Cooking with a conscience.

As the summer months approach, a slew of new cookbooks provide mouth-watering menu options that can be prepared without sacrificing creativity or conscience. Renowned vegan cookbook author Sarah Kramer provides Vegan A Go-Go! A Cookbook and Survival Manual for Vegans on the Road (Arsenal Pulp Press, $17.95). The first several pages of this kitschy guide include five different ways to say "I'm a vegan," airline, cruise and safety tips and money-saving lessons from the experienced vegan traveler. Snacks like Righteous Orbs and Chocolate Nut Energy Bars are the perfect pick-me-up for foodies traveling by train, plane, car or foot and on a budget.

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Priscilla Feral's The Best of Vegan Cooking (Nectar Bat Press, $19.99) offers a wealth of fresh plant-based recipes from renowned vegetarian and omnivore chefs, including Susan Wu, Mark Bittman and Mary Lawrence. Dishes like Zucchini Risotto and Authentic Mexican Tortillas embrace regional, local and seasonal flavors. As president of the nonprofit animal advocacy group Friends of Animals, Feral understands the environmental consequences of eating meat--and the limitless possibilities available to a plant-based diet. This cookbook shows how a "commitment to peace blends with opportunities to prepare healthful, delicious, attractive dishes."

If tofu and vegetable kabobs are not enough to entice meat-eating barbeque guests, the recipes in Almost Meatless: Recipes that Are Better for Your Health and the Planet (Ten Speed Press, $22.50) by former vegetarian Joy Manning and self-professed meat lover Tara Mataraza Desmond will. This cookbook embraces animal products, and offers facts on how to enjoy meat more while consuming less. Their Beefed-Up Bean Chili and Tofu-Turkey Sloppy Joes present American favorites in a health-, budget--and Earth-conscious way.