Travegans

by Bianca Haun and Sascha Naderer
Skyhorse Publishing, January 16. 2018

My first reaction to this beautifully photographed, inviting tome was “What a great name! How come no one else thought it?” And it is actually a perfect name. This is a nicely done intro to vegan food. If you have been cooking and eating a plant-based diet for a while, or are deep into the various nutritional perspectives, you might not find a lot new here. But if you are thinking about dipping a toe in the vegan waters, it’s a very solid beginning.

All of the culinary bases are covered; the authors provide a current overview of the plant-based landscape – and have even included a couple of “finds” like kala namak (Himalayan black salt) for an eggy taste. The full-page color photos of the finished dish are excellent – and really required for beginners. The goal is clearly to ease the first-timer into the concept of meat and dairy-free cooking and eating without adding the additional challenges of limiting some oils or using only whole grains and whole-foods. It is a reasonable approach.

The authors, Bianca & Sascha, are an Austrian couple who are passionate about their relatively recent adoption of veganism and share their experiences on their blog ElephantasticVegan.com as well as in this new book. They also provide a little hard-won guidance for newbies who are navigating the sometimes treacherous social waters of “well a little won’t hurt, will it?” or “where do you get your protein?”  Sascha calls it the “Landmine Situations.”

We also appreciate the Bianca’s Kitchen Hacks that are scattered throughout the book. These are little hints for the newbie and some additional thoughts for the more experienced.

Be aware: The nutritional philosophy that underlies their book is straight-ahead vegan (as opposed to whole-foods, plant-based): veggies, grains, nuts, seeds, oils (especially canola oil* – which is concernful). You won’t find a lot of whole grains, gluten-free or sugar/sweetener-free recipes. Their main concern with white sugar, for instance, is that it is vegan (and not made with bone char) rather than that is may be very bad for your health. Baking begins with white all-purpose flour with a nod to some options (that said Healthy Breakfast Muffins are made with oat flour). That is not a criticism as much as a buyer-aware alert. (Also for recipes that contain miso, be sure not to let it boil or you will kill off the probiotics.)

We love the Small-Batch Strawberry Chia Jam – quick and easy and delicious (so convenient when you discover you’ve just run out – see images below). The last time I used frozen organic mixed berries with a smidge more maple syrup.  And the curries are inventive and easy, as well. The Hummus Four Ways are strikingly beautiful and the Shake and Bake Sweet Potato Fries inspiring (a keeper in this house)! Love the banana-based “Nice Creams”, too. I am surprised by the canned lentils in the Thyme Lentil Soup (unless you are on a Low FOD-MAP diet). Dried lentils would have taken just another 15 or so minutes.

Bottom line: This would make a great gift for someone who has expressed interest in experimenting with a plant-based diet. The recipes will be successful and delicious – and visually appealing. It will get most people over the hump and show them that this is a viable diet. And, even if they don’t go the whole way, they will have found a lot of recipes that will stay in their rotation no matter what.

(*Canola Oil – perhaps the canola oil available in Austria is less tainted than what we can get in the US. I substituted Avocado oil or Coconut oil for the canola oil in the recipes that I tried. Also subbed tomato sauce or tomato puree for tomato passata.)