The PETA Celebrity Cookbook

Edited by Ingrid E. Newkirk
Published by Lantern Books

From Jackie Chan to Montel Williams to William Shatner, all kinds of celebrities are discovering the advantages and tasteful benefits of a vegetarian diet, but people interested in such a diet are often stuck in the mentality of the 1960s, which suggests that veggie diets have to be lentil-heavy and totally free of taste and excitement. Luckily, once again, PETA has come to the rescue with a new cookbook geared towards proving the dubious how fun and fulfilling a vegetarian diet can really be.

The PETA Celebrity Cookbook begins with some brief words on how this book can help you live a healthier and more spiritually fit life. It assumes that you are already interested in vegetarianism or at least adding some vegetarian meals to your life, and so it does not go greatly into depth with the myriad reasons to choose a vegetarian lifestyle. There is a prefatory letter from a doctor, from well-known animal rights activist Ingrid Newkirk, and an introduction from actor James Cromwell. There is also a very helpful short chapter on veggie-friendly grocery shopping--information for which new vegetarians will be grateful. The balance of the book is divided by food course and includes all the major meals: breakfasts, lunches, appetizers, side dishes, entrées, and desserts.

The recipes are very well-written and simple. Even new cooks will have no trouble following any of these recipes. Experienced chefs will appreciate the creativity and new approaches in these recipes, as well as the inspiration on how to make humble beans and nutritious produce exciting again. Examples of the recipes in this book include pro wrestler Bill Goldberg's "Jackhammer Soy Slammer," Fiona Apple's "Sweet-and-Sour Cheatmeatballs," and Amber Benson of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame's "Potent Potato Salad." Each recipes is accompanied by a photo of the celebrity in question, as well as a brief statement from them about vegetarianism or eating in general.

My only quibble is that the recipes do not include nutritional breakdowns. Including this information would have made it much easier for diabetics, people on heart-sensitive diets, and so on to know what to include in their menus. Granted, vegetarian menus are almost by definition healthy enough for most people, due to the reduced fats and so on, but some of us still can't have lots of carbohydrates, which turn to sugar in the blood.

Yes, this book does pander a bit to the Western world's tendency to idolize celebrities and assume that everything they do is worth emulating and admiring. However, if it works and causes people to think about what they're putting into their bodies, then so be it. It often surprises people how many people they know and admire are or were vegetarians, such as Orlando Bloom, Vincent Van Gogh, Albert Einstein, Louisa May Alcott, Leonard Nimoy, and Liv Tyler--people who are obviously physically and mentally fit. Even if you do not choose your diet based upon who else shares it, vegetarianism is still a legitimate dietary choice for most people, with extensive benefits in the realms of health, environmental impact, global and local social justice, and cost-effectiveness.

My fear is that some people who could benefit most from this excellent cookbook will shy away from it due to some prejudice against PETA. Please do not let that influence you. Whether you love PETA for the work they do for animals, or you fear them for their supposed "scare tactics" is irrelevant; this is a bloody good cookbook, an excellent resource for beginning vegetarians and occasional carnivores, and just plain fun to read.

If you have any interest in healthy living or just like good food, then definitely pick this book up. Even if you have no intention of becoming a real vegetarian, then this book can at least help you make the most of your occasional meatless meals, and it just might show you that you could eat that way much more often, feeling better and saving money as a result. This book is a definite must-read.

Grade: A

Review submitted by Dindrane