Joy of Vegan Baking Named "Cookbook of the Year"!

I'm very honored and thrilled to announce that VegNews Magazine has graced The Joy of Vegan Baking with their 2007 Veggie Award, naming it Cookbook of the Year. Considering all the fantastic veg cookbooks out there, this is quite an honor.

This is the second Veggie Award we have received, as they crowned me the "Vegan Martha Stewart" in 2005. :)

Thanks to VegNews Magazine and to all of you who have been posting such positive reviews on Amazon and on their blogs. My intention in writing this book was to demystify "vegan baking" for vegans and non-vegans alike, and I'm just thrilled with the reception is has been getting.

Here's what VegNews had to say:

Cookbook of the Year: The Joy of Vegan Baking
In 1931, Irma Rombauer self-published The Joy of Cooking, a collection of no-nonsense recipes that became an instant classic, selling 15 million copies to date. More than 75 years later, we predict that Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s new cookbook, The Joy of Vegan Baking, will make history of its own. Rising to the top of veggie superstardom, Colleen is a one-woman powerhouse. Her entrepreneurial repertoire includes a wildly popular cooking DVD, sold-out cooking classes, natural-food-market tours, a weekly podcast, and a magazine column. Oh, and the new cookbook. The VN staff was stunned by the array of recipes (150 in all), amount of insight and tips, and mouthwatering photography. From Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Cherry Pie, and Mexican Wedding Cookies to Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes, Raspberry Oatmeal Bars, and even Caramel Popcorn, The Joy of Vegan Baking has you covered for every occasion.

Quoted in Article on Vegan Baking for the Associated Press

A really positive article about vegan baking came over the wires yesterday (10/130/07), and I - among other vegan bakers - am quoted in it:

"People associate baking with eggs, butter and cow's milk, but it's more accurate to say baked goods need fat, moisture and leavening," says Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, author of "The Joy of Vegan Baking."

"And those are available in plant form," she says.

In this part of the story, they included the following quote:

Ground flax seeds: Used in place of eggs, these help bind whole-grain muffins, cookies and pancakes. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, author of "The Joy of Vegan Baking," suggests buying whole flax seeds and grinding them as needed in a coffee mill.

and my Lemon Cheesecake is featured (not the prettiest photo, but it's all good). :) Fun to see the book getting some press! Enjoy.

Nobody's Perfect! Corrections to Some Eensy Teensy Errors in The Joy of Vegan Baking

I pride myself on being a meticulous editor (as do the hard-working editors at Fair Winds Press, I'm sure), but in a 287-page book that contains over 150 recipes and tens of thousands of words, there are bound to be errors.

Though any mistakes we come across will be corrected in subsequent printings of The Joy of Vegan Baking, I hate the idea of errors just sitting there in the books from the first printing, so I'm here to correct those I'm aware of. Please don't hesitate to tell me about others you may find, though I hope this list includes them all!

1. In the Drop Biscuits recipe on page 48, the "yield" currently says "24," but that's not right. One batch of these delicious biscuits makes between 10 and 12, depending on how large you make them. Eat them right out of the oven when they're piping hot! Yum!

2. Under the Better Than Eggs section on the bottom of page 18, I'm talking all about using Baking Soda and Vinegar to leaven baked goods, and then in the paragraph itself, I mistakenly refer to Baking Powder. Clearly, it should say Baking Soda.

3. As the book came close to publication, the publisher decided to add the lovely front and back inside flaps. On the back flap, they added my photo, but because my photo was already on the very last page (About the Author), which faces the back inside flap, there are two photos of me back to back. As fondly as I remember the Thanksgiving on which that photo was taken, there is no need for two mirrored photos of me! In the next printing, the publisher will either remove one photo - or potentially replace it with a different photo. Just wanted to clarify that. :)

4. Under Suggestions for Making Healthful Transitions on page 154, there is a mistake in the heading of Tip #6; unfortunately, "Meet the Farmers" was repeated as the name of that tip. It should be "Prep in Advance."

5. Under the Acknowledgments on page 287, Patti Martin was thanked twice. She really did help a lot, but one "thank you" is sufficient within one paragraph. Also, my dear friend Kristin Schwarz should be included in the list of testers!

My hope is that I will not have to add to this list, but in the event that I do, you will definitely hear from me again, and you can check here for corrections. Enjoy!

The Joy of Vegan Baking is Born! 10 Ways to Help it Succeed

Well, I suppose I "gave birth" to it several months ago, but now it's out for all the world to see. Today seems to be the first day that bookstores have it in stock, so whoever has "preordered" it will now actually receive it! And those who want to buy it don't have to wait!

So, on this very special day, I wanted to just send a greeting to everyone who has landed on this page and expressed interest in what I think is a fantastic book. I say that humbly but also with the knowledge that Fair Winds Press, my fabulous publisher, did a beautiful job on the design, photography, and artwork. Creating a book is a collaborative effort, indeed.

But I am also very proud of the content and know that you will find much to love about this very comprehensive book - not just about vegan baking but about baking in general. Not just about food but food history. You will find not just recipes but stories about recipes. You will find a bevy of resources, such as Cake Pan Substitutes, a chart of different apples and what the various kinds are good for, tips, suggestions, and so much more.

Call me a geek (I'm guilty), but I'm also very excited about the three different indices ("indexes" in non-geek language). In the back of the book, you will not only find the MOST comprehensive alphabetical index of any book you've ever owned (the cross-references will make you sing!) but you can also find recipes according to their seasonality and according to special occasions and holidays.

Please don't hesitate to contact me here - ask me questions you have. I'm very grateful to all of you who have shown appreciation and enthusiasm for The Joy of Vegan Baking, and I'm humbled to know that some of these recipes will become part of your own repertoire.

There are many ways you can help support the book:

1. Add it to your collection! :) Purchase it from an online store or at your local bookstore.
2. Call several bookstores in your area (and beyond) and ask if they carry the book. If they get enough inquiries about a book, they will be more likely to carry it and display it prominently.
3. Order the book from your local bookstore - and ask them to please carry it and stock several copies of it - besides the one they're buying for you.
4. Call your local library - and several others - to ask them to carry the book.
5. Whether or not your purchase the book from a local bookstore or an online store, please make a point to visit each of the stores listed on my website to leave a review - hopefully favorable! :)
6. Give the books to friends and family - vegan and non-vegan. In many ways this is a "vegan cookbook through and through" and in many ways it's a baking cookbook that "happens to be vegan." It will appeal to a very wide audience.
7. If you are interested, please ask me about getting postcards that you can and will distribute in front of cafes, bookstores, health food stores, at vegan events. I don't mean simply stacking these in cafes; I mean if you are interested in actually handing out the cookbook postcard to like-minded audiences, this is the kind of grassroots marketing we need!
8. If you have a blog or podcast, please tell your visitors/readers/fans/listeners about our book. Just send them to www.joyofveganbaking.com or www.compassionatecooks.com.
9. If you regularly visit a blog you think would want to know about our book, please tell them!
10. If you purchase books to sell to the public in any capacity, please contact me about buying copies wholesale from my publisher.

Featuring 150 familiar favorites–from cakes, cookies, and crepes to pies, puddings, and pastries, and more!

More than just a collection of recipes, this informative cookbook is a valuable resource that will:
• enlighten and inspire you to bake with confidence and joy
• demystify what it means to bake without eggs and dairy
• entertain and educate you with fascinating stories about the origins of your favorite homemade treats
• empower and inform you about the benefits of vegan baking

Learn more at The Joy of Vegan Baking website.