Best vegan cookbooks

This was the first vegan cookbook I bought and it opened the gateway into creative cruelty-free cooking and hands down, Isa Chandra Moskowitz is my favourite cookbook author. Why? Her books are not a standard recipe-on-each-page fare, they're as much fun to read as it is to cook from.

Isa made a name for herself creating The Post Punk Kitchen: an online cooking show with her partner Terry which also dished up great personality and music. At times her debut cookbook reads more like a magazine- and that's a good thing. It's as entertaining as it is useful- Fizzle, Isa's cat, pops up throughout to fill you in with further details about ingredients, and there are 'Punk Points' with each recipe, giving shortcuts and cooking tips. Isa is eager to get around using expensive kitchen equipment and ingredients- most things needed are easily bought and nice on the wallet.

Why is this book so popular with not only the vegan community, but every food fan? Because it's awesome. Full of recipes that are good for you and the planet, this will revolutionalise the way you view vegan cooking.

Favourite recipes: scrambled tofu (I eat this about three to four times a week now!), jerk seitan (and a seitan recipe from scratch), asparagus and sundried tomato frittata, corn chowder, ultimate pizza dough, homemade gnocci, tempeh bacon, potato edamame samosas, cajun french fries, punk rock chickpea gravy, pumpkin muffins, mexican chocolate rice pudding... the list goes on and on.

Also by the wonderful Isa comes the ultimate cupcake book- Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. An amazingly sweet and sassy read which is perfect for anybody with a sweet tooth. It contains 75 diverse cupcake recipes, spanning from the classic vanilla cupcake to the unique chai latte cupcake. It not only caters for vegans but those with certain dietary requirements- gluten free, allergies etc.

Packed full of photos, tips on how to perfect your cupcake, and recipes for different frostings, it is impossible to be let down with this book. It also makes a perfect gift to the baking fanatic in your life... and not forgetting one for yourself (;

Top five recipes: Mexican Hot Chocolate cupcakes, Tiramisu cupcakes, Peanut Buttercream cupcakes, Chocolate Mint cupcakes, Margarita cupcakes. Can I get a hell yeah?

Can this girl do no wrong? This charming book is a spin-off of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World... full of awesome cookie recipes such as classic chocolate chip, progressing into sweet wine cookies with sesame, and it doesn't stop there; the cookbook also contains recipes for brownies, shortbreads and bars... and the incredibly popular vegan lemon bars. It contains gorgeous colour photographs to illustrate almost every cookie, and many tips and advice on how to make every single 'lil cookie you make perfect.

Best picks: , espresso oatmeal cookies, banana breakfast cookies, cherry almond cookies, no-bake pecan cookies, cheesecake brownies, and the almighty lemon bars!

And we come to the last book by Isa, promise! It's not my fault she's a vegan cooking goddess... this book will make you rediscover and fall in love with breakfast/brunch time. Brunch promotes a fantastic sort of laziness that encourages people to get together and enjoy good food in good company, and there is a special chapter dedicated to setting up your own brunch- making coffee, setting the table and more. It's impossible to find a bad recipe in this book and i've yet to make a dish which 1. hasn't been mouthwateringly delicious and 2. haven't thought 'how can I improve this next time?' Worth waking up for!

Best dishes: tofu omlettes, shiitake frittata, pumkpin french toast, chocolate beer waffles, perfect pancakes (great topped with tempeh bacon), potato spinach squares, vegan chorizo, bagels from scratch, berry muffins....