Thug Kitchen 101: Fast as F*ck: A Cookbook (Thug Kitchen Cookbooks)

As a vegetarian, I struggle to find recipes and cook well! I was nicknamed the "worst vegetarian ever" because all I ate was cheese and bread. That is, until this book. I now cook something every week that is loaded with vegetables. I have made three recipes thus far--the everyday soup, the Chickpea Bolognese, and the Polenta Putanesca. All of them have been wonderful and flavorful. It is such a delight to finally not have to eat some combination of bread and cheese every night. The other thing is the book makes it easy to find recipes that freeze well, or are great leftovers. As a college student, I'm so about cooking once or twice a week and freezing the leftovers for days when I'm crazy busy. I've also used the book to cook for guests, and they love it. I could find gluten free dishes easily--which is awesome because one of my friends can't eat gluten. This book is amazing :) Also, please disregard the reviews about these recipes taking a long time, you are supposed to prep as you go through the recipe, not prep before you even begin. If you stick to that it really doesn't take long. I'm always surprised by how fast the food comes together. I was able to make the Chickpea Bolognese in 35 minutes, tops. Keep in mind you're making a sauce from scratch too! I also don't have any real experience in the kitchen before this book.

I accidentally stumbled upon the first Thug Kitchen a couple of years ago and have been a fan ever since. For years vegan cookbooks had been -well a little boring, sometime pretentious, often filled with things than non vegans will simply not eat and require an expensive trip to a specialist store to stock up on weird ingredients you would probably never use again. Thug Kitchen changed all that. Beginning with the elephant in the room, the language. If you are easily offended, if “F-Bombs” make your blood boil, then simply steer clear. This book is in your face, offensive and as full of expletives as it is recipes. Amazon as a “look inside” feature that really helps immerse you in the tone of the book so you know if it’s for you or not. I write this as every time a Thug Kitchen book comes out; someone buys it then complains about it. That would be akin to me buying a book about butchery and complaining about the lack of vegan recipes. Personally none of this bothers me as I buy it for the crazy good recipes!! On that note, these recipes are not only good, but fast. Designed to break people of the take out mentality, and showing you that in the time it takes for the pizza boy to ring your doorbell, you can make your own food -that is simple, fast, tastes good and it’s good for you, aka you know what is in it, whereas with take out, you do not. Oh yeah, and it’s also vegan. It begins with a roadmap to good health, with some mild boggling but real statistics about what we as a nation are consuming; and the outcomes of that. It’s loud, crude and might be a good go to for someone that is simply not going to read something that comes across as scolding or nagging, but just fact based. Then continuing with the road analogy, it takes us on a trip through 6 main stops: Riding shotgun (salsas, sides and small bites); Freshen the **** Up (salads and slaws); Hot box (soups and stews); Open Road (noodles, grains and mains); Cruise Control (smoothies, drinks and cocktails); finishing with call it a night -the dessert section. I had already tested out some of the recipes thanks in part to the sneak peak on Amazon and the fact that I had submitted a copy of my preorder receipt and been made privy to a few of the featured dishes. I began with the crispy fennel, partly because I had a fridge full of fennel unused from a dish I never got around to, and partly because I had tried a dish like this as a Gastro Pub a few years ago and loved it. Prep time was less than 10 minutes, cook time was 25 minutes and it had less than 6 ingredients. It was super simple but really, really good. I also tried their take on split pea soup, and again found it simple and tasty. One of those dishes that it is good to come home to knowing all you have to do is heat it back up! The dishes are hearty, taste good and there are many options that replicate traditional meal dishes, but in a healthier way that will still appeal to both vegan and meat eaters alike. On out family we have both and have been able to use this and the other Thug Kitchen Books with no complaints from those eating and enjoying the food. There is truly something for everyone and each dish is designed to be fast, to taste good and can be made with things you either have on hand, or can find in any regular grocery store. It’s a great choice if you are looking to get healthy and want a few meat free dishes, but still want an easy, tasty meal; or for those vegans just looking for something new and fan! Once again I am a fan…Keep the books coming Thug Kitchen as we love the food and love the book!

I tried tempeh once. That was enough. It sucks rotten eggs (which might actually taste better than tempeh). No matter - I absolutely adore this cookbook and the entire Thug Kitchen oeuvre. TK lets me feed my skeptical spouse on Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Wegetable Wednesday, and Thofu Thursday without him knowing his triglycerides and blood pressure are being secretly tamed. It also lets us eat healthy without busting through our monthly food budget in a single shop. Cauliflower is cheap, peeps! So are frozen veggies. Most of the ingredients in these recipes are available at honest to goodness supermarkets, Super Targets, and Super Walmarts. No farmer's market needed (though if you have one nearby, god bless you, go!) Here's the thing about the TK recipes: if you don't like something, you can leave it out and they still work and taste awesome enough that you can announce to your family, "That was vegan, you know," as they're laying down their forks in postprandial bliss. You don't have to be vegan to enjoy this food. I sometimes use these recipes as side dishes for a Sunday roast. Or make the soups with chicken broth (shhhh...) Or use non-non-dairy milk (yeah, the kind animals make - deal with it). The recipes don't take any longer to make than any other cook-from-scratch meals. There are no fancy-schmancy chef techniques. No $500 kitchen equipment required. Try this or any other Thug Kitchen book. Make your tongue happy. And your heart and wallet and family too while you're at it.

Ordered as a Christmas Gift and so far I think it will go down very well. Recipes laid out well and average easy-to-buy ingredients. And if you can have a laugh at expletive laden instructions whilst you cook, what's not to like?

Der Name ist Programm ! Die Sachen gehen schnell und sind lecker.. Ich hab alle drei Bücher von Thug Kitchen, und ich finde sie einfach unterhaltsam und die Rezepte sind wirklich gut. Freu mich schon auf das Vierte Buch von Thug Kitchen...

Purchased this as a gift - it arrived on time and in good condition, which is something I’m always hesitant about when ordering books online but I was in a pinch! I’ve purchased a few from these writers - they’re all good!

I have two books from these guys now. I just turned vegan a few months ago and was concerned about the quality of food I would be eating. These books are life changing. who knew that vegan could taste so good and have so much variety. If it wasn't for thug kitchen, I don't know if I could have made the lifestyle change as easily as I did. Awesome cook book.

I really enjoyed the numerous tips and techniques presented in the book. All recipes were easy to follow and quick.