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Sesame, Soy, Spice review

“Sesame, Soy, Spice: 90 Asian-ish Vegan and Glute-free Recipes to Reconnect, Root, and Restore” is the first cookbook by Remy Morimoto Park, a health and wellness blogger based in NYC. She also comes with a Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese background. According to the author/book, the recipes “are love letters to her family members, to the countries she’s lived in, and to her teenage self – the one who thought she had to reject the food of her culture to live authentically for herself.”

The chapters are listed as:

  • First things first,
  • Salads that don’t suck (and other delicious vegetables),
  • Snacks that smile back,
  • Crying over spilt soymilk,
  • Long life noodles, rice, and other mains,
  • More things my family members, who never measure anything, like to make,
  • You deserve it

At first glance, I was confused by the title “crying over spilled milk” but that chapter talks about the heavy topic of substance abuse at a young age, and turning to sobriety. It then offers recipes for alcohol-free drinks.

Some recipes that I think sound good are:

  • Just-add-mylk pancake mix,
  • Miso-glazed mushroom toast,
  • Vegan cream cheese,
  • Smoky maple tempeh bacon,
  • Matcha and pistachio granola,
  • Crunchy togarashi asparagus,
  • Scallion pesto,
  • Korean bbq-loaded nachos,
  • Perfect pistachio milk,
  • Pistachio milk matcha with cheesecake cream,
  • Black sesame cacao smoothie,
  • Cucumber sesame noodles,
  • Shredded Korean bbq bulgogi tofu,
  • Spicy peanut ramen,
  • Thai basil tempeh,
  • Popcorn tofu,
  • Chinese peanut cookies,
  • Thai tea panna cotta,
  • Miso caramel creme brulee,
  • Black sesame chocolate chip bliss balls,
  • Miso butter chocolate chip cookies

My only real criticism of the book is that not all of the recipes are “Asian-ish” which is what I was expecting based on the title.  The recipes I highlighted above are but there’s also recipes like “snap pea slaw” and “quinoa salad with raspberry poppyseed dressing” which really are not.  (You can make the raspberry poppyseed dressing more Asian inspired by adding gochujang but that’s listed as an optional ingredient.) It’s only when you read the inside jacket that it says “elegant, easy-to-make plant-based takes on Asian-ish and international dishes.”

The first recipe I made is not Asian in any way, but sounds delicious: chocolate quinoa breakfast bowl.  It’s made with quinoa, water, plant milk, maple syrup, cacao powder, almond butter, vanilla, and topped with fruits/nuts of choosing.  It’s pretty easy to make but take more time than you might think.  You first cook the quinoa in water for 10-12 minutes, and then finish cooking it in the plant milk for another 7-8 minutes.    My recommendation is to use less plant milk to start than what is listed.  I used an oatmilk brand that I had never used before, and it was very thin.  I used the full amount, and my final results were more watery than what the book photo presents.  It does thicken up if you store leftovers in the fridge, but my oatmilk was so thin that it still felt too watery to me the next day.  Admittedly, I made this recipe because One Degree Organic Foods’ Organic Sprouted Oat Granola Quinoa Cacao is one of my favorite snacks.  They are very different chocolate quinoa recipes.  The porridge here is more bittersweet, and the quinoa flavor is more pronounced.  That doesn’t mean that I think it’s bad or anything.  It’s just different.  The porridge is also very filling.  The recipe says it’s for 2 servings, but with nuts and fruits (and a serving of yogurt which I have every morning), I was able to stretch this into 5 servings.  This a great option for meal prepping.

The second recipe I made also came from the same chapter but I ate them for lunch: super scallion quiche cups.  It’s inspired by egg bites and scallion pancakes.  It’s made with oil, leeks, scallions, extra firm tofu, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, plant milk, miso, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Essentially, these all get blended together to make the quiche batter.  The recipe was written for a 24 mini muffin tin, but I used a standard 12 cup muffin tin.  The recipe says to blend until spoonable but not too runny.  I took that mean a hummus like consistency which was a pain in the butt to scoop out of my blender as I got closer to the blades.  I think I will try this in a food processor next time.  This is also a great meal prep item, especially if you’re on the go.  Overall I enjoyed this, but I think I can add more scallions, nutritional yeast, miso, and onion/garlic powders.  The tofu can take it.  Otherwise, it might be fun to garnish with a flavored schmear of choice.

The book has a fun array of vegan recipes.  I think this book will appeal to anyone new to veganism, long-time vegans looking for new ideas, or anyone looking for recipes to increase their vegetable consumption.  Just don’t get this book for you’re expecting Asian inspired recipes only.  

Disclaimer – I kindly received a copy of this book from William Morrow/Harper Collins for this review.  I’m not getting paid for this post. The views and opinions expressed are purely my own.  This cookbook is available for purchase from your favorite bookshops.

Reference Links:

https://www.instagram.com/veggiekins/?hl=en

https://veggiekinsblog.com/

https://www.harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/remy-morimoto-park-84771

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Anything’s Pastable review

I didn’t realize that Dan Pashman of cascatelli fame had a new cookbook until I saw he was recently a guest on the “Hotdog is a Sandwich” podcast.  I suppose it should not be be a surprise that the new cookbook is called “Anything’s Pastable: 81 Inventive Pasta Recipes for Saucy People.”  This is not a collection of recipes that an Italian nonna is going to have, and that’s what I love about it.  There is a lot of global influence, and well thought out fusion recipes.

The book is divided into: 

  • Pestos, pangrattatos, and the jarred tomato sauce decision tree
  • Classic comfort: Hugs on a plate
  • Carby and crispy: adventures in texture
  • Zing: flavor bombs, not belly bombs
  • Stews, rouxes, and ragus: thick and hearty, warm and toasty
  • Pasta salads redeemed: fresh and bright, hold the mayo
  • To the forno!: baked pasta dishes

You’ll find recipes like: 

  • Ritz cracker and chive pangrattato,
  • Shells with miso butter and scallions,
  • Mac ‘n’ dal,
  • Scallion oil bucatini with runny eggs,
  • Swordfish with salsa verde sagne a pezzi,
  • Kimchi carbonara,
  • Shakshuka and shells,
  • Gnocchi with bacon and sauerkraut,
  • Keema bolognese,
  • Mapo tofu cascatelli,
  • Tteokbokki bolognese,
  • Cavatelli with crunchy fresh corn, tomatoes, ricotta salata, and mozzarella,
  • Crispy gnocchi salad with preserved lemon-tomato dressing,
  • Italian cafeteria hot dog pasta salad with canned vegetables,
  • Pasta pizza,
  • Smoked cheddar and chicken manicotti “enchiladas”

The recipe that immediately caught my attention was tortellini in kimchi parmesan brodo.  It’s made with butter, bacon, scallions, napa cabbage kimchi, gochugaru, chicken stock, lemon, Parmesan, black pepper, and refrigerated cheese or spinach-and-cheese tortellini.  Freshly made, I liked the soup but I wasn’t in love with it.  For me, the lemon flavor seemed to overtake the cheese flavor.  But then I realized that I liked this recipe so much more as leftovers.  I found the lemon mellowed out and gave a nice acidity, and the cheese flavor seemed stronger the next day.  Overall, it was better balanced.  There’s a lot of liquid for the amount of pasta, but it gave me the flexibility to bulk up the leftovers with tofu and kale.

