Denai Moore - Plentiful: Vegan Jamaican Recipes to Repeat

M y food journey began in my Jamaican childhood home with a garden full of fresh produce.

We had three different types of mango tree, a soursop tree, a cherry tree, an ackee tree, a tamarind tree and a coconut tree, plus generous neighbours, family and friends who grew a huge variety of other amazing ingredients. Being around such a bounty of fresh produce, accessible at my fingertips every day, made me value vegetables and fruits at their peak eating seasonally is ingrained in me.

Jamaican food is often misrepresented, stripped of its complexity and reduced to being a meat-heavy cuisine. I want to debunk this myth about Jamaican food I want to show you how exciting, diverse and vibrant vegan Jamaican flavours truly are. The use of spices in Jamaica is so unique, its a melting pot of different cultures coming together.

Making food is an act of self-love for me. Ive always loved cooking, but I really discovered myself in the kitchen when I stopped eating meat and dairy in 2016. I thought I might miss out on all the food I grew up eating after going vegan, but it just brought me closer to my childhood plate. I began to put together the flavours of my youth with all the ideas I had in my head, and cooking became an obsession.

However, music was my first love. When I was given an acoustic guitar at the age of 11 by my primary school music teacher, it was only a matter of time before I started writing sad songs. I remember watching Lauryn Hills MTV Unplugged and feeling so seen. I knew then that I could be whatever artist I wanted to be. (Unfortunately, one of the first songs I learned how to play was Wonderwall by Oasis. I think all my Wonderwall slander over the years has deeply offended the rock gods and cursed me.) I started touring professionally when I was just a fresh faced 19-year-old, and it was this that expanded my food knowledge. I remember going from city to city, eating the most incredible food. I would create imaginary restaurant menus in notebooks (some of which I still have) and it made me want to create my own recipes and share them with people. I would invite my friends over for impromptu dinners, where even I didnt know what I was going to make. Would it be three or five courses? Would there be freshly churned ice cream? WHO knew?! Thats the place that I enjoy cooking from the most, when I can let my childlike imagination run free and explore!

OUR FOOD CULTURES AND THE PASSING DOWN OF RECIPES FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.

When I finally had the guts to cook for strangers and host my first ever supper club on 28 October 2017, I knew instantly that I was always meant to cook for others. I cant think of a better way to introduce myself than with a plate of food that Ive made. Its my favourite way to say hello to 35+ new people. I thrive on toeing that line between my comfort zone and whats beyond. I love that when you try something new, it can be a revelation, or a bad idea, or a reason to try again. Dees Table lived on beyond that supper club through to restaurant residencies and various London markets, where some of the dishes in this book were born, like the plantain gnocchi (then titled Rasta Pasta), which I had made first for a friend and then debuted at a weekend-long residency at Buster Mantis in Deptford, London.

Its not unusual to fear what you might miss out on when going vegan. But when you unpack what it is that makes a delicious plate of food, you come to understand that eating vegan is not a hindrance at all. Making something delicious doesnt depend on animal products. There are so many natural sources of pure umami flavour salty seaweed, rich and caramelised sticky onions, molasses, woody dried mushrooms. I find myself craving heat, deeply savoury flavours and texture crispy! creamy! tangy! rich! Also, delicious doesnt mean complicated. I love simple flavours and classic combinations. They are there for a reason, because theyve been tried and tested, eaten time and time again, enjoyed by many taste buds. They are the foundation that grounds us. Freshly baked bread with butter is still unbeatable! Garlic and onions fried in hot oil are the best! Mac and cheese, the ultimate comfort!

Food memories and traditions are so important, too. Our food cultures and the passing down of recipes from generation to generation make the world a better place. My grandmas porridge recipe will be forever a part of my history, memories of it brought back to me whenever I get a whiff of freshly grated nutmeg. For me, food is an extension of joy. I love a romantic solo meal, in which Im both the main character and the supporting actress. I live for long, floaty dinner parties that make time feel like an illusion, everything stopping for a moment. Or just a quick weeknight pasta and wine catch-up session with good company. I could go on.

I could talk about food forever. I think food and music play such a key part in our lives they are our personal DNA, and they go hand in hand. I can go back to a specific place from just the smell of the ocean and the lingering scent of fried festival.

At heart, Im just a massive self-proclaimed foodie youll find me at the hot new farmers market in town, buying up all the homemade kimchi and seasonal ingredients or at the newest ramen spot, gushing over a shroomy broth and hand-pulled noodles (because NOODLES ARE EVERYTHING?!). I believe in eating well, trying new things and being present with the food in front of you. I wont hesitate to book a table for myself for dinner. I will always savour every bite.

These recipes are my very own creations they were each born from the idea or memory of something I missed or craved, and then I recreated that memory in a new way, without recipes, just from my intuition. There are no limitations in food its about engaging with a feeling and cooking with no rules.

Y ou may notice that this book is organised in a very particular way. The chapters are specific to the way I think about food, how I CRAVE and celebrate food, on my own and with the people I love. So, for example, there is a chapter of recipes specifically designed for making just for yourself (see ).

While this book doesnt include all the greatest Jamaican hits (please dont come for me!), I tried my best to remain sincere to my favourite things about Jamaican food. Honouring the vastness, honouring the depth (its roots are deep!) and sharing recipes for those dishes that mean the most to me. Also, although this book includes a lot of nostalgia from my childhood, I would be nothing without the flavours, techniques and vibrancy of East and Southeast Asian cuisine. To me, food from these regions is still massively devalued when you think about the impact it has had in the culinary world. Its the baseline of so many cooking techniques and methods for creating well-rounded dishes. There are many recipes inspired by East and Southeast Asian dishes in my book, such as my . They are not traditional in the slightest, but were born out of my sheer appreciation for the food I love to eat outside of my own culture. Life without it would be utterly tragic. (Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!)

I wrote this book because Ill simply never stop being curious about food. Im a proud novice who wants to explore.

I wrote this book because I fantasise about hosting dinner parties that everyone raves about for weeks afterwards (yes, weeks, its my fantasy).