In Vegan a la Mode More Than 100 Frozen Treats for Every Day of the Year (Skyhorse Publishing, July 2012) Hannah Kaminsky, author of many cookbooks and creator of bittersweetblog.com, shares some of her amazing ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet recipes which will change the way you forever think of frozen treats. Forget the variety of flavors available from brands like Ben and Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs… the frozen delights in this hardback full-color recipe book go above and beyond and will give these ice cream giants a run for their money–and keep you craving more and more–all without the need or desire for dairy whatsoever.
Hannah Kaminsky is hands down one of my favorite cookbook authors, drawing me in with her first title ‘My Sweet Vegan” and holding my attention throughout her other gorgeous cookbooks which she also does the incredible photography for. Her latest tome, Vegan a la Mode, is a gem. Even though it is nearing the end of summertime—which is commonly thought of as prime ice cream season—I know I’ll be flipping through this book all year long as I am a diehard ice cream fan. This book has opened my mind to countless new combinations and recreations of classics that I can’t wait to dip my spoon into.
This deliciously illustrated hardcover book is fully photographed and includes over 100 recipes for a plethora of frozen treats that are 100% animal friendly. The beginning of the book starts of with a quick rundown of essential ingredients used in the recipes (including tips for gluten-free) and then goes on to talk about the tools needed for making the perfect ice cream, sorbet and frozen yogurt. After the basics ingredients are explained, the author dives into essential techniques, such as how to properly chill ice cream bases to making frozen treats without an ice cream maker! Brilliant.
The photos in and of themselves are beautiful, but what really strikes me is the creativity in the flavors in conjunction with the interesting compositions of Hannah’s food photography. Only in this book will you find such concoctions like “Pfeffernüsse Ice Cream”, “Banana Pudding Ice Cream”, “Juicy Watermelon Sorbet” (with seeds!), “French Toast Ice Cream” and “Chocolate Cabernet Ice Cream” all completely dairy free and delicious. But the creativity doesn’t stop there, the entire book is filled with mouth watering flavors that you most likely haven’t seen anywhere else.
“Fresh Corn Ice Cream”? Count me in! This is actually the first recipe I tried from the book and I was amazed at the result. It is the perfect summertime treat, in my humble opinion. Growing up in the Midwest, I thought I had seen it all as far as corn recipes go, but never have I tasted anything like this. If you enjoy fresh sweet corn, I highly encourage you to try this recipe ASAP.
As I mentioned, the photography is stunning, making this book a perfect choice for curling up on the sofa and daydreaming of frozen treats–but, the recipes are so simple and many of the ingredients are common vegan staples, so there’s really no excuse not to be churning a batch while you peruse the gorgeous pages of Vegan a la Mode.
The book closes with what every bowl of ice cream needs, a chapter dedicated solely to “Toppings, Accompaniments and Components”. There really isn’t much to yearn for in this chapter as Ms. Kaminsky really has it covered with her inclusions of everything from Tuile Ice Cream Cones to Magical Shell and even a recipe for Rainbow Sprinkles!
Vegan a la Mode is clearly a must have for the ice cream enthusiast, whether you’re a vegan or not. The simple ingredients used to create mind-boggling flavors will take your homemade ice-cream making to an entirely different level. If you love eating ice cream, or just even like looking at ice cream, this book is for you.