The second recipe I made was for ssamjang aglio olio which has a short ingredient list: salt garlic, extra virgin olive oil, ssamjang, red pepper flakes, mafalde (bucatini, fettuccine, spaghetti), and roasted unsalted peanuts.  (I used fettuccine.)  I’ve never made the original aglio e olio even though I am a garlic lover.  This recipe took me longer to make than I thought it would, but I assume that it’ll go faster next time.  Basically, you make a garlic infused oil, then use it for the ssamjang sauce base.  Next, you boil the pasta, and finish the pasta and sauce together with pasta cooking water.  Plate up the pasta, and garnish with peanuts.

There’s really not much to say except that I loved the ssamjang aglio olio.  I think everyone who loves Asian flavors will love this pasta sauce. It also reminds me to use ssamjang more often.

I can’t wait to cook more from this book.  I recommend this book to everyone.  And I mean “everyone.” Don’t eat pasta much?  Doesn’t matter!  Feel free to serve the sauces over tofu, over vegetables, etc.  Not to sound hyperbolic, but this might be my favorite cookbook of 2024.

Disclaimer – I kindly received a copy of this book from William Morrow/Harper Collins for this review.  I’m not getting paid for this post. The views and opinions expressed are purely my own.  This cookbook is available for purchase from your favorite bookshops.

Reference Links:

https://www.sporkful.com/

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/anythings-pastable-dan-pashman

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Gohan cookbook review

Emiko Davies, the Australian-Japanese cookbook author based in Italy, is mostly known for her Italian cooking.  She’s written five books on Italian cooking, and I recognize her name from the work she’s done for Food52.  My introduction to her was a Food52 Youtube video in the days of the covid-19 pandemic where she made Torta Caprese.  But more recently, in September 2023, she release a Japanese cookbook with Smith Street Books.

“Gohan”, by Davies, almost feels like looking through a family photo album. At first glance, the recipes are unpretentious and ageless. Here, you’ll find basic Japanese cooking and flavors.

The book is divided into:

  • Home-made pantry staples
  • Rice
  • Noodles and street food
  • The West meets Japan
  • Japanese Breakfast
  • Vegetables
  • Family favorites
  • Sweets

When I say basic Japanese cooking, I mean items like onigiri (rice balls) and grilled fish.  It’s humble, and not glitzy for internet fame. You can also find recipes like:

  • No-waste furikake seasoning
  • All-purpose soup base
  • Tonkatsu sauce
  • Pickled ginger
  • My mother’s lemon-pickled daikon
  • Scrambled eggs with garlic chives
  • Salmon donburi
  • Fried and braised lotus root and carrot
  • Golden taro and potatoes in soy butter
  • Cold somen noodles with cucumber and ginger
  • Winter hotpot (oden)
  • Potato salad
  • Curry rice
  • Japanese milk bread
  • Red bean buns
  • Kanten fruit jelly cups

The first recipe I made from the book was for braised tofu. The ingredient list is uncomplicated: firm tofu, onion, scallion, soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and water.  The results were pretty much what I imagined they would be. It’s a simple but tasty way to consume tofu. (Typically you would serve with rice, but I must admit that I ate with broccoli and pasta instead.) I will definitely remake in the future.

The other recipe I made was for kinako and chestnut cake. It’s made with lots of butter, sugar, Okinawan black sugar (alternately brown sugar), lots of eggs, all purpose flour, kinako (aka roasted soybean powder), and whole chestnuts.  For the chestnuts, I cheated and used one 100g bag of roasted chestnuts from the market. I adore chestnuts but I don’t really eat them in other dishes, so I was curious how this dessert would turn out. I’ve also never thought about using kinako in baked goods. I’ve only used it as a condiment for Korean BBQ. This recipe ended up being surprisingly difficult for me. I probably should have stayed away when I realized that there were no leavening agents. All of the loft is made from the eggs (which I am generally not great at). I followed the recipe to the T, making sure that the wet ingredients were well mixed with an electric mixer and timed it. But the batter is extremely thick and sticky, almost more like a cookie batter than like a cake batter. By the time I folded in all of the flour, I worked out too much air from the eggs.

My cake still rose, but not much, and I ended up with a fairly dense crumb. But more importantly, how was the flavor? It was not at all what I was expecting, but at the same time, it is the epitome of a Japanese dessert. (I know that’s a terrible description.) It’s not too sweet, and it’s very light in flavor. I’m not sure I’d make it as written again. Next time, I will give in to the temptation to add some baking powder. I might also add some vanilla, or alter the sugar ratio for more brown sugar (I do not have black sugar in my pantry). I’m not sure. It’s probably the American in me, but I wanted just a bit more oomph (especially for the amount of effort).

Baking technicalities aside, I’m glad I made it. A more talented home baker will not have trouble with it. (Or do I remake it as written just to prove to myself that I can do it? Hmmm…) I wish a little that I made the matcha almond cookies recipe instead. I didn’t choose that one because my matcha powder is old and the bright green color has oxidized into a dull green.

I think anyone who appreciates Japanese food will enjoy this book. I think the photos are gorgeous, and there are lovely stories and ingredient information. My only caution is that this book is in weighed amounts, no US volumetric.

Disclaimer – I kindly received a copy of this book from Smith Street Books/Rizzoli New York for this review.  I’m not getting paid for this post. The views and opinions expressed are purely my own.  This cookbook is available for purchase from your favorite bookshops.

