Vegetable Kingdom

Starred review from December 2, 2019
With four Afro- and soul-centric vegan cookbooks to his credit, Terry (Afro-Vegan) enriches this 100-plus recipe collection with flavors from the Far East, the South, and the Caribbean. His perspective is casual and family-oriented, and the book feels personal and speaks to a wide swath of cooks. Tofu is sparingly deployed while carrots (barbecued carrots with white beans) and sunchokes (rigatoni with sunchoke-tomato sauce) are thoroughly and creatively exploited. About a quarter of the cookbook’s preparations call for a sub-recipe—a seasoning blend, infusion, or “cream”—all of which can be found in the author’s “Cupboard” chapter. So it’s a good idea to flip back to that final section and take note of the timing involved: smoky-spicy green sauce comes together quickly and can be used right away, while the onion-thyme cream needs an eight-hour head start. Readers will learn why he soaks dried grits overnight (less cooking time, creamier texture) and sprinkles salad greens with lemon juice and salt before any dressing is applied (brighter flavor). And each dish comes with a recommended soundtrack, completing his mission to provide an immersive, joyful experience.

February 1, 2020

Terry's approach to food and its preparation is complex, even when recipes are simple. His previous book, Afro-Vegan, explored dishes of the African diaspora. This newest work broadens the global reach with international influences that blend traditional methods with the culinary techniques and training of the James Beard Award-winning chef and writer. Vegetables are the stars throughout; Terry is an advocate for a vegan diet that respects the foodways and cultures of various communities. Historical and generational connections to food and its preparation are related to his personal experiences. Recipes range from simple creamy cauliflower to complex millet roux mushroom gumbo, which includes detailed instructions for creating a vegan, gluten-free take on classic roux. A closing "cupboard" filled with recipes for flavored oils and vinegars, sauces, and seasonings enhance and amplify the taste profile of recipes throughout. VERDICT New and experienced cooks will find flavor-forward vegan dishes, complete with a curated playlist, in this worthy successor to the author's previous books, which also stands on its own.--Jeanette McVeigh, formerly Univ. of the Sciences, Philadelphia

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2019
James Beard Award-winning chef and activist Terry (Afro-Vegan, 2014) brings a collection of plant-based recipes that are focused on using whole foods to create satisfying taste and texture for eaters of all ages. Many vegan cookbooks rely on meat substitutes and other ingredients that have been invented to take the place of animal-derived items, but here there are simply vegetables, herbs, and spices combined in ways that make the most of flavor. Grouped by the part of the plant one eats (seeds, fruits, stems, roots, and more), the recipes cover nearly 30 different primary ingredients with four distinctive preparations for each. These are not your typical vegan cookbook entries, as Terry's ability to address each ingredient innovatively results in preparations that feel fresh while honoring the vegetables' inherent qualities. Even familiar dishes that by name feel like an old stand-by, such as stuffed peppers, are made new by using Hoppin' John to fill the peppers. A bonus: the playlist that accompanies these recipes is just as good as the food.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)