cookbook: “We have the right recipes for every situation in everyday life, whether it’s breakfast on the weekend, lunch break in the office, dinner with your friends, or when hunger calls in between. The recipes are simple, the ingredients are manageable, and the focus is on food that is good for you, tastes great, and also happens to be vegan.”

What does it look like?

The entire work makes my designer heart absolutely rejoice. You can see the work and love that not only Isa and Julia, but the entire Zucker & Jagdwurst team, including of course the graphic designer Pablo Lütkenhaus, put into it. The fact that no publisher had a hand in it and interfered in any way pays off, because everything seems to be made of one piece. A format just under DIN A4 (US letter), matte, high-quality paper, beautiful full-page photographs for every recipe and clear columns of ingredients and preparation instructions. The retro touch conveyed by the headlines and photos also suits the Berlin blogger duo perfectly.

What can I expect?

On the cover, the Zucker & Jagdwurst girls promise “101 favorite recipes from morning to night”, which are divided into the following chapters: “Breakfast”, “Lunch”, “Coffee/Tea time”, “Dinner”, “Snacks”.

In the introductory part, there is an exciting little making-of of the self-published cookbook. In the “About us” chapter and in “What I eat in a day” by both authors, you can get to know them a little better. Additionally, before starting with the recipes, the special features of the book are explained, e.g., the audio book for the cookbook, in which there are small voice messages for each recipe that can be found via QR code.

Can I do that?

There is no information about the level of difficulty of the recipes, although I have to admit that I didn’t listen to every voice message either; maybe there’s some additional info there. Still, I’ve had no trouble getting tasty results by following the directions.

What do I need?

Information on the required kitchen equipment is not mentioned, but the requirements are not particularly unusual either. A blender/hand blender/food processor is used here and there, and of course the usual suspects: pans, pots, sharp knives, which should be standard anyway. Baking molds are also required for the cake chapter.

Substitute products?

Vegan substitute products are definitely frequently used: vegan minced meat in the creamy leek soup or the meatballs, vegan quark or whipped cream in the cakes and tarts. Julia and Isa certainly don’t shy away from exploiting the possibilities that the wide range of products in the supermarket offers these days. Anyone who is bothered by the use of more highly processed substitute products that go beyond plant-based milk or yoghurt will probably not be happy here.

Who needs it?

The frequent use of vegan substitute products, but also the general claim not always to just focus on “healthy”, certainly makes the book less interesting for the clientele to whom this is important. If you want to feast as if there had never been any “restrictions” in a vegan diet, you will be happy with the book. If you want to convince a non-vegan target group, i.e., if you want to cook for non-vegan friends and family and want to refute the apparent asceticism that vegan nutrition means for many, you are just as well served with the book.

Oh yes, and does it taste good?

The Zucker & Jagdwurst recipes have never disappointed me, neither the ones from the blog nor the recipes in the book. Not all of them blew my socks off, but I think I’ll test some more and then we’ll see…

You can find all the recipes tested and my recipe reviews on Instagram under the hashtag #VCRvegandurchdentag.

Recipe tips to get cooking or baking:

• Vegan Mung Bean Omelette (find the recipe here)
• Vegan Creamy Leek Soup with Plant-Based Mince (find the recipe on Zucker & Jagdwurst)
• Vegane Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

Conclusion

A lovingly and beautifully designed vegan cookbook with recipes for every occasion and every time of the day. Above all, veganized classics and comfort food dishes are represented. The recipes are equally suitable for experienced cooks and beginners. The only reason why this great book didn’t make it into my circle of absolute favorites is that my personal taste goes in a slightly different direction, maybe a little healthier and greener ;-). Nevertheless, an absolute recommendation and I’m certainly not going to give mine back anytime soon.

Since the book is self-published you can only get it via this page on the Zucker & Jagdwurst blog. Unfortunately, for my non-German-speaking readers, the book is only available in German.