Reference Links:

https://food52.com/users/23872-emiko/articles

https://www.emikodavies.com

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How to Fall in Love with Tofu, cookbook review

Tofu is underrated.  I’m not really sure why so many people claim to hate it.  Since silken tofu and super firm tofu exists, it can’t only be a texture issue.  Obviously, if you’re allergic to it, don’t eat it.  But otherwise, in this day in age where nutritional guidelines tell you to eat less meat, it’s such a great way to consume protein with less saturated fat.

I will say that it’s very easy to run out of ideas on how to serve tofu.  I tend to default to serving tofu in soup, or baked tofu as a meat substitute.  I know that there are other ways to cook it, but I just can’t think of them off the top of my head.

So, it was personally fun to get the chance to review “How to Fall in Love with Tofu”, by Emma de Thouars.

The book has chapters but it also has sub-chapters. But honestly, the sub-chapters feel like their own chapters through and through. So here’s the full list:

  • Make Your Own Tofu,
  • Breakfast and Sandwiches,
  • Tofu and Egg, Snacks,
  • Stuffed Tofu, Saucy,
  • Tofu as a Centerpiece,
  • Not So Saucy,
  • Sweet Side Dishes,
  • Stock,
  • Crispies

The recipes that stand out to me are:

  • Scrambled tofu with crispy chilli,
  • Tofu sando,
  • Tofu omelette with tomato chilli sauce,
  • Korean tofu pancakes with prawns,
  • Tofu stuffed with minced pork,
  • Dan dan noodles with tofu,
  • Korean tofu stew with clams,
  • Deep-fried tofu with garlic sauce,
  • Pad krapow with tofu,
  • Spring onion tofu,
  • Tofu larb,
  • Tofu pudding with sago and green tea

The first recipe I made was for steamed egg with tofu.  I’ve had Chinese styled steamed eggs (literal English translation of the dish name is “water eggs”) either plain or with ground pork.  This recipe basically replace the pork with tofu.  The ingredients are simple!  It’s just eggs, dashi, silken tofu, soy sauce, and scallions/roasted seaweed for serving.  (You can skip the scallions and seaweed if you want.)  You will need a dish both wide enough but shallow enough for steaming.  I used a 9″ glass pie pan and the recipe barely fit.  I was surprised by how much I liked this.  My previous recipe for steamed eggs was heavier on the liquid.  More liquid does make a silkier texture, but it also means that more liquid seeps out the minute you cut into in it.  I realized that I prefer this recipe which has less liquid for a firmer texture.

I imagine that I’ll make this on the regular.  You can easily dress it up by garnishing with chili crisp, or change the flavor profile by using a different soup base than dashi.

The second recipe I made was for butter tofu sloppy joes.  I love Indian flavors, and I also love a good sandwich.  It never occurred to me to “remix” it with tofu.  This recipe uses butter, garlic, ginger, chilli powder, ground cumin, garam masala, tomato paste, firm tofu, heavy cream, and brioche buns.  You cook up the aromatics first, and then add tofu, cream, and some water.  Let it cook down to get saucy.  Then simply serve on toasted brioche buns.  This was another fun recipe.  The only thing I did different was to grate my tofu (because I was using super firm tofu), instead of just crumbling it.   I think this a great recipe for someone who’s unsure about eating tofu.  For the average North American, it feels less foreign even though the flavors are Indian.  And if you don’t want to buy the individual spices, I highly recommend buying a butter chicken spice packet.  Honestly, it’s probably what I’ll do when I remake it.

Overall, my only critique is that I wish there were more than 40 recipes!  Tofu as a centerpiece is only 3 recipes (4 if you include frying a whole tofu block), and they are all fried.  I’m too lazy to fry anything. But it’s a lovely resource when you want to get out of a rut. I definitely recommend giving this book a try.

Disclaimer – I kindly received a copy of this book from Smith Street Books/Rizzoli New York for this review.  I’m not getting paid for this post. The views and opinions expressed are purely my own.  This cookbook is available for purchase from your favorite bookshops.

Reference Links:

https://www.instagram.com/emmadethouars/?hl=en

https://www.smithstreetbooks.com/catalogue/how-to-fall-in-love-with-tofu/

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Compact Cooking, cookbook review

Happy New Year, everyone! Sorry I haven’t posted in some time. It’s because books that I was expecting to get before the holidays all got delayed. It is what it is. But here’s to the first cookbook review of 2024!

I think it’s pretty obvious that I don’t live in a dorm since I have a cookbook review blog. I have a functional kitchen, but I don’t have a great kitchen.  I have zero counter space, and barely a work table.  It’s probably why I dislike doing complicated cooking projects. I’m also someone who mostly cooks for one, so Jenna Hunter’s new cookbook, “Compact Cooking: Big Flavor from Small Kitchens”, captured my attention by title alone.  The recipes in this book vary in cooking methods, utilizing the air fryer, the slow cooker, the microwave, hot plate/stove top, and toaster oven/standard oven.  But most of the recipes only make 1-2 servings.  (Some make 3 servings, and I think there’s only 1 recipe that makes more than 3.)

The book is broken down into:

  • Simple Breakfasts (Feelin’ Somethin’ Savory?  Feelin’ Somethin’ Sweet?)
  • Effortless Lunches (Simple Soups, Satisfying Salads, Sandwichin’ It)
  • Satisfying Snacks
  • Easy-Peasy Dinners (Dinners in a Dash, Slow and Steady Suppers)
  • Sweet Treats (Quick Fixes, Indulgent Treats)

Some things you’ll find in here are:

  • Lazy tomato and egg bake
  • Baked sliced peach
  • Cake for breakfast
  • Warm chicken and kale salad
  • Hearty vegetarian bowl
  • Mom’s couscous salad
  • Sweet ‘n salty turkey melt
  • Baked jalapeno, raspberry, and cream cheese dip
  • Air fryer crab cakes
  • Cheesy garlicky spaghetti squash
  • Chicken tikka masala
  • Tavern pot roast
  • Garlic chicken parm pasta
  • Date caramel dip
  • Mason jar cinnamon-spiced vanilla ice cream

Because I had leftover bread that I really wanted to use up, I first made the “Any Berry French Toast Muffins.”  Made from whole wheat bread, eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and frozen berries (cherries for me), this is a very easy recipe to put together.  The only change I made was to use a small cake pan to bake the French toast/bread pudding/casserole, instead of a muffin pan.  I loved the amount it made.  I didn’t have to worry about being stuck with too much in leftovers.  It is a little on the bland side because there isn’t any added sugar or salt.  However, it’s the perfect vehicle for a drizzle of maple syrup (my favorite sweetener of all time).  I’m already planning on remaking this but maybe swapping out the frozen berries with fruit spread (which I have in abundance in my fridge).

