This round-up’s a little shorter than usual. There’s no update from the test kitchen, since, ironically, I haven’t found myself much behind the stove since the launch of my book. My parents flew in from Germany to celebrate, so I spent a few wonderful days showing them around London. We ticked Ottolenghi’s NOPI off the bucket list, revisited BAO at Borough Market, indulged in my parents’ favourite gluttony at Dishoom, feasted on mouth-numbing flavours at Xi’an Impressions, spotted Naturally Vegan on the first book shelves and soaked up some sunshine in the city. It was glorious!
I also just got back from Mallorca, where we celebrated my brother’s birthday. While I was there, I stumbled across a few final gems that feel like the perfect cherries on top for the naturally vegan Mallorca guide I’ve been piecing together. It’s finally coming your way next week.
Book Update
The book has been out for almost two weeks now. Seeing it live on people’s kitchen counters—and actually being cooked from—has been a feeling I’ve never felt before. A sense of pride mixed with disbelief. It became the book of choice for solo dinners, date nights, late lunches with friends and even meals shared with people that met halfway across the world. Case in point: this lovely duo left a review and said the following…
“I purchased two of these lovely books as a wholefood plant-based cooking couple one for us and one we brought to travel with us to Tuscany to gift our host. We met originally when living in Albania and four of us foodies a Japanese, Albanian, Italian and Brit formed the cooking/eating group of Spicy Girls! Learning recipes from each other and discovering new dishes to try. This week Spicy Girl UK has been staying with Spicy Girl Italian in her home in Santo Stefano and we’ve been again enjoying the joy of cooking and eating together. We have been enjoying reading the recipes and the origins and will be trying all of the recipes as the days go by. Great to find a world plant based traditional foods in one book. We have been enjoying following Herman and the recipes and reels for sometime. We between us have lived in many countries and have already a varied menu on our homes daily. The book is written in an engaging style and the food photography is enticing. A book well worth adding to your kitchen library.”
Words like this are incredibly humbling. It’s so wonderful to read how many of you pick up on the very things I fought for to have in the book. And every time such a review pops up, it honestly makes my day. Here are a few more of my favourites:
If you haven’t bought a copy but would like to, you can find a retailer close to you via this link. And to anyone who bought the book or has preordered and is still waiting for it—thank you so much. The English vocabulary doesn’t stretch far enough to express my gratitude and I truly don’t take your support for granted. It means the world to me.
Lotek (Indonesian Vegetable & Tofu Salad with Peanut Dressing)
This is probably one of the most exciting salads I’ve ever made: fragrant, full of depth and with just the right amount of punch. The final handful of crispy onions with the rich peanut sauce ties it all together beautifully.
Asparagus Chickpea Pancakes
It’s still time to make the most out of one of nature’s most exciting, seasonal highlights. Asparagus. For this recipe, I’ve used British-grown spears on an Indian-inspired pancake made from gram (chickpea) flour, topped with a seasonal wild garlic pesto and plenty of fresh herbs.
I hope you liked this round-up. I’ll be back on Friday with another exclusive recipe. Here’s a hint: it’s an unmissable Turkish street food and one of the dishes from my latest Vegan Cultures episode.
Enjoy your week!
Much love,
Julius