This book is dedicated to my mama, who is my heart.
foreword
BY ISA CHANDRA MOSKOWITZ
What do you crave?
Im talking deep within the belly of your soul. What makes you rush back for seconds? What makes you say, No, I couldnt possibly... but then you do?
Timmy and I met on set while shooting a cookbook of mine. I was my typical morning self, two hours late, all sloppy bun and smudged eyeliner, and he had the nerve to hug me. And kiss me! I almost spilled my coffee. I was prepared to be surly all day at anything and everything, but instead we spent the afternoon cooking and laughing, much to the annoyance of everyone around us.
At some point I saw him making mashed potatoes for no reason. Were mashed potatoes on the shot list? I asked, one eyebrow raisedbecause I can do that. He gave me his mischievous side glance. Its not a look like he did something badits more as if hes planning a surprise birthday party for you. And those were the best mashed potatoes Ive ever had.
From then on we have been inseparable. Except by a few states.
A while later, we were sitting on my couch eating roasted potatoes (Ill probably mention potatoes at least three more times in these two pages). I think of that moment all the timebecause when he asked me if I wanted roasted potatoes, my immediate reaction was, No, you dodo head. Its 1 A.M. and I have to be up at 8. And yet we sat on the couch, legs crossed, facing each other with that bowl of perfectly crispy potatoes between us, filling it back up every time it got low, and talking about everything under the sun. But mostly about potatoes.
So theres two times Timmy made me eat potatoes when I didnt think I wanted to. There were many more after that.
I think the secret to Timmys cooking, if not Timmy himself, is cravings. Scratching that itch. Feeding those taste buds deep within the belly of your soul. But enough about Timmy. What do you crave?
Dont mistake this for a Southern cookbook. Well, I mean, obviously it is. It says so right in the title. And, yes, you will learn how to make a killer gumbo, but dont let it stop there because its really a culinary footprint. In reading his stories and cooking his recipes, what I wager is that you will be inspired to follow your own cravings and explore your own history. We didnt all grow up with a garden; my yard was just a patch of cement. But Timmys story sparks my childhood memories: snatching a meatball from my grandmas seder table. Cheese fries on the boardwalk of Coney Island. My first steamed bun from Chinatown on a brisk winter night in New York City. It awakens my cravings and inspires me to explore them. And whether youre a beginner vegan cook or the best vegan cook in the whole world like me, it will give you the tools to go forth and create your own culinary footprint.
With love from Brooklyn,
Isa Chandra
introduction
Ive always been a Southern boy at heart. I grew up surrounded by butterflies, oak trees, and gardenias. On the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, I spent summers running barefoot through wet grass, swimming in bayous, and picking ripe blueberries warm from the sunshine. I was, and still am, profoundly impacted by my roots and the scenery of my youth. As an adult, Ive kept my childlike fascination with the wild and luscious Southern landscape. I am awed and inspired by the little things: the designs of a tightly wrapped magnolia bud, the bursting hot pink color on an azalea bush, the taste of juicy loquats or the sweet nectar from a honeysuckle flower. Growing up in the midst of all of this beauty has undoubtedly had a lasting effect on me. My heart still melts at the sight of a Mississippi sunset and/or a perfectly bloomed camellia. As a young child, I vividly remember touching the stalk of a tomato plant and thinking how magnificent the smell was. Its not very often that the actual stalk smells as intoxicating as the fruit itself, am I right? I would watch my father plant tulip bulbs and meticulously tend to his roses.
Ive always known that I was more intensely connected to plants than others. At an early age, I could just tell. My eyes widened just a bit more when I spotted wildflowers, I was more excited to pick fresh strawberries, and the very thought of a citrus tree, bursting with bright clusters of fruit, resonated with me in such a way, I knew deep down that edible plants was my undeniable passion.
These days, I am even more excited because I have the chance to share this beauty with all of you. As a recipe developer and photographer, I feel as though it is my utmost responsibility to collect, create, organize, and share. As an artist, this has always been an instinct of mine, as early as I can rememberfrom creating mud pie recipes to be baked on the back porch in the scorching sun, to creating an intricate nature installation in the living room (to my mothers dismay), which included a tadpole tank surrounded by a collection of rocks, crystals, bark, and leaves. My fascination with gathering small objects from nature and arranging them beautifully is still an integral part of my life today. My hands have always been busy, my eyes always curiously wondering, and my heart always craving to share.