The second recipe I made was for the “Comforting Winter Soup.”  I don’t know why but I fixated on this recipe the moment I saw it.  It’s made with smoked sausage, butternut squash, spinach, onion, beef broth, smoked paprika, black pepper, and garlic powder in a slow cooker.  Since this recipe was for 3 servings, I used my 4.5 quart slow cooker which ended up being a mistake.  Even before I added the spinach, my slow cooker was filled nearly to the top.  I ended up letting this cook until the butternut squash was done, spooning it out, and then adding the spinach to cook.  While very easy to put together, I didn’t love this soup as much as I thought I would.  I wonder if I would like this better on the stovetop.  Butternut squash is one of my favorite vegetables, but the flavor of it mostly disappeared here on the long cook time.  Maybe I would prefer to use a different spice over the smoked paprika?  Would that let the butternut squash flavor come though stronger?  I really liked the warmth the black pepper provided without being overly peppery but I think I need to workshop this recipe to appeal more to my taste buds.

I was originally going to stop at 2 recipe tests, but I felt bad that I didn’t love the winter soup.  So, I made the “Microwave Cranberry Pecan Breakfast Cookie.”  It’s made with applesauce, oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, quick oats, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and white chocolate (optional).  I didn’t have cranberries, but I had pecans and white chocolate on hand so they went into the batter.  The reality is that it’s cooked in a microwave and will never get a cookie texture.  In essence, this is baked oatmeal for one.  The flavor is great, and it’s sweet like a cookie. It can definitely satisfy a sweet craving. If you don’t like the texture of baked oatmeal, you might not like this. In that case, maybe try eating this cold as it will firm up a bit. (It still won’t be a cookie, but it’ll feel less like baked oatmeal.) The only critique I have about this recipe is that it wants you to cook the batter in a 5″ microwave-safe bowl.  I technically didn’t have one, and I think most people won’t as well.  I ended up using my smallest Pyrex mixing bowl, and just shaping the batter nicely at the bottom.

Overall, I think this is a cute book. All recipes come with a photo of the finished dish so if you’re less comfortable with cooking, you might find the photos to be helpful. If you’re looking to cook with as few leftovers as possible, this is the book for you. If you’re looking for small kitchen appliance meal ideas and inspiration, or because you don’t have access to a normal kitchen, this book is for you. 

Disclaimer – I kindly received this book from Freemont Press/Victory Belt for this review.  I’m not getting paid for this post. The views and opinions expressed are purely my own. The book is available for purchase now from your preferred vendor.

Reference Links:

https://www.tiktok.com/@thehealthyhophead?lang=en

https://www.fremontpress.com/

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The Official Fablehaven Cookbook review

Fablehaven is a fantasy book series by Brandon Mull for kids in grades 3-8, about two siblings and a secret preserve for magical creatures.  There are five books in the series, followed by another five book series called Dragonwatch.  Inspired by the series, Brandon and his sister-in-law, Cherie Mull, have written “The Official Fablehaven Cookbook”.  I’d classify this book as cooking with the family although some recipes are more “cooking for your kids” rather than “cooking with your kids”, unless your kids are pretty comfortable around a kitchen like a Masterchef Junior contestant.

The contents are:

  • The Missing Brownies, a Fablehaven adventure
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch and Snacks
  • Midsummer’s Eve
  • Treats
  • Drinks
  • Brandon’s Favorites
  • Crafts

Here are some examples of recipes you’ll find:

  • Apple pancakes
  • Lena’s loaded crepes
  • Ogre stew (white chicken chili)
  • Lost Mesa corn avocado salsa 
  • Grunhold garlic hummus
  • Midsummer strawberry salsa with cinnamon sugar tortilla chips
  • Zombie cake eyeballs
  • Grandma Sorenson’s apple pie
  • Calico bread (banana bread/chocolate bread swirl)
  • Dragon egg cupcakes
  • Oozing tar cakes (chocolate lava cakes)
  • Kendra’s chocolate-covered krispies
  • Chessmen banana pudding dessert
  • Hugo’s kinetic sand (crafts chapter)
  • Vanessa’s invisible ink (crafts chapter)

The book is mix of scratch cooking and semi-homemade.  Me, being me, tried out only scratch cooking recipes.  First up, I made Muriel’s pretzel knots.  It’s a yeasted dough that you dip into a baking soda solution before you bake.  After baking, you brush melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt.  Why did I pick this recipe?  Mostly because it was one of the more complicated recipes in the book, but also because I’ve never baked my own soft pretzels before.  

The good news?  These made very yummy pretzels.  The bad news?  It was not written by a recipe developer.  If you’re an experienced enough home baker, you’ll survive as I did.  But if you’re not, don’t start here.  There’s no indication of how much this recipe makes.  And this is a flaw of all the recipes in the book.  Some of them you can quickly estimate how much it makes based on volume.  (3-4 stuffed bell peppers are means 3-4 bell peppers.  The fairy toast recipe only asks for 2 pieces of bread.)  But the pretzels are made with 4 cups of flour total.  How many pretzels is this meant for?  Your guess is as good as mine.  4 cups of flour is also basically a loaf of bread, so I made the decision to halve it.

The recipe instructs you to make ropes of dough 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick.  It forgets to tell you how long your ropes of dough should be.  In the end, I kept making them “too short.”  They were just long enough to knot, but not long enough to match the photo in the book.  This became more obvious after they had baked as they barely looked like knots after rising in the oven.  I got 9 knots out of the half batch.  8 is probably what I should have aimed for.

The last issue I had with this recipe, which was minor, was that I didn’t know how warm the baking soda solution should be.  I suspect it mostly doesn’t matter?  I think you just want it warm enough so that the baking soda stays well dissolved.  The book says to stir often, but I kept the water at about 90F and found that I never needed to stir it.

I bake and cook regularly so I still got a tasty product in the end.  (But they don’t look great because they over-proofed.  I have become unaccustomed to baking with yeasted breads in the summer.)  So the ingredients and their proportions work great, it’s recipe instructions I had issues with.

