Bryanna Clark Grogan - World Vegan Feast: 200 Fabulous Recipes From Over 50 Countries

About the Author

The author of eight vegan cookbooks, Bryanna Clark Groganhas devoted over forty years to tasty, healthful cooking. She hasbeen a contributor and reviewer for Vegetarian Times and has conductedcooking workshops and classes at numerous vegetariangatherings in North America, including the NAVS Summerfest;EarthSaves Taste of Health in Vancouver, B.C.; the Seattle, Washingtonand Portland, Oregon VegFests; the International ScientificConference on Chinese Plant-Based Nutrition and Cuisinein Philadelphia; and the McDougall Celebrity Chef Weekend inSanta Rosa, CA. Bryannas recipes appear in No More Bull! by Howard Lyman, TheVeg-Feasting Cookbook, Cooking with PETA, and on Dr. Andrew Weils websites. Bryannaalso developed the recipes for the groundbreaking book, Dr. Neal Barnards Program forReversing Diabetes. Bryannas blog can be found at http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com. A vegan for more than twenty years, Bryanna lives, cooks, and writes on beautifulDenman Island, British Columbia.

Acknowledgments

I have to thank Jon Robertson, my publisher, for his kindness and confidence in me. I also thank Julie Hasson, Fran Costigan, Chef Kevin Dunn, and David Lee for making me feel part of the cooking fraternity, even when Im on my little island, and for being so fun to be with when we manage to get together. Thanks to my Vegan Feast newsletter subscribers for trying out my recipes and giving me feedback (especially Brenda Wiley and Debbie Knight). Thanks to my friends (you know who you are!), including our Denman Island vegan dinner group, for their kindness and inspiration. And thanks to my family, all of you, for keeping me down to earth, especially Brian for putting up with me!

I also want to express a special thank-you to my baking mentors. The no-knead bread method is sweeping the baking world, and I have been swept away as well! Ive experimented with many recipes and read several books on the subject, as well as combed numerous websites and blog posts. Eventually, I developed the recipe for the crusty Italian-style artisan loaf in this book with the method and techniques that produced the results my family loved. But I had help from several professionals my particular recipe is a direct result of their work (books, articles, blogs, and workshops) and Id like to thank them.

Thanks to Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery in N.Y.C. (author of My Bread, W. W. Norton & Company, 2009) for the method of baking in a heavy covered pot. Bread baked this way stays crunchy after it cools because the pot acts as a brick oven, creating the conditions of a professional oven in miniature. And thanks also to Jim for convincing me (through his writing) to use a well-hydrated dough (about 80 percent hydration), which results in more big, irregular holes in the crumb. Thanks to Mark Bittman for bringing Jims recipes and methods to the public in his New York Times food column The Minimalist. Thanks to Jeff Hertzberg and Zo Franois (authors of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, Thomas Dunne Books, 2007 and 2009), for the 5-minute method of mixing and refrigerating the dough, which makes it practical to bake bread fresh every day, reduces the work, and provides spontaneity in the baking process. The cold rise improves the flavor and makes the Lahey-style wet dough much easier to handle, too. Special thanks to Master Baker Peter Reinhart (author of The Bread Bakers Apprentice, Ten Speed Press, 2001, and several other books) for writing the most readable and inspiring bread books ever and for being so approachable, both in his books and in his workshops.

World Vegan Feast: An Introduction

T his book is for all cooks. Seriously. Yes, its a book of international and fusion recipes, and while its not written for the complete kitchen novice, that doesnt necessarily mean difficult recipes or hard-to-find ingredients. After all, there are busy working parents, commuters, and otherwise time-stretched folks in all countries and societies, and everyone wants to eat well, even on the busiest of days.

Im one of those folks myself Im employed outside the home as well as at home with my cookbook writing, recipe development, workshops, etc. I also have four grown children, two stepsons, and nine grandchildren, all nearby, and try to cram in a little socializing and exercise in between. I have a tiny kitchen in a small house and I live on a small island, so I cant run to the store whenever I feel like it.

In this book, I have tried to provide a balance between easy, exciting, everyday recipes made with things youre likely to have in your pantry, and more complex dishes that you might serve at celebrations, company dinners, or at family gatherings, requiring perhaps more planning and shopping as well. Its a personal and eclectic mix, by no means representative of all world cuisines (that would take several large volumes), although many countries and regions of the world are represented.

Take, for instance, the chapter, Brunch Around the World. Having an impromptu brunch for friends? Not much time to prepare ahead of time? The Yeasted Oven Pancake with Apples is made from a simple batter that can be mixed before you go to bed the night before. Leave it to rise in the refrigerator and pop it into the oven just before your guests arrive. By the time everyone is settled with their coffee or tea, the pancake will be ready to flip over onto a platter and serve with a flourish and warm maple syrup. Other easy last-minute brunch dishes with great flavor and spark include spicy Korean Potato Pancakes (Kamjajon), Coconut Semolina Crepes (Rava Dosa), and Chickpea Flour Omelets (Gujarati Chilla).

If you prefer make-ahead recipes, when you have half an hour, make some Easy Vegan Crespelle and freeze them. With these crepes on hand, and some vegan white cheese in the freezer or refrigerator, you can invite friends at the last minute for an elegant stress-free brunch featuring Roasted Asparagus Crespelle with Besciamella Sauce. Asparagus spears are quickly oven-roasted while you blend and cook the creamy sauce (which can be quickly made in the microwave). Your guests will think you slaved over a hot stove for hours! Another make-ahead recipe is the Bell Pepper and Mushroom Quiche, which is actually improved by an overnight chill in the refrigerator.

In subsequent chapters, I hope I have achieved a similar balance between simple and complex (without skimping on flavor). Quick, tasty stir-fry and noodle dishes, such as Fresh Pineapple-Noodle Stir-Fry, Peruvian Stir-Fry (Lomo Saltado), and Pasta ala Pescarese are tucked in between recipes for an elegant Seitan Wellington with Madeira Gravy and a satisfying French cassoulette.

Simple curries and stews, such as Lentil and Rapini Stew with Spicy Vegan Sausage, Indonesian Green Curry on Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and Finnan Haddie with Smoked Tofu, rub shoulders, so to speak, with Deep, Dark Stew a la Sicilia, Greek Nugget Potato and Kalamata Olive Stew, and Jamaican Curry.

For those very special times when you want to impress, consider making the Moroccan Savory Celebration Pie (Bisteeya) or Pastry-Wrapped Russian Loaf (Coulibiac), which features mushrooms, dill, and soy salmon in a phyllo crust. They may be impressive, but they are not beyond anyones capabilities, providing that you read the recipe through ahead of time, use the ingredients called for, plan well, and follow the recipe instructions (at least the first time).

I havent forgotten a carefully chosen array of appetizers, soups, salads, and sides, many of which can serve as everyday main dishes, or the desserts and homemade breads. Ridiculously easy family desserts such as Blueberry-Maple Poor Mans Pudding (Pudding au Chmeur), Italian Baked Fruit-Stuffed Peaches, and Ginger Treacle Tart, share space with Almond-Mango Trifle with Indian Spices, Almond Caf Latte Cake, and Rose-Scented Baklava. My version of no-knead crusty artisanal bread is so easy and convenient that you may never go back to the old-fashioned way of baking. But then, the beautiful Giant Hungarian Poppy Seed Spiral Bread might win you back to the old way.