Simple Goodness

November 4, 2024
Most of the familiar recipes in this lackluster plant-based collection from Howell (Makini’s Vegan Kitchen) hinge on imitation meat, eggs, or milk. For example, tofu strips stand in for bacon in ersatz scrambled eggs while ranch dressing calls for vegan mayonnaise and plant-based milk. In a brief foreword, Howell, the personal chef to Stevie Wonder, defines “simple goodness” as “the ease of making dinner with a few ingredients from the local bodega or from your garden”—but many of the resulting meals are so basic as to make their inclusion in a cookbook feel laughable. A recipe for corn muffins, for instance, calls for egg substitute and Trader Joe’s cornbread mix and directs home cooks to “follow the cooking instructions on the box.” A chapter on kid-friendly options offers lightly doctored canned tomato soup, while the dessert chapter begins with encouragement to rely on boxed cake mixes and includes instructions for assembling strawberry shortcake from entirely store-bought ingredients. More complex fare includes a chickpea salad the author devised for the Google cafeteria and fried oyster mushrooms meant to mimic calamari. As Howell herself notes, plant-based cooking has changed radically in the decade and a half since she opened Plum Bistro in Seattle. That means the cookbook field is crowded with options—and there’s little to make this one stand out.

December 1, 2024

Howell, author of Plum, chef to celebrities, culinary consultant for companies including Google, and owner of Plum Bistro, has been cooking plant-based food for nearly 20 years. Now she shares her brand of plant-based dishes starting with details on stocking a pantry with staples, often noting specific brands she prefers. After sharing recipes for dips and sauces including tabasco aioli and vegan pimento cheese, Howell steers cooks through the day, beginning with breakfast dishes and ending with a sampling of sweet treats. In some recipes, such as cornbread muffins, Howell lets boxed mixes do most of the culinary heavy lifting. In others, her own Southern family roots shine through; see the warm butter biscuits and My Sweet Georgia Peach Pie. The My American Guy vegan cheeseburger might tempt even the most avowed carnivore. VERDICT There are a number of excellent vegan cookbooks on the market, but fans of Howell's restaurant and those interested in auditioning a more plant-based approach to eating will be enticed by the warmth and passion Howell infuses into her writing.--John Charles

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