New American Vegan

Book excerpt: All across North America, people are looking to make better choices, but also eat healthier, more environmentally friendly and, most of all, great-tasting food. New American Vegan breaks from a steady stream of cookbooks inspired by fusion and California cuisines that put catchy titles and esoteric ingredients first in their efforts to cater to a cosmopolitan taste. Instead, Vincent goes back to his midwestern roots to play a humble but important role in the reinvention of American cuisine while bringing the table back to the center of American life. Weaving together small town values, personal stories, and 120 great recipes, New American Vegan delivers authentically American food that simply has to be tasted to be believed. Recipes range from very basic to the modestly complicated, but always with an eye on creating something that is both beautiful and delicious while keeping it simple. Clear instructions provide step-by-steps, but also help new cooks find their feet in the kitchen, with a whole chapter devoted just to terms, tools, and techniques. With an eye towards improvisation, the book provides a detailed basic recipe that’s good as-is, but also provides additional notes that explain how to take each recipe further, increase flavor, add drama to the presentation, or add a little extra flourish for new cooks and seasoned kitchen veterans alike.