Vegan Holiday Cooking from Candle Cafe

August 18, 2014
In the third cookbook from this vegan, sustainable restaurant (Candle 79 Cookbook, The Candle Café Cookbook), Chefs Pierson, Ramos, and Piñeda tackle a very specific type of problem: holiday cooking. Broken down into 10 distinct menus for 10 specific holidays, this book uses festive food as the window through which to experience the height of vegan cooking. From major American holidays such as the Fourth of July or Thanksgiving, to more ethnic celebrations like the Passover Seder and Cinco de Mayo, the reader can rip a menu off the page or mix and match to create a distinct flavor. Despite the obvious pitfall associated with meat alternatives or vegetables, unique flavors appear throughout this cookbook’s pages. For example, “seitan & tempeh fingers with sweet mustard dipping sauce” and jalapeno cornbread sticks offer pungent notes while “sweet potato latkes with almond crème fraîche” and “mâche & endive salad with creamy avocado vinaigrette” cater to a subtler, more classic taste. This book will inspire home cooks to add zing and zest to their vegan recipes.

Starred review from October 15, 2014

Drawing on their extensive catering experience, the co-owners and executive chefs of New York City's high-end vegan restaurant Candle Cafe share recipes meant to satisfy all holiday guests, including omnivores and meat eaters. Their follow up to the Candle 79 Cookbook includes ten menus (e.g., Super Bowl Big-Game Party, Passover Seder, Christmas) that provide a thoughtful selection of cocktails, appetizers, first and main courses, and desserts. These dishes, appropriate for their intended occasions and sophisticated enough to be special, won't leave traditionalists feeling deprived. Most resemble familiar favorites; for instance, the rosemary portobello steaks with celeriac puree, cabernet reduction, and brussels sprouts seem similar to (and just as indulgent as) steak and potato dishes that appear on many Valentine's Day menus, and they're followed by the requisite molten chocolate cake with raspberry coulis. VERDICT You'll be proud to serve and eat these vegan foods, and party hosts won't be tempted to hide them at the end of their holiday buffet.

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