annieb123's Review of The Artful Way to Plant-Based Cooking

by Chloé Crane-Leroux and Trudy Crane

A unique collection of plant-based recipes from the mother-and-daughter duo who were inspired by the simple beauty and delicious meals throughout their travels.

Throughout European countries like Spain, France, and Italy, cooking with fresh, local ingredients is a way of life. That’s where this mother-and-daughter duo found inspiration during their travels to write their book in the richness of food, the beauty of architecture, and the wonder of luscious landscapes. But…authors Trudy and Chloé are plant-based.

The Artful Way to Plant-Based Cooking isn’t just a healthy collection of recipes that leave you feeling hungry like so many others. It’s a cookbook that offers flavorful dishes for every meal and every moment of the day, from appetizers like Vibrant Beet and Pistachio Hummus; date-night dishes such as Pappardelle Mushroom Bolognese; main dishes, like the Ricotta and Squash Galette, perfect for entertaining; and desserts like Strawberry and Cream Cake or Decadent Double Dark Chocolate Cookies. These 80 recipes are not only good for you—they’re good for the planet, too! The love this mother and daughter have for each other—and for sharing vegan food with others—shines through in their recipes and is sure to be a joy for everyone.

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Artful Way to Plant-Based Cooking is an instagram-worthy collection of photos and recipes curated by Chloé Crane Leroux & Trudy Crane. Released 24th Sept. 2024 by Simon & Schuster on their Simon Element imprint, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The entire book is beautifully photographed and styled, with a breezy affluent Mediterranean cottage vibe which is professionally and aesthetically pleasing (if worlds away from where most readers -actually- live their lives). Dreams are important, and having Instagram-worthy inspiration for food and table settings are happy-making, if impractical for most on a large scale.

The recipes are well written and arranged thematically: aperó (appetizers), date night, friends for dinner, weekday favorites, solo suppers, and slow mornings/brunch ideas. Recipes are written with ingredients in a bullet list, yields, prep/cooking time estimates, and step by step directions. Measurements are given in imperial (American) units with metric measurements in parentheses (yay!). Ingredients will mostly be available from any well-stocked grocery store in North America; some few may require specialist vendors outside of large metropolitan areas. Nutritional information is not included.

As stated in the title, the recipes and ingredients are vegetarian friendly.The authors/publisher have also included useful general resources such as pantry staples lists, and cross-referenced index.

Four stars. The photography is gorgeous (if envy-inducing) and the recipes are written clearly and accessibly.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

13 October, 2024: Started reading

13 October, 2024: Finished reading

13 October, 2024: Reviewed