by Rukshana Singh
Library Journal
October 1st, 2013
Touring on the road as a punk rock musician, Garratt found that tasty vegetarian meals were in short supply-an experience that inspired him to pen his debut cookbook. The work includes standard sections on breads, main dishes, salads, desserts, and more but also features two bonus chapters. “Ganging Up” instructs readers on how to bulk up on staples such as precooked legumes, spice blends, and sauces to make cooking easier and more efficient, while “Recycled” contains tips on using leftovers, foraged items, and homegrown herbs and will appeal to frugal cooks. Garratt does readers a service by highlighting cuisines from regions that offer so much by way of vegan fare that they won’t miss the lack of meat. A comparable read is Sally Butcher’s The New Middle Eastern Vegetarian: Modern Recipes from Veggiestan; her book spotlights vegetarian food from the region, albeit with dairy and eggs.
VERDICT An entry-level and nontraditional approach to Indian, North African, and Middle Eastern vegan fare. Connoisseurs of these cuisines will need to look elsewhere for more depth, but this title will appeal to vegetarians and vegans seeking global inspiration to make everyday meals more flavorful using fresh, unprocessed ingredients and simple cooking methods.
