my book baby is coming!
Come take a look inside Plant-Based Delicious.
Writing a cookbook isn’t just creating a series of recipes and binding them together. To every cookbook author and every cookbook lover, I know you feel me on this.
A cookbook is a whole beautiful thing. It’s a story, a mood, a collection of curated pieces where the sum is larger than its parts. Plant-Based Delicious, my newest and second cookbook, represents so much for me. When you hold this cookbook, I hope you feel the love and passion that was poured into it.
Let me tell you some fun facts about this cookbook to get us off on the right foot.
I wrote it (and ate my way through it) during the pandemic in Taiwan.
I was pregnant when I developed the recipes. In fact, my pregnancy might be responsible for the whole thing. Thank you, George!
The recipes are inspired by my love of good (like goooood) food that fills and satisfies and impresses without compromising my dietary principles.
Every recipe is plant-based, gluten-free, and made without any added oils.
I am the photographer, stylist, and editor of the recipe pictures.
As per #4, this is how I eat every day. I have MS and my diet is a key part of my self care and has been for over a decade.
I am 70% excited and 30% terrified for it to be released into the world! Which is way better than my usual 40% excited and 60 % terrified. In other words, I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this book!
How it started
Plant-Based Delicious felt like it came through me. I anticipated the stress of a follow-up cookbook. I thought I’d hover over my keyboard with indecision and self-doubt – “How can I make it different? How do I top my first cookbook?” (Very humbled and grateful for the success of and love for my first cookbook – The Plant-Based Cookbook.)
But that didn’t happen. This one just bubbled up inside me.
I knew a cookbook was brewing right after I found out I was pregnant. I was growing a little human and at the same time my culinary creativity was on bust. Every evening I was simmering and roasting and trying weird things – some were amazing, some ended up covered in hot sauce and cashew sour cream to make them edible. I was fearless and free in the kitchen.
I couldn’t contain the curiosity. I couldn’t slow the pace of new ideas. I had a clear vision for the aesthetic and photography.
As lockdowns happened and the fear of getting covid (while pregnant) heightened, I just immersed myself in the book and recipe testing. Through nausea and a growing belly, I wrapped myself in an apron (when it fit) and kept my head down. It was a scary period, but I had my own little culinary incubator. The book became my companion, project, and inspiration.
Here are some questions I’ve received during magazine and podcast interviews, via DMs and emails, and from friends and family.
What’s in it for you?
A lot of the recipes were driven by what I wanted to eat and what I was craving but with every recipe I chose to put in the book, I thought about you – the home cook, the plant-based foodie, and the busy person with a whole life who is occasionally or regularly making vegan meals.
The goal was to offer new combinations, flavors, and preparation methods so that plant-based didn’t get boring, or pedestrian. I wanted to level up - your kitchen and mine.
This cookbook will show you how to make plant-based, healthy meals that are delicious! It will change how you approach plant-based cooking and reinvigorate your dinner.
In fact, I hope it leaves you with your own buzz of curiosity.
“You can do THAT with beans?”
“You can put THAT in brownies?”
What’s the theme?
I feel like I need a synonym here, but the theme is delicious. Which seems redundant because doesn’t every cookbook aim to be full of delicious recipes?
Yes.
However, in this way, plant-based is different. Most of us have arrived at a plant-based diet for health reasons, because of concerns for the planet, and/or for animal welfare. Essentially, we’re motivated by an idea that is bigger than just ourselves. And many of us knowingly or unknowingly accept some level of sacrifice.
Essentially, we’re motivated by an idea that is bigger than just ourselves.
The theme of Plant-Based Delicious is about removing the element of sacrifice and teaching you about the little culinary miracles you can create in your own kitchens while maintaining the principles that brought you here.
The theme is terrific, flavorful, impressive food that is so good for you.
It’s abundance and gratitude and a celebration of whole foods.
I know it’s (painfully) easy to make a meal taste good by adding oil, butter, cream, cheese (oh the cheese of it all!). And I know it’s a bit of a challenge to deliver similar results without all that. This is the work.
This is the work I do. This is the work I love.
The theme is this work– which is making healthy taste delicious.
Want some sample recipes? Check out this Butternut Squash Dahl with Cashew Milk and Kale or this One Pot Tuscan Pasta.
What’s my favorite recipe?
I’ve answered this differently every time I’ve been asked. Not intentionally, it just depends on my mood! Right now, as I sip my coffee in a busy café in the middle of Taipei I’m thinking about what I’m going to make for dinner. I’m thinking about the fresh kale I have in the crisper and the already cooked white beans in the fridge. Today my favorite recipe is the Mixed Mushroom Lasagna with Kale and White Bean Ricotta. A lasagna is usually an orchestration but this one not so much. The creamy ricotta is made by the blender (using beans!!!) and I’ll use a jarred sugar-free vegan marinara I’ve just purchased. We’ll have it for lunch for a couple of days too!
I must also mention the Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Cheesecake. It’s divine. My husband and I fight over who gets to have the last piece.
What are some can’t-find-anywhere-else recipes?
I haven’t been everywhere so I can’t say for certain that someone else somewhere in the world didn’t have the same idea as me, but I think most of these recipes are one of kind, novelty recipes. They are all vegan, gluten-free and with no added oils. Here are my guesses as to what recipes will surprise and delight in their uniqueness.
Slow-Cooked Black Beans with Almond Cilantro Pesto and Corn Chips
Fabulous Lentil Flatbreads with Roasted Veggies and Tahini Lemon Sauce
Moroccan Potpies with Almond Pastry
Neapolitan Ice Cream Loaf Cake
Peanut Butter Caramel Cookie Sandwiches
Why pre-order?
As you may know, a cookbook is not just a collection of recipes, but also a labor of love and dedication. The time, effort, and creativity that goes into creating a cookbook is tremendous, and I am thrilled to announce that my new cookbook will be available soon. By preordering my cookbook, you will be taking a vital step in helping my book sell more and, ultimately, help more people.
Preordering a book shows publishers and booksellers that there is a demand for the book, and it helps create a buzz around its release. This helps the book reach more readers and have a more significant impact on people's lives. By preordering my cookbook, you are not only showing your support for me as an author but also supporting the mission and message of the book.
By preordering my cookbook, you are not only showing your support for me as an author but also supporting the mission and message of the book.