Peace & Parsnips

May 15, 2016

Watson, a retreat center chef and former carnivore, offers a wealth of creative vegan dishes, including raw cucumber mojito (nonalcoholic), adzuki bean and oat soup, charred fig and arugula salad with lemon tofu, and roasted chestnut and fennel casserole with oregano crumble. The diverse recipes, ingredients, and cooking techniques results in a worthy debut; however, Watson's occasionally morbid tone (his arguments against meat emphasize toxicity and putrefaction) and unsubstantiated health claims may be distasteful to some. Though a few ingredients can be vague (panini-style bread) or hard to find (all-natural pink pickled ginger), Watson's recipes should be manageable for cooks of many skill levels. VERDICT With a fresh perspective on vegan cooking, this unusual tome can increase the breadth of most collections.

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