Can an instruction book become art? In the case of Matthew Kenney’s new work, “PLANTLAB: Crafting the Future of Food,” the answer is a definitive yes.

PLANTLAB is the culmination of Kenney’s life work as an ambitious chef and restauranteur, though it seems a disservice to limit this man’s accomplishments to these basic labels. In the past twelve years, Kenney has authored several raw and plant-based cookbooks, opened an impressive number of high end restaurants worldwide, and established the professional culinary institution for plant-based learning. He is on a mission to “craft the future of food” by brining innovation, accessibility, art, and sustainable nutrition to plant-based cuisine. This new book embodies the purpose behind these ventures with over one hundred recipes told though a stunning display of photographs. It is a cookbook, photography collection, lifestyle guide, and memoir of the PLANTLAB empire. It is to be equally treasured and displayed as a piece of art, but also gently worn and splattered as a cherished cookbook.

After a prominent career in New York fine dining restaurants, Kenney transitioned his focus onto plant-based cuisine after gradually adopting a raw food diet. This way of eating made him feel at his optimal best, and he now stresses the environmental, nutritional, and ethical benefits to going plant-based. He knew it was possible to create refined dishes out of plants, but at the time, no one had made the leap. For over a decade, Kenney has utilized his classical culinary skills to break the rules and push experimentation to its limits, shocking the restaurant world with his accomplished dishes and revolutionizing the concept of vegan food.

Formerly perceived as bland and limited, Kenney proved the plant-based diet to be just as complex and elegant as traditional animal-based cooking. He has showcased this modern approach to vegan cuisine through his many restaurants and cafes around the world, making diners’ eyes roll with delight and swoon with pleasure. However, there is no need to make a reservation to experience Kenney’s nourishing art; the recipes in PLANTLAB are all inspired by his most popular restaurant menu items, so everyone can enjoy his creations at home.

“This book is literally for everyone, from seventeen to ninety years old, men, women, and the entire globe,” Kenney wrote. Although known for his sophisticated culinary style, Kenney assured that the recipes are accessible to the home cook, no formal culinary training required. He continued, “Anyone can benefit from and appreciate the plant-based lifestyle. I wrote this book to inspire others to appreciate the value in living a lifestyle supported by well-prepared plant-based cuisine.” For this reason, the book is organized into four sections, each progressing in technical skill and complexity: “Fundamentals,” “Advanced,” “Professional,” and “Future.”

Hearts of Palm Ceviche. Photo courtesy Adrian Mueller

Not to deter anyone from venturing to the latter chapters, Kenney states in the introduction that anyone can master the Professional and Future recipes; they just take more dedication and require some specialized kitchen equipment, such as a smoker or sous vide. Those limited by basic tools should gravitate toward the first two chapters; there are plenty of bold and unique recipes to satisfy the adventurous palate. Think mango cheesecake, heirloom tomato with almond ricotta, and butternut squash carpaccio. Move on to the Advanced chapter, and the reader will find the secrets to creating Kenney’s famous plant-based cheeses, from Vegetable Ash Cashew Cheese, to Spirulina Blue Cheese. Other standouts from the Advanced level include Pastrami Roasted Carrots, Porcini-Crusted Whole Cauliflower, and the Plant Food and Wine classic, the Plant Burger.

Kenney invites the committed home cook to delve into the Professional and Future chapters for the ultimate experimentation and reward. Expect techniques involving fermentation, smoking, long-term marinating, and the use of an ice cream maker and sous vide machine. Yes, these are complex dishes that demand precision and patience, but to Kenney, the end product is worth it. “My cooking is not always simple, and I don’t necessarily try to simplify it. Whatever it takes to make it the best it can be, I will passionately pursue that.” The Professional section includes favorites from the Miami-based, Asian-inspired, Arata pop-up, as well as pizzas from the New York City staple, Double Zero. Try the Chickpea Ramen, Eggplant Bun, Shaved Truffle Pizza, or Farro-Fennel Sausage Pizza for an exceptional culinary treat. Ready to take on the Future? The Chickpea Curry, Gianduja Cake with Hazelnut Sorbet, and Pavlova are well worth the dedicated time in the kitchen.

When asked which recipes he would choose to throw a multi-course dinner party, Kenney paired dishes from the Fundamentals to the Future. He suggested, “I would start by passing small bits of the Truffle Pizza. The first course would be Hearts of Palm Ceviche. I would follow that with Maitake Mushroom Panzanella, then Spicy Udon and finish with Acai Panna Cotta.”

