Book Review: Dating Vegans Posted by Lydia Grossov on Monday, May 20, 2013 · Leave a Comment

We had the pleasure of meeting Anne Dinshah on a couple of occasions, Vegetarian Summerfest and CARE Veggie Fest. She’s peppy and energetic—the kind of person you just can’t help but like when you first meet them—and she will get your ass in shape if you ever meet her on the boot camp field at Summerfest. Unlike most vegans, Anne is a lifetime vegan, born and raised. Her son is the fourth generation of vegetarians/vegans in her family and that, to me, is most impressive.

The last time we met up with Anne, she gave me a copy of her book “Dating Vegans – Recipes for Relationships” to review. She handed me the book and Mauro, standing beside me with a question mark look on his face, exclaimed that I had no need for the book. Anne politely explained (even though Mauro was just joking) that it isn’t just about dating, but more a book for building relationships. It’s not the type of book I would pick out to read—I’m a sci-fi, fantasy, horror and graphic novel kind of gal—but I gave it a shot.

“Dating Vegans is for everyone in a relationship vegan-with-a-non-vegan or anyone who has a vegan friend. Anne Dinshah boldly tackles social issues with stories from real people, insights, and recipes.”

Dating Vegans is essentially a guide to relationships and food, with anecdotal tales, for non-vegans and vegans alike. Starting off with an introduction to the basics of what it means to be vegan, tips for dating vegan men and women, tips for novice cooks and the basics of vegan ingredients, it then moves on with recipes interspersed with stories of her flirtatious escapades with non-vegan men, relationship success stories, suggestions for sharing meals on holidays and special occasions, and more.

It is a light-hearted, quick and easy read. I read it in two sittings during a weekend. I enjoyed living vicariously through her experiences and reading about what she prepared for their shared meals, which incidentally made me grateful to have a partner who shares the same eating habits as me—not that I’m not grateful on any given day, I am. I also loved reading the success stories of couples with different or similar eating habits. The story about her parents is the best. Maybe we’ll see a movie about it one day 🙂

About the Author

Anne Dinshah is a lifetime vegan and author of Healthy Hearty Helpings, a vegan cookbook for busy people who wish to eat well. She coauthored Maribeth Abrams’ cookbook The 4 Ingredient Vegan. Her career as a rowing coach takes her to a variety of locations throughout the United States where she embraces the challenges of everyday life with focus, persistence, and grace. Anne enjoys many forms of athletics from swimming to wrestling. She has been fortunate to become friends with many men and experience romantic dating adventures. With the help of non-vegan friends who appreciate her vegan cuisine, Anne is building her stone and timber-frame writer’s cabin in western New York state. She is committed to building bridges as a vegan in a culture that depends heavily on animal products.