By definition, ceviche is a citrus-marinated seafood salad. It is commonly served throughout Central and South America, and every country is known for slightly different methods of preparation, whether it's the addition of orange juice vs. sugar or lemon vs. lime, garnishing with cilantro vs. parsley, or serving with corn tortilla chips vs. crackers—or even popcorn. The varieties are endless.

I decided to create a vegetarian version based on Rick Bayless' "Classic Ceviche" recipe in Mexico—One Plate at a Time. The major difference was that, you guessed it, I omitted the seafood and used a combination of mushrooms instead. I love, love, love oyster and shiitake mushrooms because of both their texture and taste, so they became the stars of the dish.

After all the ingredients were combined, I found that I desired more of a sauce to pull the dish together. I remembered seeing the cooks at a Mexican restaurant where I once worked add ketchup and hot sauce to their ceviche, so I decided to try that. I added just a little ketchup at a time, probably a total of 1 or 2 tablespoons, and a touch of hot sauce. It was just enough to coat all the ingredients without overpowering their flavor. Perfect.

I couldn't resist sticking to a theme, so I served my "ceviche" in margarita glasses topped with freshly baked corn tortilla chips—along with a shot of tequila on the side. Corny, yet perfect.

With references to "the magical soybean" and "cosmic oatmeal," it's no surprise that the cookbook by Bruce Brennan and James Ehrlich is titled The Hippy Gourmet's Quick and Simple Cookbook for Healthy Eating.

The book is brought to us by the host of the hit PBS show The Hippy Gourmet, who travels the world to find delicious food on every continent. Fortunately for our taste buds, his adventures help the cookbook's recipes break the mold of what we usually think of as traditional hippy food.

Sure, many of the recipes are quite granola. There are lots of recipes for beans, greens, and quinoa—and even one for a solar pizza—but the recipes that highlight world cuisine are what make this cookbook a little less crunchy. There are African, Mexican, traditional Native American, and Ukrainian dishes for the reader to explore, to name just a few.

While not strictly vegan, the cookbook offers a variety of recipes for vegans and vegetarians. Vegan desserts in the book are practically nonexistent, but there is a section dedicated to vegan and vegetarian main course meals, and there are plenty of options in the soups, sides, and starters categories.

When flipping through the pages of the book, I wasn't immediately blown away by the recipes, but after trying a few—Chinese Tofu Salad, Japanese Style Beans, and Pasta With Butternut Squash Sauce—I realized that they are very balanced, solid recipes. Not flashy, just good—exactly what I'd expect from a hippy.

Hot Damn and Hell Yeah: Recipes for Hungry Banditos/The Dirty South Vegan Cookbook is quite an intriguing title for a cookbook. OK, it's actually two cookbooks in one. Details, details.

This has to be the bible of crunk vegan cuisine from the South. Both cookbooks—Hot Damn and Hell Yeah: Recipes for Hungry Banditos by Ryan Splint and The Dirty South Vegan Cookbook by Vanessa Doe—feature down-home recipes that are happily unhealthy and loaded with flavor.

The offerings range from "buttermilk" biscuits to Johnny cakes, from seitan dirty rice to fake fried chicken, and from turnip stew to onion "quiche." My friend Lindsay raves about the cookbook and "praises every day" the person who gave it to her. She supplied the photo here of biscuits and chunky white gravy. Yum.

Now, your queen of crunk—no, not Ciara, it's me—is giving you a chance to win a copy of the cookbook here! Just leave a comment about your favorite Southern vegan food—include a recipe if you'd like—and the best comment wins. It's that simple!

The contest ends on October 19, and the winner will be notified by October 26.

Just so you know…by giving us your details here, we're taking that as acknowledgment that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy. And by commenting, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions.

What would make my list of requirements for the perfect cookbook? Let's see…

•Tasty, reliable recipes, obviously.

•Tips throughout that explain all those small steps that most cookbooks assume you already know how to do.

•Beautiful pictures that rival the artistic photography in even a Charlie Trotter cookbook.

•But not just pretty pictures, also part instructional text—think a toned-down version of a CIA textbook.

•Oh, and all the recipes are vegan.

If I were writing a cookbook, these are all the elements I would want to include to make the perfect book. Luckily, I've already found a book on baking that has all of the above.

The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is by far one of the best vegan cookbooks I've come across. Don't be fooled by the "average Joe" cover, because there are culinary treasures to be found inside the book.

