Holiday Gift Guide: Crazy Sexy Kitchen by Kris Carr and Chad Sarno

It wouldn’t be Christmas without the latest fad diet cookbook. This year, the raddest fad diet is -- wait for it -- health. And fad healthful eating is springing up all over in the form of vegan and “plant-based diet” cookbooks.

Nowhere is the fad as pretty and shiny than it is in Crazy Sexy Kitchen (Hay House). In some ways, the name says it all.

The book follows up the New York Times bestselling Crazy Sexy Diet, “a nutrient-dense, plant-happy approach to eating and living that harmonizes your beautiful body at the cellular level.” What could be better than that? Basically, it’s veganism under a (way) sexier banner, as you quickly learn as your taken through a tour of a meat-free, sugar-free, lactose-free lifestyle, as well as some of the highlights of choosing to eat in this way. Another section deals with handling some of the basics. How to prep and cook beans and grains. How to choose and hold a knife. How to destone an avocado. And so on.

The stars of the book, however, are the recipes. There are a lot of them, clearly well-thought out and brilliantly photographed. Cauliflower Risotto. Yellow Squash Fettuccine. Vegan “Clam” Chowder. Beetroot Ravioli with Cashew Cream Cheese. And many, many more, for every meal of the day, with many suitable for entertaining.

Much of this is food you could feed anyone without worrying that they’ll be worrying about what they’re missing. Just entirely wholesome, beautiful food. There’s not a lot to get excited about here, but those looking for a soft entree to a whole lifestyle change will find a lot here to like. ◊

Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.