Mississippi Vegan: Recipes & Stories from a Southern Boy’s Heart

With his vegan twist on Southern Americana, Pakron, creator of the Mississippi Vegan blog, delivers a standout debut that celebrates the Cajun and Creole fare of his Gulf Coast upbringing. Pakron’s cooking philosophy is to “push yourself just a little bit further than you normally would to make something that’s incredibly delicious.” This goal is reflected in recipes that tout lengthy ingredient lists, but the easy-to-follow directions will assist cooks of all levels. Pakron showcases such recipes as slow-cooked red beans and rice; sweet potato casserole; mini peach cobblers; and classic gumbo made with barley-sausage. By utilizing smart substitutes for meat and animal by-products, he achieves the same warmth, aroma, and piquancy in his recipes as in typical Southern food. For example, Pakron incorporates the hearty mushroom in many of his dishes, including wild chanterelle pasta with truffled cashew cream, lion’s mane mushroom Mornay, and mushroom rice-paper bacon. Pakron displays an impressive inventiveness that speaks to a passion for his craft. Whether it be dirty rice with smoked baked tofu, potato salad with creamy creole dressing, or chickpea-and-mushroom sausage biscuits, this cookbook has a flavorful, tasty recipe that is sure to delight even the most skeptical traditionalist. [em](Oct.) [/em]