Book Review

Skinny Bitch in the Kitch: Kick-Ass Recipes for Hungry Girls Who Want to Stop Cooking Crap (and Start Looking Hot!)
By Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
Review by Tammie Ortlieb

After reading Skinny Bitch, Freedman and Barnouin's potty mouthed, drop and give me ten vegan manifesto, I was itching to get my hands on their follow-up. Whereas the original sought in girlfriend fashion to inform and convert, Skinny Bitch in the Kitch tells you what to do once you get there. A pocket guide of about 100 recipes, Kitch is the go-to resource for the transitioning vegetarian. A bit heavy on the faux meat and dairy, it nonetheless answers the newbie's guaranteed first question—Great, I'm vegetarian, but what can I eat?

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Geared toward the beginner home chef, these recipes scream vegan cooking for the spatula challenged. Take for example the Veggie Burger Four Ways. Way #1: Grill vegan burger patty; top with cheese; sandwich between bun. Way #2: Get a little fancy by adding alfalfa sprouts and avocado and you have a California Burger. Way #3: Throw on some vegan mozzarella and vegan pepperoni and voila! A Pizza Burger. When you're in the mood to show off your newfound skills or maybe just looking for an excuse to pig out, try Way #4—get crazy with the onions and vegan bacon to whip up some Bacon and Caramelized Onion Cheeseburgers with Agave-Dijon. In all fairness, though, I do appreciate that most of these ingredients are already in my fridge or sitting on the shelves of my pantry. And, while seemingly simple, some of the recipes boot me out of my slacker mom spaghetti and marinara rut.

The Hummus, Cucumber, and Tempeh Wrap, for example, was just such a kick in the pan. And bonus of bonuses, it's a great addition to the lunch box! Not the only child-friendly recipe in the lot, the wrap keeps company with kid pleasers the likes of Macaroni and Four Cheeses, Sloppy Joes, and Potato Skins with all the Fixin's. Can I add here Bitchtastic Brownies?! My darlin's might get sent to their room for even thinking the name of this dessert, but they would go while shoveling what's left of the batch into their mouths.

And not to forget my husband, the omnivore in the family. Know that by now he's used to my culinary experiments and overzealous attempts at opinion gathering. Often he's less than impressed with the dishes put before him. However, and he wanted me to quote him here, even meat eaters would be fooled by Freedman and Barnouin's 'Chicken' Noodle Soup. Not that I get colds, but it might be worth it once in awhile if somebody would fix me a pot of this gut-satisfying, pretty darned good imitation of Mama's ultimate comfort food.

A little confession before we go any further: The authors rely heavily on coconut oil due to its ability to withstand high temperatures. I cheated. I just couldn't break away from my olive and canola oils. Not a big deal. Not a big deal at all. My tongue and tummy were none the wiser for my shifty substitutions.

A refreshing change of pace for seasoned vegans, Skinny Bitch in the Kitch also provides a great tool for converting those on-the-fencers. Once they see how easy vegetarian cooking can be and that they can enjoy many of their old favorites, they will be donning that 'Go Veg' t-shirt before you can say down with factory farming. My advice? Go buy ten copies; pass them out to all of your veg wannabe friends; put your feet up and bask in your activism. As for me, I'm off to devour my Big-ass Veggie Burrito!

Buy Skinny Bitch in the Kitch: Kick-Ass Recipes for Hungry Girls Who Want to Stop Cooking Crap (and Start Looking Hot!) Now!

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Tammie Ortlieb is a freelance writer and adjunct instructor with a Master's Degree in Developmental Psychology. She resides in southwest Michigan with her omnivorous husband, four veg kids, and small menagerie of pets. Tammie writes for various vegetarian sources, mostly on being okay with your vegetarian self. She's a book nerd, a research nerd, a health nerd, and a huge glass of soymilk half full kind of creature.

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