As promised, PLANTLAB is “a feast for the senses.” Whether you navigate its glossy pages based on skill level, the deliciously gorgeous photographs, or the mouth-watering recipe descriptions, you will end up with a truly satisfying and refined plate of food.

Clear your weekend and your bookshelf to make room for this masterpiece, and join the revolution to craft the future of food. 

Find Tanya on Instagram and The Vegan Potluck Podcast. 

Related on EcoSalon

The 5 Greatest Vegan Cookbooks Every Plant-Based Kitchen Needs
Cherry Bombe Jubilee on Fire: Conference Tackles Current Issues Head On
DIY Vegan Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

The post Plantlab: Renowned Chef Matthew Kenney Shares His Secrets to Crafting the Future of Food appeared first on EcoSalon.

Diane Morgan knows salmon. “Salmon: Everything You Need to Know + 45 Recipes” is her second book on the subject, and when you’re through with it, you too will be an expert on everything from its life cycle to how to choose it to how to cook it.

When it comes to superfoods, salmon often tops the list: rich in omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, vitamin D and selenium, salmon is one of the top choices if you’re trying to add fish to your diet. But I’ll admit I’m a bit of a skeptic when it came to testing so many recipes for salmon in this book — after all, salmon has such a distinctive flavor. Wouldn’t it feel like eating the same thing over and over again, no matter how it was prepared?

My doubts were unfounded. Not only are the recipes in this beautiful book each unique, they also each offer keys to preparing salmon so that its many attributes are highlighted, particularly its rich flavor and unctuous texture.

Recipes range from simple to complex. On the easier end of the scale is the crispy pan-seared salmon with summertime succotash, which is a quick and easy dish for a weeknight. Here is where Morgan’s expertise truly shines: not only do the vegetables become perfectly cooked in under five minute (I was pleasantly surprised), but the technique for cooking the salmon is one I’ll carry over to other dishes. With the salmon skin dredged in flour, the salmon fillets are pan-seared to perfection: crisp and caramelized on the outside, and tender and just-barely cooked through on the inside. The salmon was moist, tender, and flavorful, and it paired perfectly with the succotash, for which Morgan offers several different variations depending on what vegetables are in season.

The salmon Caesar salad was included in the book as a recipe for using up leftovers: a fairly classic Caesar topped with a piece of leftover grilled salmon. Full disclosure: I cooked up the salmon the same day, as I didn’t have any leftovers, but even with the preparation of the salmon, this recipe is easily made in under 30 minutes. The dressing had a bit too much pungent olive oil taste for me — in the future, I’ll cut it with a bit of grapeseed oil — but the traditional Caesar dressing, complete with a raw egg and anchovy, was easy to make and very flavorful.

One pleasant surprise in this book was the potted salmon recipe. Recipes for pâtés and terrines often seem like too much effort to attempt at home, but this recipe was easy to prepare and so deliciously worth the effort. The salmon fillets are slow-poached with shallots and butter and then processed with smoked salmon and lemon juice, both of which cut the richness of the butter and the fish. This is my new favorite appetizer for dinner parties, served simply with fresh bread, or as canapés topped with a few salmon roe eggs for something a bit more special.

The runaway winner in my household was the salmon bibimbap, a Korean-inspired dish of vegetables, salmon, and a fried egg served on a bed of rice. Often, bibimbap recipes seem a bit persnickety, as each vegetable needs to be prepared separately. While Morgan’s recipe also uses this technique, there are just enough vegetables — bean sprouts, spinach, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms — to have optimal variety without dirtying 15 pans. Morgan also offers the ideal order in which to prepare the vegetables to minimize dirty dishes. The flavor that comes about when each vegetable is prepared and seasoned to perfection is sure to get this dish onto my weekly dinner rotation.

The takeaway from this book: don’t be afraid of what seems like a unitasker in the kitchen. This book will help you introduce healthy salmon into your diet in a myriad of delicious ways. The proof: I ate salmon four nights in a row, and I hardly noticed.

Related on EcoSalon
5 Cookbooks for People with a Vegetable Garden (or Who Just Love Growing Food)
Grilled Salmon Panini Recipe with Cream Cheese
Seared Salmon over Warm Lentil Salad

Salmon image via Shutterstock

The post 45 Unique Salmon Recipes in ‘Salmon: Everything You Need to Know’ appeared first on EcoSalon.