So today I wanted to dive into Julie Piatt’s cookbooks, right? Been seeing them everywhere, all that fancy plant-based stuff, and figured, hey, maybe my taste buds are missing out. Jumped online without a second thought. Boom. There were like five staring back at me. Wallet started sweating already.
Diving Headfirst into the Deep End
Didn’t wanna just pick one like a total rando. Nope. I cracked open Google. Started punching in “Julie Piatt cookbook reviews” like my life depended on it. My kitchen table became mission control – laptop, phone, scraps of paper scribbled with “cashew cheese??” and “sacred cakes worth it?”. Info overload hit me around coffee number two.
The Actual Book Buying Feels Real
Saw “Plant Power” mentioned a ton. People raved. Sounded like a good starter pack, a solid baseline Julie Piatt experience. Added that sucker to my virtual cart. But then, “This Cheese is Nuts” title was just buzzing in my brain. I am weak for cheese substitutes that don’t taste like sadness. Hesitated for like three full minutes, watching the screen blur. “YOLO,” my inner idiot whispered. Hit “add to cart” on that one too. Instant wallet groan. Was I crazy? Maybe.
First Attempts & Confusion Galore
Boxes arrived. Felt legit. The books looked beautiful, gotta say. Smooth paper, nice photos. “Plant Power” got cracked open first. Flipped through it. Okay. Some stuff sounded simple enough. Others had ingredients I swear I saw last on a spaceship manifest. Found a cashew-based pasta sauce recipe. Sounded promising. Tried it.
The kitchen looked like a crime scene five minutes later. Stuck blender. Cashew bits flying like shrapnel. My white walls aren’t white anymore. The noise! Sounded like a dying dragon. And the soaking! Julie wasn’t kidding about that soak time – my cashews needed forever. Seriously underestimated that step.
Gave up on that mid-battle. Picked up “This Cheese is Nuts”. Tried the basic nut cheese spread thing. Seemed easier. Ha. Mixing, blending, straining… felt like a chemistry degree. The recipe said “drain for 4-6 hours”. More waiting! My stomach was staging a full-on revolt by hour three.
The Taste Test Rollercoaster
Finally! Pasta sauce from “Plant Power” got rescued. Tasted… interesting. Different. Not bad? But definitely not my usual marinara. Took some getting used to. Rich, kinda nutty. Was it delicious? Mmm… complicated. The cheese spread from “This Cheese is Nuts”? Creamy texture blew my mind. Like, actually impressive. Taste? Nutty and tangy. Good tangy. Slapped that on crackers. Devoured it way faster than I should admit. Felt fancy. Felt virtuous. Also felt kinda exhausted.
So, Which One Do You Grab?
After that wild Tuesday night experiment? My verdict:
- “Plant Power”: Solid base camp for the Julie Piatt universe. Big book, lots of recipes covering everything. But be warned: you will need serious prep time and patience. Ingredients can get out there. Felt like a reference book.
- “This Cheese is Nuts”: Laser focused. If you dream about making vegan cheese that doesn’t suck, get this book. The techniques are clear (even if time-consuming), and the results? Mind-bogglingly good for cheese that comes from nuts. More specialized but totally worth it.
Honestly? If your wallet and patience are singing just one song? Grab “This Cheese is Nuts”. The “wow” factor is real. Learning her cheese method unlocks a whole new plant-based world. Way more bang for your buck feel-good cooking moment right out the gate. Seeing liquid turn into solid cheese? Magic. Pure, frustrating, sometimes messy, but ultimately delicious magic. “Plant Power” is awesome, but maybe save it for later when you’re hooked.