It is loaded with reliable recipes for classics such as chocolate chip cookies, lemon bars (see the recipe below), pumpkin pie, and caramel popcorn—but the author ventures away from the norm as well. Colleen mixes it up a bit with recipes for Mexican horchata, melonpan (a Japanese cookie bread), and chocolate babka (Polish bread). I can honestly say that I was not disappointed by one single recipe in the book—and I tried many.

I must admit that I am very much a cookbook junkie—let's just say "connoisseur." I look at not just the recipes and photos but also the quality of the paper, the font, the binding—I look at it all. Sadly, many vegan cookbooks just aren't up to par with where vegan food is. The books sometimes look like children's homemade Christmas presents for their parents—not exactly an accurate portrayal of the best vegan recipes there are to offer. But that is not the case with The Joy of Vegan Baking. It's a beautiful book with delicious recipes, and I give it the "Amy, Cookbook Connoisseur" seal of approval.

Photo Credit: Tim VanOrden

Rory Freedman, one of the authors of the much-loved Skinny Bitch series, has answered a few short questions for us on the books, cooking, great vegan products, and what's next in the series. Read all of her answers below, and be sure to check back tomorrow for a recipe, tested by yours truly, from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch.

Can you tell us a little about the new book, Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, and how you came up with all the recipes?

SBK was really a gift to our readers—people who had read SB, changed their diets as a result, and wanted another tool in helping them live the vegan lifestyle.

But Kim and I are not professional chefs; we're just professional eaters. So our publisher hired a cookbook consultant to help us develop the recipes.

Where did you learn to cook? Any formal experience?

Neither one of us had any formal training. We both just spend a ton of time in our kitchens and obsessing about food in general. Eating is, by far, our favorite thing to do.

Do you have a favorite cooking method and favorite ingredient that help keep recipes "skinny"?

A favorite cooking method? I'm a fan of all of them! Anything that gets a pile of random ingredients into a cruelty-free dish works for me! (Although I do have to say, I'm not big on fried and deep-fried stuff.)

Are there any newer vegetarian products on the market that you are particularly fond of or recommend?

I don't know how new they are, but:

•Parma is an amazing Parmesan cheese substitute made from walnuts. It tastes like a dream and is healthy, to boot!

•I've been seeing more and more Gardein soy chicken and soy beef products lately, and they're pretty darn good.

•Sunergia has a soy feta that totally rocks my world!

Any tips or tricks for the at-home chef who wants to be a "skinny bitch"?

Yeah, first get rid of all the dead, rotting, decomposing flesh and haul away all that dairy nastiness. Skinny Bitches are vegan!

Second, get a bunch of vegan cookbooks. Our faves are The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, How It All Vegan and In the Garden of Vegan by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer, Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, and The Compassionate Cook by Ingrid Newkirk.

If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only eat one kind of food, what would it be?

Ugh! This question is nothing short of torture! One food? Forever? Ugh! If I were being sensible, I'd have to say fruit, simply because it's so healthy. But all the while, I'd be dreaming about nachos, mashed potatoes, chimichurris from Candle Café in NYC, and cupcakes!

What's next for both of you?

We've got three more books in the works: Skinny Bitch: Bun in the Oven (for pregnant women), a Skinny Bitch journal/diary, and Skinny Bastard (for men).

And lots and lots of eating!

As promised in the introduction to yesterday's interview with Skinny Bitch in the Kitch author Rory Freedman, here is a recipe I've tested from the book. I must admit that I chose the simple and classic Caesar salad because it's usually a bit harder to impress with recipes that are fairly basic. It was my challenge to the authors to wow me—and they did.

The veganized Caesar contains homemade whole wheat croutons that are covered in herbes de Provence and is tossed in a good amount of Caesar dressing. Their recipe replaces traditionally used anchovies with umami-rich kelp to create the depth and savory elements that are often missing from vegan Caesar recipes. I definitely appreciate the effort to replace the animal products in recipes with a vegan equivalent, instead of just omitting them. Based on the success of this dressing recipe alone, I can't wait to try more from the book.

Don't forget to check out yesterday's interview with Rory Freedman if you haven't already!

The feisty stars of The Post Punk Kitchen and authors of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, have delivered yet another masterpiece. You could say that their most recent effort, Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, is pretty much the bible of vegan cuisine. It includes a little bit of everything, using easy-to-find ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions.

You can enter to win a free copy by visiting GoVeg.com by February 28. Good luck!