For my second test, I went simple and made the secret satyr soft granola.  This recipe has oats, ground flaxseed, powered milk, shredded coconut, chopped nuts, chia seeds, salt, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla.  I was drawn to this recipe because I’ve never made my granola with powered milk and/or ground flaxseed before.  I made the full recipe because, skimming through the ingredients, I knew I was going to end up with about 3 1/2 cups of granola.  It seemed reasonable.  The recipe says you can use either sweetened or unsweetened coconut, but I recommend using unsweetened.  There’s enough honey in the recipe that I think sweetened coconut would be overkill. (More desserty, less breakfasty/snacky.)  It clumped and browned beautifully that I forgot that this was a soft granola.  Fresh out of the oven, it doesn’t seem that soft.  But after a couple of hours, it was noticeably softer.  I assume it’s the ground flaxseed that mostly contributed to the texture since it has gelling properties.  Overall, I loved this granola.  I think I like it more than previous granola recipes I’ve tried.  Full disclosure, I ended up swapping the chia seeds with whole flaxseeds, and coconut oil with a butter-avocado oil blend because that’s what I had on hand. 

And since I felt a little bad about ingredient substitutions in the granola, I tested a third recipe which I don’t often do.  This might be cheating, but I made the vanilla sauce which is one of the four components that go into the calico bread.  It was simply milk, heavy cream, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla.  After making it, I realized that it’s basically melted ice cream but with a different texture from the cornstarch.  It’s a nice dessert sauce/topping.  And I realized afterward that you can probably have fun with the flavor by swapping the vanilla out.  I’m a bit curious to see how a rosewater or orange blossom water version would turn out.  I’m also not sure if I’m convinced that cornstarch is the best thickener for this.  It’s fine as is freshly made, but cornstarch doesn’t store great upon cooling.  (Leftovers have a jammy consistency.) I’m tempted to try ground flaxseeds or psyllium husk instead of cornstarch.  But even as I’m thinking about all of the variations, it’s a nice recipe as is.

Overall, everything in this book seems to taste great which is a testament to Cherie Mull’s talent. The author blurb says that she owns a thriving baking business, so no wonder her brother-in-law worked on this with her.

If your family is a fan of the Fablehaven series and you like cooking, then the book is fun to have.  You can make the magical milk referenced in the very first book.  If you like “official” cookbooks and have a sweet tooth, this may be a fun addition to your collection.  On the other hand, even if your family likes the Fablehaven series but cooking doesn’t come naturally, maybe pass on this.  If you prefer scratch cooking only, nothing semi-homemade, then maybe this book isn’t going to appeal to you. Some of the semi-homemade recipes you’ll find are tortilla pizzas, mummy dogs (crescent rolls wrapped around hot dogs), and fairy garden cupcakes (which are made with boxed cake mix and instant pudding mix).

Disclaimer – I kindly received a copy of this book from Shadow Mountain for this review.  I’m not getting paid for this post. The views and opinions expressed are purely my own.  This book is available for purchase through your favorite retailer, and will be released on August 1st.

Reference Links:

https://shadowmountain.com/product/the-official-fablehaven-cookbook/ https://shadowmountain.com/author-book/brandon-mull/
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“Egg Rolls and Sweet Tea” review

This might be my favorite cookbook released this year, and this isn’t hyperbole.  “Egg Rolls and Sweet Tea” by Natalie Keng is an “Asian inspired, Southern style” cookbook that I related to on a very personal level.  She’s the daughter of Cantonese-Chinese immigrants who moved to Georgia, U.S.A.  Her palate was formed by both her heritage and her environment.  (Swap Georgia with Boston, Massachusetts, and that’s me.) For Keng, “fusion food” isn’t a trend from the 1990s, it’s simply a way of life because “authenticity” isn’t black and white. 

The chapters in this book are:

  • Wrap and Roll
  • Wild About Rice
  • Veggie Mania and Wok the Garden
  • Lil’ Plates, Appetizers, and Snacks
  • Noodles, Salads, and Slaw
  • Buddha Bubba, Meat and Bones
  • Gone Fishin’
  • Gettin’ Saucy
  • Semisweets

Some of the recipes that I want to try are:

  • Oven-Baked Country Bacon and Collard Egg Rolls
  • Ginger-Spiced Sweet Plantains
  • Five-Spice Mashed Rutabaga
  • Sweet Chili Peach Napa Slaw
  • Savory Miso-Butter Garlic Noodles
  • Mom’s Chinese Spaghetti
  • Game-Day Five-Spice Sausage Meatballs with Teriyaki Sauce
  • Joy Luck BBQ Pulled Pork Bao Buns
  • Late-Night Fish Sticks Congee
  • Gotcha Matcha Ice Cream Pie
  • Zesty Ginger-Peach Cobbler
  • Black Sesame Cupcakes with Matcha Frosting
  • Jasmine and Honey Sweet Tea
  • Golden Milk and Sorghum Hot Toddy

My inaugural recipe was for the cinnamon-molasses oolong milk tea, because it sounded delicious but more importantly because I had all the ingredients: cinnamon sticks, oolong tea, milk, molasses, and vanilla.  I was impressed because these were not flavors that I would have picked on my own to pair.  It was sweet, but not much more so than if I were to go to a bubble tea shop and order a drink with “less sugar.”  (If you’re going to use loose tea, I think you’ll need at least 1.5 tsp worth.  I used 1 tsp for the recipe and I think the flavor should have been stronger.  I could still taste it, but it took a backseat to the other flavors.)

The second recipe I made was the first recipe of the book: smoked salmon summer rolls.  (Rice paper wrappers are my favorite.)  It’s reminiscent of a tuna salad and of a lox bagel, but served as a favorite hot weather dish from Asia.  It’s made with smoked salmon, minced basil, minced mint, chopped scallions, capers, mayo, wasabi powder, milk, cucumber, rice vermicelli noodles, and rice paper wrappers. This was both fun and delicious.

