Quietly and under the radar, Robin Robertson has built a publishing record of successful–and some “very “successful–books in the vegetarian category. Her newest book sits at the intersection of two hot-selling categories. Slow-cooker books continue to sell well, and vegan books now make up at least half of the best-selling books in vegetarian. FRESH FROM THE VEGAN SLOW COOKER is one of only two books at this intersection. At 200 recipes, it’s a third larger than its only competitor and it comes from a more established and respected author than the competing title. Robertson’s earlier “Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker “established her bona fides as an expert on the creative use of slow cookers, and her entire body of work speaks to her ingenuity in the kitchen and the breadth of enticing ingredients and flavors with which she works. Her new title again provides lots of practical background, in the book’s introduction and in multiple sidebars, on how to work with different and newer models of slow cookers, taking into account the sizes of various machines, the variety of settings they offer, and the quirks and personalities of each device. She addresses any lingering skepticism readers may have about whether slow cookers really do best only with meats, and she shows how to take into account the water content of vegetables (as well as the absorptive qualities of grains) when doing vegan cooking in the slow cooker. FRESH FROM THE VEGAN SLOW COOKER includes eleven recipe chapters. Four of them focus on main courses. There are homey and comforting foods in the American and European style, such as a Rustic Pot Pie Topped with Chive Biscuits and a Ziti with Mushroom and Bell Pepper Ragu, and there are lots of East Asian, South and Southeast Asian, and Mexican/Latin dishes, too. Beans, which cook slowly under any circumstance, are fabulously well-suited to the slow cooker, and Robertson includes such appealing recipes as a Crockery Cassoulet and a Greek-Style Beans with Tomatoes and Spinach. Eighteen robust chilis and stews–two more categories that do well in the slow cooker–include a warming Chipotle Black Bean Chili with Winter Squash and a surprising but yummy Seitan Stroganoff. Beyond the mains, there are chapters devoted to snacks and appetizers, desserts, breads and breakfasts, and even one on drinks. The many soy-free and gluten-free recipes are clearly identified. Altogether, the collection offers readers loads of ways to expand their vegan repertoire and to get maximum value from their investment in a slow cooker.
