The Bitch Is Back

Skinny Bitch changed my life. I was already vegan when my best friend Sheridan called me crying one night, going on and on about the torture of farmed animals she was reading about in Skinny Bitch. She told me she was giving up meat that night, and she did. That was several years ago. Now she's vegan. She also convinced me to read the book. I didn't think I needed to. I mean, I was already vegan, right?

But I was still eating crap — high fructose corn syrup, diet sodas, white bread. Skinny Bitch helped me rid those things from my life. I'm often bored by reading nutrition books, but Kim and Rory write like I talk. Their no-nonsense style and potty mouths made the book fun!

Well, now Kim Barnouin is back with a supermarket guide on how to find vegan alternatives to just about anything. Skinny Bitch: Book of Vegan Swaps is not a cookbook. In fact, there's only 10 recipes in the whole book.

Instead, this spiral-bound guide lists Kim's favorite vegan versions of common convenience foods. She lists her favorite brands with plenty of narrative and classic Skinny Bitch attitude. There's chapters on dairy alternatives (Tofutti cream cheese for Philadelphia cream cheese, Daiya for shredded cheese), egg and meat swaps (Ener-G egg replacer for baking, Yves ground round for beef, etc.), dry goods (Amy's Organics is listed as "healthiest" soup swap and Dr. McDougall's Baked Ramen is suggested in place of Top Ramen) and even dessert and baking swaps (Liz Lovely tops her list for cookie swaps!).

There's also chapters on what to eat at the airport (Wolfgang Puck Express, salads from Sbarro) and ideas for weekend snacks (Tings, anyone?). Plus, there's a list of Kim's favorite recipes, like these Peanut Seitan Noodles:

These whole wheat noodles were coated with a sesame-peanut sauce and mixed with snow peas, carrots, cucumbers, and seitan. Delicious! I wish the book had more than 10 recipes, but I know it's intended to be a supermarket guide rather than a cookbook.

Experienced vegans probably don't have much use for this book since we all know the best hummus and the best vegan cheese. But this advice would be invaluable to a new vegan trying to navigate the world of cruelty-free goods. My only concern: New products are constantly being introduced in the vegan food world (Remember life before Daiya? Yea, those were dark days of trying every trick in the book to melt Vegan Rella.) This book has the potential to become dated quickly, so I hope Kim is prepared to frequently release updated editions.

That being said, this book is perfect for the here and now. And I have an extra copy that I'd like to give away to one lucky reader (if you're an old vegan, save it to give to the next new vegan you meet). Here's how to win:

1. Leave a comment letting me know your favorite vegan food product.
2. "Like" Vegan Crunk on Facebook and let me know about it in a separate comment.
3. Tweet a link to the giveaway and make sure to tag me @biancaphillips. Then leave a comment letting me know you tweeted.

Remember, you only need to enter once for a chance to win and you can do so by simply leaving a comment (see #1). Any extra entries for Facebook likes and Twitter mentions just help your chances, but if you're not on FB or Twitter, don't sweat it. I'll randomly select a winner on Monday night. Oh, and don't forget to leave your email address in a comment if you're not easily contactable through a blog.