Normally, I test 2 recipes from a book (sometimes 3), with very little alterations. I think it’s only fair to make recipes as written for reviews. But I just couldn’t resist making a third recipe with a major method change. I really wanted to make “Mom’s unfried red rice with berries” which includes goji berries. I may or may not have too much goji berries in my pantry, courtesy of my mother. My family mostly uses it for soups, so I liked the idea of putting it into a rice dish. This recipe has you cook red rice with some bouillon, water, raisins, dried goji berries, dried cranberries, nuts or seeds, garlic powder, white pepper, five-spice powder, and salt on the stovetop for almost an hour, before mixing in some butter. I’m not an Asian snob who will only make rice in a rice cooker (in fact, I don’t use a rice cooker at home) but I really didn’t want to simmer rice on a muggy June day. So, I broke out my electric pressure cooker. Stovetop red rice instructions seem to generally be 1 part rice to 2 parts water, but pressure cookers don’t that much water because the water is not evaporating off. For the 1 1/2 cups of rice in this recipe, I tried 2 1/2 cups water. It was a touch too much water. So, dear reader, if you get your hands on a copy of this book and want to make the red rice in a pressure cooker as well, try either 2 1/4 cups or 2 1/3 cups water. If your dried fruits are dried out, try 2 1/3 cups. If not, try 2 1/4 cups. But even so, the flavors of the final dish were fantastic. I can’t wait to try this out on my family during our next potluck.

If you appreciate fusion food for what it really is, you will enjoy this book. If you have an Asian American background, I think you will enjoy this book. If you’re looking for creative takes on Southern cooking, try out this book. I’m not saying that I’m going to make all of Keng’s recipes. After all, I have too many recipes that I want to make and never enough time, or fridge/pantry space. And like any cookbook (or restaurant menu for that matter), not everything appeals to me. But so much of this book sounds fun and somehow familiar, that I look forward to sharing with friends and family.

Disclaimer – I kindly received a copy of this book from Gibbs Smith for this review.  I’m not getting paid for this post. The views and opinions expressed are purely my own.  This book is available for purchase now through your favorite retailer.

Reference Links:

https://chinesesouthernbelle.com/

https://gibbs-smith.com/

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20-40-60 minute dinners review

I like the idea of sorting dinner recipes by length of time. I don’t because my current lifestyle doesn’t require me to whip out dinner every night, but there’s merit in it. That’s the premise of ’20-40-60 minute dinners: Meals to match the time you have’ by Kate Otterstrom.

The book is divided into:

  • College-Style dinners,
  • Quick-Prep dinners,
  • Slow-Cooker dinners,
  • Frozen dinners,
  • Time-Consuming dinners,
  • Accompaniments,
  • Breakfast,
  • Baking and Candy

Some of the recipes you will find here are:

  • Mac and cheese with candied sausage and green peas,
  • Pancakes with homemade syrup and smoky carrots,
  • Slow cooker strata with green salad,
  • Seven layer dip with tortilla chips and crudites,
  • Sweet and spicy turkey carnitas taco salad,
  • Swedish meatballs with roasted potatoes and green peas,
  • Chicken and corn casserole with sauteed cabbage,
  • Meatballs with roasted broccoli and mashed potatoes,
  • Moroccan-style chickpea stew with bread and preserved lemon salsa,
  • Crunchy granola bars,
  • Gluten-free almond poppy seed muffins,
  • Dinner or cinnamon rolls,
  • Gluten-free baguette,
  • Almond Texas sheet cake

The thing I like best about this book is the recipe format.  It’s similar to how I jot down recipe notes.  It’s a grid system.  For example, the pancakes recipe mentioned above is broken down into a section for the carrots, then the pancakes, the syrup, and the suggested condiments.  The ingredients are on the left side of the grid, while the instructions are next to it on the right.  I don’t have to flip pages, or look at an ingredient list and then go looking for the paragraph that corresponds.  I wish all recipes were formatted more like this!  I also love that since Otterstrom has celiac disease, all recipes come with gluten-free instructions where applicable.  The minor editing complaint that I have is the recipe grid doesn’t always clearly label what the row is for.  So in the recipe for the sushi rolls, the row for a sweet teriyaki sauce is clearly labeled, but then the very last row of the grid has no label.  It took me a second to realize, it was ingredients and instructions for miso soup.

Oh, another comment about consistency – this book does offer weighed ingredients when a flour is listed but not always.  For the dinner/cinnamon rolls, the all purpose flour has a weighed amount with the volumetric amount, but the whole wheat flour only has the volumetric.  But if you make the GF version, all volume and weighed measurements are listed.

Another great feature is that every recipe is meant to be a meal.  You don’t have to go looking for a side dish recipe if you don’t want to.  It’s built into the recipe.

I ended up making the focaccia-style pizza with Greek salad.  I thought it would enable me to test out two recipes – the pizza from the Time-consuming Dinners chapter, and the gluten-free blend from the Baking and Candy chapter.  I was really curious about the GF blend as it’s the only one I’ve personally seen that includes garbanzo bean flour (aka chickpea flour aka besan flour).  But as I re-read the recipe, I realized that the focaccia is different ratio of ingredients.  The GF blend is one of the ingredients, but then more starch and garbanzo bean flour is added to the mix.  (I have since looked more closely at the GF baked items in this book, and Otterstrom does this a lot. I almost wonder what’s the point of having a master blend.)

This recipe, in the GF instructions, offers both focaccia and standard round pizza variations.  I kept to the focaccia instructions (but I wish a little that I went with the standard round pizza as I actually prefer a thinner crust on my pizza pies). 

Anyway, you mix the dough with a high amount of yeast.  Let it rise on a baking sheet.  When it’s time, bake the dough for 15 minutes, take it out of the oven, add the toppings, and then finish in the oven.

Since it was my first time with this recipe, I kept it to just cheese.  I also halved the recipe so I used a quarter sheet pan instead of a half sheet pan.  Otterstrom warns that the GF version is less like a dough and more like a batter, and I can confirm.  It’s like a thick cake batter.  While it was baking, it smelled very strongly of garbanzo bean flour which worried me a bit.  But the eating experience was much nicer.  I think I would still prefer a bit less garbanzo bean flour but that’s just personal preference.  The overall texture was lovely!    As reheated leftovers, I thought that the garbanzo bean flavor was a little stronger (but not overly so), and the structure/texture held up pretty well.  I was too curious for my own good, and did a rough nutritional calculation.  Maybe not a recipe for everyday eating, but, for the occasional indulgence, I enjoyed this. 

Since I made a yeasted recipe, I have no idea if the expected cooking active time is accurate or not in this book.  I still want to test out the GF flour blend, so I think the next recipe I’ll be making is for the almond Texas sheet cake or the muffins recipe.  It looks like those might be the only ones that use the blend without any alternations/adjustments.  As for the non-baked recipes, I’m not sure if I’ll actually make any of them.  This cookbook is mostly meant to feed 4-6 people.  That’s a lot of food.  The recipes I normally use are meant to feed 2-4 people.  So that is to say, you’ll probably have more interest in this book if you’ve got a family to feed. Otherwise, be prepared to do some math.

