Last year at exactly this time, my small, New York City kitchen was a busy place. I was wrapping up all of the recipe development for Food52 Vegan at a record speed (most of it happened over the course of 6 weeks). Steven and I were awash in food, from butternut squash mac n’ cheese to vegan pot pie to mushroom lentil burgers. At any given moment, the oddest assortment of dishes could be found in the fridge–though, as anyone who’s tested recipes for a cookbook can tell you, we were also woefully and chronically short of useful grocery staples. It was culinary chaos, a blur of baking and sautéing and whisking and blending, and I loved every moment of it. (Well, almost every moment–my two failed pot pies weren’t exactly a high point.)
Food52 Vegan comes out today, and I’m so happy to be welcoming it into the world. I’m not always great about taking ownership of projects, but I’m proud of this book–not because of any one recipe or image or bit of text, but because I think that writing it made me a better cook.
As I’ve mentioned before, I didn’t grow up cooking. It wasn’t a big deal in my home–my hard-working single mom always got dinner on the table, but she didn’t always have energy to focus on the cooking process, or hand it down to me–and my anorexia got in the way of many of the years in which I might have been learning to feed myself. It really wasn’t until after I went vegan, and developed an interest in exploring vegan recipes, that I taught myself to cook.
Choosing Raw has really served as a chronicle of my growth as a cook. As you can see, my “style” now is very different and far-reaching than it was when I started blogging, for a variety of reasons, even if many of my favorite recipes and techniques have stayed the same. I don’t think that this new cookbook would have been possible without the years of exploration and culinary adventuring that I’ve shared with all of you, recipe by recipe.
When I look through the pages of Food52 Vegan, and I peruse such recipes as kabocha and tofu curry, spicy harissa mayonnaise, or millet tagine with eggplant and preserved lemon, I see flavor combinations and recipe ideas that I never would have tried even a few years ago. None of it would have been possible had I not had the incredible gift in my life of this passionate, food-loving community.
So, readers, thank you for helping me to grow, to expand my timid palate, to try new things, and to embrace an ever-evolving identity with food and cooking. I hope that this new cookbook will excite you, and that you’ll perhaps try and love and keep close to you some of the recipes. As you can see, they include such tasty highlights as a butternut squash mac n’ cheese, French lentil and arugula salad with herbed cashew cheese, gingered carrot bisque, kabocha and kale salad, go-to pancakes, chai spiced bread pudding, and vegan chocolate cake with “ganache” filling. All 100% vegan, often gluten free, and always gluten free optional.
In celebration of the book’s publication today, here’s a recipe to start with. It’s one of my favorites from the book, and it is a delightful dinner recipe to make for yourself, your family, and/or friends. It features hearty oyster mushrooms and spicy roasted cauliflower, and–if you can resist nibbling up all of the cauliflower before you plate the tacos–I think you’ll love it.
For more of my thoughts on how Food52 Vegan made me a better cook, check out my post today on the Food52 site. And I hope you won’t mind my sharing some fun news of the book’s publication this month. If you do get the book and try a recipe, I’d love to see it! You can tag me and use the #f52vegan hashtag to share your creations.
Happy cooking,
xo
All of the photographs from Food52 Vegan are courtesy of the book’s extraordinary photographer, James Ransom.
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This cookbook is definitely on my list! Tacos were excellent, although a bit dry. We added a bit of salsa and hot sauce to them.
Congrats on the book release! I can’t wait to check it out–and I’ll definitely be trying this taco combo soon!
roasted cauliflower is delicious… for this recipe, i bet i would be the person to nibble it all up before it made it to the taco. ha.
congrats on your second book and congrats on going back to school! (read your post from awhile ago about dietetics school.. good for you. I wish you the very best with it!)
Ha! I was tempted to eat the cauliflower from the roasting pan, too. Thank you for these kind words–if you cross paths with the book, I hope you’ll enjoy it!
I can’t believe I didn’t realize you were the brains behind the recipes in this book.. Since I’ve never tried a recipe I didn’t like from you, I will definitely be buying the book.
Congrats! What an exciting day =D And having only seen the cover of the book, I bet it’s amazing (it’s a really gorgeous cover!). Thank you for sharing a recipe with us.
You are truly inspiring Gena =)
CONGRATULATIONS! It’s been a joy to observe xxxx
I made the Tacos last night for my family. It was fantastic. My daughter is a very picky eater and she wanted more. Thank you.
Oh, I’m so glad it was a hit! Thanks for letting me know, Robert.
congratulations!! the book looks amaziing
https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
I really love your site. the design of website so beautiful and easy on my eyes. And thank for your tips about food.
Congrats, Gena! The book and these recipes look truly amazing! xo
So many congratulations. Truly a gorgeous feather in your cap. It’s wonderful to hear that you’re proudโit’s a feeling that’s difficult to celebrate sometimes, but it’s a powerful one, and from the looks of the book, you’re totally justified.
(Synthetic feather, of course.)
Of course ๐
Thanks, Amanda–your comments are always so succinctly meaningful and generous in spirit.
AHH Gena Congratulations!! Like a huge idiot I got my copy shipped to my parents house and not mine (still forgetting that I’m an adult, whoops) but I’m getting it from my mom tomorrow! And I am SO EXCITED. I love cookbooks in general, but the sneak peeks I’ve seen from Food52 Vegan look absolutely phenomenal. You go girl!! <3
A great peek into your cookbook! Congratulations, Gena! The book looks amazing ๐
MASSIVE congrats friend. I’m seriously thrilled for you having watched the very cooking evolution your post speaks to.
Thanks, Elise. It is really moving to hear that from one of the first people I connected to through my blog!
Wow, Gena–these photos are stunning and so is the range of recipes! So proud of you and happy for you to be launching this book out in the world. And the taco recipe looks very yummy. Thank you!! xoxo
No, thank you!
I deserve zero photo credit, as it was all James Ransom (the genius Food52 photographer). But glad you like the looks of the recipes and the tacos!
Huge congrats, Gena! The book looks beautiful! XO