During her senior year of high school, author Hannah Kaminsky juggled the production of her first cookbook (My Sweet Vegan), schoolwork, and various hobbies. During my senior year of high school, I remember juggling slightly less, including finding ways to check out of school early, hanging out with friends, and working a not-so-demanding part-time job. To say that Hannah has one up on me, and many others, at the young age of 18 is in no way a stretch.

Even more impressive than Hannah's ability to create a vegan dessert cookbook at such a young age is the fact that many of the delicious recipes she included are surprisingly sophisticated, and she took every single beautiful photograph in the book herself.

Lucky for me and you, Hannah agreed to do a short Q&A with us and peta2. Learn more about Hannah by reading her answers below, and then enter to win your own copy of My Sweet Vegan. To win, leave a short message explaining the extent of your culinary skills at the age of 18. The most interesting response, as determined by me, wins (see complete contest rules below).

Hannah Kaminsky, Author of My Sweet Vegan

When did you start baking?

I would occasionally help my mom in the kitchen when I was much younger. She would measure everything out and work the oven, while I handled the mixing duties. However, my solo baking adventures began around the age of 14, when I became vegan.

What was it that made you decide to go vegan?

I began experimenting with vegetarianism when I was a freshman in high school, but before I knew it, I was enmeshed in the issues of animal rights. I decided that no matter how hard it might be to make the transition, I wanted to do all I could to help the cause. To my great surprise, I had no trouble at all going vegan! Not once have I ever regretted that decision, either.

What is your favorite recipe?

While it's really hard to pick favorites, one that I find myself making over and over again is the Root Beer Float Cupcakes. Most people are just curious about how they will taste, but once they try a bite, they get hooked on the flavor and can't get enough of them! Beyond these cupcakes, the Green Tea Tiramisu is one of my personal favorite indulgences.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Oh man, tough one. When manipulated properly, both can be incredible flavors that go well with just about everything else. Seriously, don't make me choose! Can't we all just be friends and bake a marble cake instead?

Pies or cakes?

Cake, definitely. I love pie just as much as any other baked goods, but the extra step of making a crust can sometimes be a real pain. But…if we're talking about a graham cracker crust, then that's a different story altogether.

Cupcakes or cookies?

Honestly, after making so many thousands (probably millions, even) of cupcakes, I am starting to get a bit tired of them. Cookies take my vote right now, but of course that could change with little persuasion.

Any advice for the novice vegan baker?

I know that this has been said countless times before, but the best advice I can give is to be unafraid and try things out. Don't know how to replace the eggs? Who cares! Look around your kitchen, find things of similar textures, nutritional profiles, chemical properties, anything, and just give it a shot. No one has a definite answer as to what makes great vegan baking, just like regular baking, so never close your mind to the many possibilities that exist in terms of ingredients and methods. Most importantly, though, make note of your mistakes so that you can improve upon them and start cranking out awesome baked goods!

What's next for you?

I just started attending UMass Amherst, so a few more years of school lie ahead. However, whenever I'm lucky enough to get a ride home for the weekend, I go straight into the kitchen to work on my second dessert cookbook! There are so many exciting things brewing right now, I just can't wait to see where it all leads.

We will be giving away one copy of My Sweet Vegan. The contest ends on April 3, and the winner will be notified by April 10. And just so you know…by giving us your details here, we're taking that as acknowledgment that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy. And by commenting, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions.

VegCooking is now holding a contest where you can win free copies of Robin Robertson cookbooks, including Vegan Fire & Spice, so I decided to take a few recipes from the book for a little test drive.

One of the best that I tested was the Jamaican Jerk-Spiced Tempeh Nuggets. The recipe calls for boiling the tempeh for 30 minutes, which really helps soften the tempeh and make it slightly less nutty. I must warn that if you've never tried tempeh, you shouldn't expect this to taste like tofu or frozen faux chicken nuggets you buy from the supermarket. Tempeh has a very unique taste that you may need to learn to love.

After boiling, you then brown the tempeh in a skillet until there's a nice golden color on all sides. Next you're supposed to toss the tempeh with the jerk seasoning, but I feared the nuggets might be a little dry for my taste, so I added another tablespoon of oil and then the seasoning. Perfect.

I'll stop giving you the play-by-play of my tempeh nugget experience so that you can head on over to enter the contest. Hurry and enter now because the contest ends on April 30! Good luck!