Disclaimer – I kindly received a copy of this book from Shadow Mountain Publishing for this review.  I’m not getting paid for this post. The views and opinions expressed are purely my own.  This cookbook is available for purchase from your vendors of choice.

Reference Links:

dinnerinrealtime.com

shadowmountain.com/product/20-40-60-minute-dinners-meals-to-match-the-time-you-have

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Natural Bakes review

Before I offer a positive review for “Natural Bakes” by Caroline Griffiths, I want to set expectations.  The subtitle of the cover is “everyday gluten-free, sugar-free baking.”  Yes, the recipes here are gluten-free, but it’s the “sugar-free” claim that I want to nitpick.  What the book really means is that it is mainly sucrose free. In addition to not finding granulated sugar here, there’s no coconut sugar, no maple syrup, no honey.  The main sweeteners used are dextrose and rice malt syrup. (So I’m not exactly sure if you want to call this “natural” either. But that’s a different topic.)  There is a little bit of use of applesauce/apple puree and dates, but not significantly.  (There is also a lot of use of pure monk fruit extract but more on that later.)  I understand the overall reason for it.  I’m not a scientist or a nutritionist, so apologies for the following speedy explanation.  The author is relying on forms of glucose as the main sweetener. Glucose is the main source of energy in our bodies, meaning the body can process it effectively.  Sucrose, on the other hand, is 50-50 of fructose and glucose.  It’s fructose that our bodies might have trouble absorbing because it’s a more complicated process.  Also to note, glucose facilitates the break down of fructose so, if we’re ingesting too much fructose, we’re increasing the likelihood of health issues.

If you’re diabetic or pre-diabetic, either skip this book or be prepared to use the sweetener substitution that I used because pure glucose will impact your blood sugar levels.  

Now, let’s get to the actual review.

This book isn’t a tome, and is simply broken down into:

  • Cookies,
  • Small bakes,
  • Cakes,
  • Celebration cakes,
  • Sweet endings,
  • Basics

Some of the recipes that I would have liked to make but couldn’t because I didn’t have the right ingredients are:

  • Chocolate sandwich cookies,
  • Passionfruit cashew cream melting moments,
  • Fudgy roasted cocoa cookies,
  • Banana chai blondies,
  • Almond, mandarin and orange blossom madeleines,
  • Carrot, parsnip and cardamom loaf,
  • Lime cheesecake tart,
  • Chocolaty sweet potato and macadamia cream cake,
  • Lemon tart,
  • Creamy raspberry and orange tart

I’ve thought about baking with dextrose before but I think I was intimidated by the “quit sugar” culture.  I remember reading something akin to “if you go down this route, you must never touch sugar again!” which, in hindsight, doesn’t fully make sense.  But more importantly, I try not to keep too many uncommon pantry ingredients.  So dextrose, rice malt syrup, and pure monk fruit extract were items that I didn’t have on hand for this review.  I scoured through the ingredient lists to find what I could reasonably make with little alteration as possible.

The first recipe I made was for the brown butter shortbread fingers.  The ingredients are few: butter, gluten-free blend #1 (found in the Basics chapter), dextrose, monk fruit extract (listed as optional), pecans, and vanilla.  Gluten-free blend #1 is made of a third brown rice flour, and the rest is tapioca and potato starches.  

I’ve heard that dextrose is less sweet than table sugar so I thought allulose would be a reasonable replacement as allulose is also less sweet.  While allulose would qualify as a specialty pantry ingredient, I have been experimenting with it for almost a year now because one of my best friends has type 2 diabetes.  Allulose is a rare naturally occurring sugar that doesn’t spike blood sugar levels, is deemed safe so far, and bakes pretty well as a sugar replacement.  And since monk fruit extract was listed as optional, I didn’t feel bad about leaving it out completely.

The recipe itself is easy.  The butter is melted, browned, and then cooled.  The dry ingredients are mixed, then mixed with the browned butter, vanilla, and nuts.  When they’re done baking, you cut them into bars (I did squares) before they completely cool.  Overall, the results are good.  These cookies are very barely sweet, and the toasted pecans help to make them more interesting.  I wonder if I should have browned the butter a touch longer as the flavor was lighter than I expected.  It still satisfied my cookie cravings, and I didn’t have to go out to buy anything special.  I already had on hand the ingredients.  My only real critique is that I think the flavor and texture is too starchy.  It almost feels gummy as I chew on a cookie, like the starches are hydrating in my mouth, so I think it’s the flour blend that I’m not in love with.  I’d be curious to remake these cookies with a different flour blend. 

I’ve not experimented with monk fruit extract yet.  Most monk fruit products that I can easily find in the northeastern area of the U.S. are always blended with a sugar substitute like erythritol.**  Real monk fruit is extremely sweet, so a little of the extract will go a long way.  If you really have a sweet tooth, I recommend adding the optional extract in this recipe.

The second recipe I made was the spiced apple and cream cheese muffins.  The muffins use a different flour blend from the Basics chapter (sorghum, potato starch, tapioca starch, and glutinous rice flour) along with dextrose, baking powder, cinnamon, mixed pie spice/pumpkin spice, monk fruit extract, almond flour, diced apple, cream cheese, eggs, and buttermilk.  This time, there was more monk fruit extract and it was not marked as optional ingredient, which made sense only 1/3 cup dextrose was used for 12 muffins.  This was the only time I made a major change.  I skipped the monk fruit and upped the sweetener to 1/2 cup of allulose.  Otherwise, this was another easy recipe to make.  You mix the cream cheese with the eggs, but don’t worry about making this smooth.  We want lumps of cream cheese.  Then add the buttermilk.  You mix the dry ingredients in another bowl, and then mix everything together.  When baked up, you have a delightful muffin that has little sweet pockets of apple and little tangy bits of cream cheese. I originally worried that the recipe asked for too much of the spice, but it worked out fine.

While I disliked the flour blend of the cookies, the flour blend for the muffins worked well.  The texture and flavor were good.

There are a couple more recipes that I want to make but I can’t do it without the rice malt syrup so I think I’ll give in and seek it out.  I don’t think I’m going to pick up some dextrose at this time though.  I’m ok with using allulose instead.  (Or dare I just go rogue and swap the rice malt syrup with honey or maple syrup?) For now, I’ll see how far I can go without the monk fruit extract.

