Practically Raw Giveaway on Vegan.com

BREAKING NEWS:  Vegan.com is currently hosting a giveaway of five (count 'em: 5!) copies of VHP's newest title, Practically Raw by Amber Shea Crawley.  The contest closes on Monday, so don't delay.  Enter now.  Here's the link.

In other Practically Raw news, Amber has added a new page to her Almost Vegan blog that is dedicated to her new book.  Check it out here.

Practically Raw Featured in VegNews' 2012 10 Must-Buy Cookbooks

Chef Amber Shea's Practically Raw: Flexible Raw Recipes Anyone Can Make has been chosen as one of 2012's 10 Must-Buy Vegan Cookbooks by VegNews.

This revolutionary cookbook presents a new way to enjoy the benefits of delicious raw food by providing cooked options for many of the recipes. The creative and innovative recipes can also be made without the need for any specialized equipment through ingredient substitutions and helpful tips.  

The wait is almost over!  This groundbreaking cookbook will be out in the next few weeks, and can already be pre-ordered online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.com.  You can help spread the word by asking your local bookstore to order Practically Raw from Baker & Taylor. 

For a peek at some of the recipe photos in the book, visit Amber's website: Almost Vegan.

When People Publish Content That's Not Theirs

This post was prompted by the discovery of a Kindle e-book that lifted its content from a popular vegan blog.  The offending book can be found here, and an astute reader will immediately see that not only did the plagiarist dupe the content from Susan Voisin's FatFreeVegan website, but also swiped Joel Fuhrman's title.  Here is the content of the review I posted on Amazon, which I assure you, I have the rights to publish here:

Very clearly, this compiler of stolen content needs to learn that lifting material off websites and putting her name on it is just as much stealing as pirating a DVD or swiping someone's credit card number.  There are stiff penalties for this as there is for any other kind of larceny.

However, I think this shines a light on an unfortunate trend that has been brought on by the availability of online publishing. Any online bookseller can now set itself up as a publisher--to publish: to make a body of content public.  However, retailers know not where they tread when they do this. 

A qualified publisher understands copyright law, and is careful to vett and enforce via contract an author's warranty of originality, or official documents granting permission for use.  An author worthy of the name knows how much work and sweat and tears it takes to create a book. For these reasons, I advise Amazon and other online entrepreneurs to find a way to police those who apply to be "published" by them, and ensure title the way an experienced publisher would.  In cases such as this blatant theft, the plagiarist may stand liable, but the "publisher"--the online retailer--even moreso. I believe this is only the tip of the iceberg.

UPDATE: It appears that Amazon has removed the offending title from their site thanks, no doubt, to the many comments that were posted about it.  

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.