Practically Raw: The Smart Way to “Go Raw”

I first became exposed to the benefits of raw foods more than 12 years ago when I attended several raw potlucks that hosted guest speakers such as David Wolfe, Loren Lockman, and many others.  

I came away from those experiences realizing two things: 1) I wanted to include more raw foods in my already vegan diet, and 2) I would never go 100% raw because I liked cooked food too much.

Flash forward to present day. When I first read the book proposal for Practically Raw: Flexible Raw Recipes Anyone Can Make, I knew I wanted to publish it.  Amber’s smart new relaxed approach to raw foods that included some cooked meals really spoke to me.

Recently there have been indications that Practically Raw is truly a book whose time has come.  From this article on One Green Planet to this VegNews interview, it’s clear that a more relaxed approach to a raw foods diet is making sense to others as well.

If you like the idea of adding more raw foods to your diet, but want to keep eating a sensible amount of cooked foods as well, then Practically Raw by Amber Shea Crawley is for you.  The book’s official publication date is March 15 but it's available for pre-order now on Amazon.

With recipes like Almond Butter Sesame Noodles and Vegetable Korma Masala, even a Cooked Foodist like myself can enjoy being Practically Raw.

News from Vegan Heritage Press

The new year is shaping up to be a busy one for Vegan Heritage Press and its authors.

Tamasin Noyes, author of American Vegan Kitchen is hosting a giveaway on her Vegan Appetite blog to win a copy of Bryanna Clark Grogan's new book World Vegan Feast. Enter now to win a copy of this fabulous book. Tami will also be featuring World Vegan Feast in an upcoming Vine and Dine segment on her blog.

Betsy DiJulio, author of The Blooming Platter Cookbook has some exciting news too:  her gorgeous Great Dane, Huff, is a finalist in a Super Bowl commercial.  Read all about it here.  Watch the commercial and vote for Huff!

Amber Shea (Ford) Crawley, the newest member of the Vegan Heritage Press family, now has an Author Page on Amazon, where her upcoming book, Practically Raw, is available for pre-order.  Read more about Amber and Practically Raw on the Vegan Heritage Press website.

Coming Soon: Practically Raw

I am happy to announce the newest title to be published by Vegan Heritage Press.  Practically Raw: Flexible Raw Recipes Anyone Can Make by Amber Shea Crawley is scheduled for release in early March of this year.   

Practically Raw delivers a revolutionary flexible approach to raw cooking by providing cooked options for many of the recipes. What’s more, each raw vegan recipe includes options for adapting it to your own taste, budget, and ingredient availability. This book is ideal for beginners as well as seasoned raw foodists, and filled with creative, satisfying, and delicious recipes that include: Almond Butter Sesame Noodles, Vegetable Korma Masala, Fiesta Taco Roll-Ups, Primavera Pesto Pizza, Maple-Pecan Kale Chips, Cherry Mash Smoothie, Parisian Street Crepes, and Warm Apple-Walnut Cobbler.

This flexible approach allows you to enjoy raw food at your own pace, even without special equipment or hard-to-find ingredients. Filled with full-color photos, this innovative book provides a pantry guide, menus, money-saving and make-ahead tips, nutrition information, as well as recipe variations and ingredient substitutions. If you’re looking for maximum nutrition and want flexible recipes for vibrant, sexy food, then you’ll love Practically Raw.

Chef Amber Shea Crawley specializes in healthful vegan and raw food. She was classically trained in the art of gourmet living cuisine at the world-renowned Matthew Kenney Academy, graduating in 2010 as a certified raw and vegan chef. In 2011, she earned her Nutrition Educator certification at the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute. Chef Amber blogs at AlmostVeganChef.com.

Practically Raw is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.  For more information on this book and the other Vegan Heritage Press titles, visit the VHP website.  

"World Vegan Feast" top 5 cookbooks of 2011

Food columnist Grant Butler of Portland's Oregonian, included Bryanna Clark Grogan's World Vegan Feast in his top-five favorite picks for  2011 cookbooks. Touting World Vegan Feast as "the first [book] in almost a decade from one of the pioneers of ambitious plant-based cooking," Grant described the directions for these ethnic dishes from around the world as
"so instructive you're sure to pick up new tricks and techniques."

"Looking back on 2011," he writes, "it's clear that veganism went mainstream in a big way."

I couldn't agree more. This is a big triumph for vegan and vegetarian coalitions from the environmentalists, to the animal rights groups, to the growing ranks of health-conscious Americans looking to plant-based foods as genuine "health care." 

Click here to read Grant's article.

News from Vegan Heritage Press

Things have been hectic here at the press as we prepare our next new title for an early Spring release.  More on that soon! In the meantime, our Vegan Heritage Press authors have been busy, busy, busy:

American Vegan Kitchen author, Tamasin Noyes, was recently featured on Cookstr along with several sample recipes from American Vegan Kitchen including one of my personal favorites, Country Skillet.

Betsy DiJulio, author of The Blooming Platter Cookbook, is also on Cookstr as are the Kung Pao Broccoli and Tofu and other amazing recipes from her book. Betsy was also recently a guest on It's All About Food with Caryn Hartglass. Listen to her interview here.

On December 14, Bryanna Clark Grogan, author of  World Vegan Feast, will also be a guest on It's All About Food where she will discuss her new book.  We're happy to announce that World Vegan Feast is featured on the Holiday Vegan Gift Guide on Vegan.com.

Reminder: The Holiday Sale is still going on at Vegan Heritage Press. Order direct and save 25% on all VHP titles -- and support a vegan business in the process!

Happy Holidays!

Avoid Winter Woes!

Here it is November 6, and thousands of people are still without power from the snowstorm at the end of last month (see Thursday’s Huff Post Green article for the latest state-by-state tally).

This post is just a reminder of what’s to come.  Winter officially begins in five weeks, and I can’t stress enough the wisdom of having a copy of Vegan Unplugged by your side during a power outage.  The book includes pantry and shopping lists, menus, and 80 of Robin’s excellent recipes that can be prepared in 15 minutes or less. You’ll be glad you have Vegan Unplugged on hand when you’re cooking great meals through the frustrating days of dark and cold from a winter power outage.  The book is a great gift, too!

Order a copy for yourself and someone you know either on Amazon direct from Vegan Heritage Press — we’re having a Special Holiday Sale going on right now for all VHP titles!

Holiday Sale at VHP

I’ ve got some great news! We're having a special 2011 Holiday Sale here at Vegan Heritage Press. Now you can buy all of our VHP cookbooks for 25% off through December 31. 

From hot and spicy recipes to American comfort food and creative seasonal fare to international cuisines, Vegan Heritage Press cookbooks offer something for everyone on your list, and lots for yourself too! Plus, when you buy direct from Vegan Heritage Press you are supporting a vegan business.

This year, give the gift of healthy delicious cooking with cookbooks from Vegan Heritage Press!