If you don’t have any qualms about buying specialty ingredients and you don’t have any health issues wherein you need to watch your blood sugar, then this seems to be a good book. More so, if you’re gluten-free.  You might have to adjust some things to your liking.  For example, there’s no salt mentioned in any of the recipes.  Maybe it’s because these recipes aren’t sweet enough to warrant salt to balance the flavor?  I didn’t add any salt to the cookies or muffins, and they seem to be ok to me.

Oh, and this book is originally Australian so it uses weighed measurements. It offers grams and ounces, but if you’re insistent on volumetric measurements, then this will matter to you. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I like to work in both systems so I have a kitchen scale. The book was also written for a fan-forced oven aka convection oven. I don’t have one, and I think most American households still don’t. I simply increased the baking temperature, so if a recipe was 350F with fan, I used 375F without fan.

** = I hate the “fake” monk fruit products.  It’s mostly erythritol because of cost.  I think they taste weird and bitter.  

Disclaimer – I kindly received a copy of this book from Smith Street Books/Rizzoli New York for this review.  I’m not getting paid for this post. The views and opinions expressed are purely my own.  This cookbook is currently available for purchase from your favorite bookshops.

Reference Links:

A timely Youtube link if you’d like to listen to Adam Ragusea talk about sugar

www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9781922754141/

The apple cream cheese muffin recipe, but not the gluten-free version (has volumetric measurements though)

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Plantbased by Alexander Gershberg

‘Plantbased: 80 Nourishing Umami-Rich Recipes from the Kitchen of a Passionate Chef’ is the third cookbook by vegan chef Alexander Gershberg.  Many of the recipes here take inspiration from Japanese flavors, and inspiration from his Russian and Israeli roots.  Even those recipes that don’t seem to be influenced by any particular culture have a fresh approach to them. 

Contents of this book are:

  • Whole grains,
  • Beans and proteins,
  • Root vegetables,
  • Sweet round vegetables,
  • Green vegetables,
  • Sea vegetables,
  • Pickles and fermentation,
  • Fruits and desserts

Some of the recipes you will find here are:

  • Brown rice pilaf with cherry tomatoes and chanterelles,
  • Brown rice with roasted sweet potatoes and dried apricots,
  • Soba noodles with carrot and ginger tempura in clear Japanese broth,
  • A stew of white beans with koya dofu and sweet potatoes,
  • Black bean stew with pumpkin and fried seitan,
  • Jerusalem salad,
  • Creamy pasta with pumpkin sauce and white beans topped with almond pesto,
  • Malaysian vegetable-stuffed tofu with spicy peanut sauce,
  • Roasted celeriac with cucumber tzatziki and miso-roasted cherry tomatoes,
  • Roasted fennel with pumpkin seed tahini,
  • Zucchini baba ghanoush,
  • Israeli-style pickles in Indian spices,
  • Pear amazake tart,
  • Tahini almond mousse with grilled prunes and caramelized pistachio

The first recipe I tried was the sweet rice pilaf with almonds, raisins, and cinnamon.  The ingredients here are mostly familiar kitchen items: sesame oil, almonds, raisins, ground flaxseeds, cinnamon, cooked brown rice, rice syrup, and fresh lemon juice.  Rice syrup isn’t something I have ever felt the need to purchase so I replaced it with maple syrup, which pairs well anyway.  The only thing that tripped me up was that I didn’t realize the book specifically said untoasted sesame oil, until I had already finished cooking.  I used my pantry staple sesame oil which is toasted.*  I admit that it felt weird using toasted sesame oil for this (as I usually use it as a finishing oil for savory dishes), but the flavor was quickly subdued by the almonds, cinnamon, and raisins.  It’s the chewier, healthier, faster version of rice pudding.  Personally, I found the lemon juice to be a bit distracting, and made the dish less desirable.  If I remake this, I’ll leave it out completely.

The next dish I made was the stir-fried pointed cabbage and apple.  This was another approachable ingredient list: neutral sesame oil, pointed cabbage (aka sweetheart cabbage), apple, salt, mirin, fresh lemon juice, and shichimi togarashi.  I used green cabbage instead, as the only times I’ve ever been able to pick up pointed cabbage was from my CSA.  I wanted to adore this recipe as I love cabbage and apples, but this time it was either the lemon juice or the shichimi togarashi that just didn’t appeal to me in the finished dish.  (Don’t worry!  I didn’t use my toasted sesame oil here.  I saw the word “neutral” this time, and subbed with my neutral avocado oil.)

I ate everything so my complaints are relatively minor.  I could have easily adjusted both recipes to my personal preference but I wanted to see how the recipes were meant to be.  If I continue cooking from this book, I will be less strict on myself about following the ingredients.

One observation that might matter to a U.S. audience is that when Gershberg uses a pressure cooker, he’s using a manual one.  The instructions for cooking brown rice and for cooking beans are not for an appliance like the Instant Pot.  I have the impression that North America is heavier on the electric usage than stovetop, so I would recommend looking up cooking instructions for these pantry basics from tried and true websites like Amy + Jacky.

One last note for the U.S. audience, Gershberg is based out of Amsterdam.  Some of the ingredients he uses are hard to get in U.S. grocery stores, like salsify.  And then, some items are available but not very common like the previously mentioned untoasted sesame oil.  Another example is the Jerusalem artichoke.

Visually, the book is lovely.  It also offers a sample menu section if that is something that appeals to you.  I think it offers a lot to the vegan home cook.  If anything, my biggest gripe is the index.  The index is essentially a list of the major ingredients used in the book.  You can’t look up “salad” and see a list of salads from the book.  (This is probably less of an issue if your cookbook library is small.  But since my cookbook library is *not* small, I dearly love a good index. It makes looking for particular recipes much easier.) 

Take what you will from this post.  If any of the recipes sound interesting to you, or if you are tired of the more common vegan recipes that come across your social media feeds, then this book is probably for you.  If you’re anyone else, then maybe take it out of the library first before making a decision.

* How to tell if your sesame oil is toasted or untoasted?  If it’s brown, it’s toasted.  If it’s clear, it’s untoasted.

Disclaimer – I kindly received a copy of this book from Smith Street Books/Rizzoli New York for this review.  I’m not getting paid for this post. The views and opinions expressed are purely my own.  This cookbook is currently available for purchase from your favorite bookshops.

Reference links:

https://alexandergershberg.com https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com (Amy + Jacky) https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9781922754134