The Arab-Israeli Cookbook by Robin Soans, Claudia Roden

★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review. 

This book of stories, photos ,and food will warm your heart and fill your stomach. Lots of recipes from Middle Eastern culture in this award-winning cookbook. 

I like the photos of real people, interesting meals, and backdrops of friendship and neighborly relationships. In this season of war and conflicts, this book is a timely reminder that people are people. Whether someone in power is trying to disrupt, common decency brings us together around the table.

The recipes are organized by type and named for their creators. Made me smile - and hopeful that peace will be rebuilt and prevail through hospitality among Arabs and Israelis (and the rest of us, too.)

Fermented Vegetables, 10th Anniversary Edition by Kirsten K. Shockey; Christopher Shockey

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
 Nice to get an update of this classic with today's look. This is a book I'd pass to my husband, who likes pickles and vinegar-based foods.

The reasons for fermenting (gut health for one!), the methods, and the instructions - they're all here, wedged between photos to document the processes.

If you think you'd like to do some canning, need to add  fermented foods to your diet, or just want to learn something new, grab it for your kitchen bookshelf.

The Smart Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Serena Ball and Deanna Segrave-Daly

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
These docs-dietitians know what they're talking about. Their emphasis is on keeping your mind sharp and healthy through food. Full nutritional information and easy instructions are coupled with photos that will make you hungry.

If you love the Mediterranean diet or just want to check out what the fuss of the past few years is about, get a copy.

Greekish by Georgina Hayden

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
A mix of Greek/Cypriot recipes that are easy and appeal to those who like Mediterranean ingredients. There are old and new recipes, and the book is loaded with photos that will make you hungry. 

Grilled watermelon salad anyone? How about cheese dishes? Or Greek-style breads. I made me salivate before I even made the first recipe. Lots of fun in this one, and worth a buy and at least a dozen tries.

Plants Taste Better by Richard Buckley

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
Beautiful food! beautifully presented. This will inspire the adventurous cook to put more vegetables and fruits on the table.

As a former vegan due to medical issues, I can confirm that tastes change when you eat only plant-based foods. Because Buckley's food is so appealing, it shouldn't be difficult to choose these recipes and hints to create a healthier diet.

Recommended for vegans, vegetarians, omnivores and anyone else who eats. It's great if you collect pretty cookbooks. And highly recommended if you like to cook, too.

Sugarless by Nicole M. Avena

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Sugar. Love it? Hate it? we all know it's not good for us, especially as a direct jolt from soft drinks, snacks, and fast foods. In SE Asia, it seems like most food is "seasoned" not with salt but with sugar.

Avena explores the effects of the constant infusion of sugar, as well as how to curb cravings and sugar dependence in her 7-step method. Most importantly, she addresses how to get through the pressures of eating with friends and family, the withdrawals, and balancing mental health without lapsing back into a sweet addiction.

The author ends with ideas for setting up a healthy kitchen (including tools and shopping tips), good recipes, and ways to think ahead for remaining "sugarless" for life.

While I didn't find anything dazzling or new in this book, if you're on the hunt for a basic revision of your sugar-saturated intake, this book offers solid advice - what, how-to, and a mental shift that may just be what you're looking for.

High-Protein Plant-Based Diet for Beginners by Maya A. Howard

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
So you want to try a vegetarian diet but you're worried about getting enough protein? This should give you a place to start! 

Grab your kitchen tools, some basic foods, and off you go. You'll find familiar tastes as well as some fresh takes and information on hitting your target nutrition. 

This is a new one for your vegan and vegetarian bookshelf.

Vegan Barbecue: More Than 100 Recipes for Smoky and Satisfying Plant-Based BBQ by Terry Sargent

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 

Ok, so you don't eat meat but it's summer and you're craving it anyway. Here's the book for you, with a lot of recipes that will satisfy your barbecue tastebuds. Get your picnic basket and your grill ready.

It's not just main dish "meat"-ish offerings, either. There are sides, desserts, and everything between. This is one to add to your library. I'm going to try the "meat"loaf this week. For vegans and those puzzled by their vegan friends ... this book's for you.

The Complete Food Substitutions Handbook: Including Options for Low-Sugar, Low-Fat, Low-Salt, Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free, and Vegan by Jean B. MacLeod

★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review.
Such a helpful reference book! The substitutions are clear and easy - the variety is amazing. Sometimes you need to use other ingredients. You've run out of something; your food sensitivities mean you can't have certain ingredients; you're trying a restricted diet. Or you're serving a guest with restrictions.

GET THIS book if you or your family have food sensitivities. The recipes use easy-to-find and simple ingredients. The instructions are clear.

Wish I'd had it when I was vegan. Would have been such a help.