YumUniverse Pantry to Plate

YumUniverse Pantry To Plate was SO informative and enjoyable!
I loved the layout - each recipe had a basic guideline to follow, then you were given several ingredient options to add in - so great! Everything was presented beautifully, both in photographs and delightful little illustrations throughout. This wasn't your typical vegan cookbook - all the recipes aren't too complicated, and they actually look delicious!

I look forward to seeing this title in print and purchasing for myself and family members. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The forward explains that the author, Heather Crosby, was told while in her 20s that she would be required to take medication for the rest of her life. Not loving that, she decided instead to improve her eating habits. To help home cooks to eat more healthily, her book is filled with easy instructions on cooking techniques for a variety of ingredients, and methods for planning meals and working with what ingredients that you have on hand.

And, because she was 'not good at following recipes,' she has invented her own, using trial and error and (what seems to me to be) good natural instincts about flavor and texture. She encourages cooks to trust their own instincts when encountering new recipes, and at the same time to be flexible. Do not rely solely on expensive ingredients, spend excessive time on preparation, or deprive yourself. Use clean, fresh, whole food. Think outside the box. These are all perspectives that I can agree with, and that make the recipes accessible and attractive to almost every home cook.

I love that the first food photograph in the book features a tray of muffins, with each one being different from the others! Cooking for one or for a family allows for (and often demands) individuality and variety; factory-like precision is not always best.

To widen the possibilities for expanding your home cooking, Crosby includes helpful tips on building flavor profiles for Chinese, French, Indian, Italian, Latin, Middle Eastern and Thai cuisines.

'Templates' throughout the book provide guidance for building dishes to different specifications, and help cooks learn to cook without restrictive recipes. They range from soups, veggie burgers, salads and cookies, to maki, veggie tots and hand pies.

Going past the inspiration behind her cooking philosophy, I was really impressed by the recipes! And the templates! To explain the templates more, I will use my favorite template (for pancakes and waffles) as an example.

First, she breaks down the staple ingredients which you:
*'Need No Matter What.' Think baking powder, salt, etc.

Then, you have a choice of:
*flours (brown rice flour, chickpea flour).
*binders (banana, psyllium husk)

Next, and optional, are:
*flavors (cinnamon, ginger, citrus juice)
*fold-ins (herbs, coconut, squash)

and lastly:
*oils (avocado, sunflower)

Quantities and cooking times are provided, as well as suggestions for marrying flavors successfully. The other templates in the book follow the same general composition. And, if you would like a more structured recipe, more defined recipes are provided (Beet Pancakes with Roasted Apples, Meyer Lemon Waffles with Maple-Blackberry Compote).

Other standout recipes include Cashew-Coconut Buttercream, Apricot & Salted Sunflower Seed Amazeballs, Probiotic Cream Cheese, and Neapolitan Nice Crispy Bars.

The recipes in the book are vegan, excepting the ones that call for honey (suggested substitutions are provided).

I loved this cookbook! It is full of excellent advice, and the recipes and templates look healthy, delicious and achievable. Five stars, because of the variety and quality of the templates.

Highly Recommended.

In Pantry to Plate, Crosby, keeps mealtime real by providing a basic foundation to cooking according to a traditional recipe structure but allowing readers freedom to play around by substituting with ingredients for a variety of impromptu, customized meals.

Set up in parts of: Good Morning, Munch & Lunch, Main Meals, and Sweet Tooth, the text is easy to pick through to find something to suit your needs. Also included in a handy section on Measurements and Conversions and index.

The recipes are fairly original and the photography is complimentary. Altogether Crosby has delivered a wonderful resource to have in any kitchen.

Simple recipes and wonderful illustrations. I enjoyed some of the non-dairy sauces, such as the Chipotle Cream made with pureed cashews.. but didn't have much respect for an enchilada sauce made without dried and soaked chilis. The cover implies a book that relies heavily on pantry items, but this is more focused on fresh foods put together with the expected grains and flavorings. I appreciated that many of the recipes are springboards to lead the cook into experimenting with flavors and textures. I think this book is particularly useful for cooks either new to cooking, or new to gluten free diets. The sections on baking gluten free muffins and breakfast cookies, crackers, and flavored balls are particularly good for moms trying to cook for kids with celiac or allergies, although since many of these recipes rely on nuts, those with allergies need to be watchful.. I was delighted to find the recipe for gluten free lasagna, but had to scratch that recipe because in addition to a kid with celiac, my nut allergic grandson was at the table.--we ended up with using gluten free lasagna noodles and a classic tomato and veggie recipe.. The next day, some delicious veggie tacos highlighted lunch, and one of the creative "'Banzo Bake" casseroles shone at supper.

I am seriously impressed with this book. The tips and tricks in this book are even better then the recipes themselves. I learned so much from the first part of this book. The part on Aromatics was awesome and I will be using this section a lot. Just by adding a few ingredients to any foods can give it a taste of Italy, China, and more. The book is written with tons of mouth watering recipes as well. Who knew Gluten Free plant based foods could look and taste so great. Some recipes are so simple I was thinking now why hadn't I ever thought of that, others are more advanced but well worth that extra few steps. I as liked the re-purposing section. I never thought of if a broth or soup ended up being to salty or I had a lot of left overs, just freeze them in ice cube trays and add the to other dishes as a seasoning or as a base to work off of. I also never thought to use one of these cubes for sauteing other foods at a later time.

Whether you eat gluten free of plant based foods or not this book is a great addition to any kitchen.

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.

I own Heather;s previous cookbook and love it. Pantry to Plate does not disappoint. Heather has great ideas and guidelines on how to create simple and delicious dishes 'freestyle'.
If you're a more adventurous cook and like to trial new things and mix up recipes - you will really like this.
If you're a beginner and follow recipes to the T this might be a nice intro into trying to make it on your own in the kitchen!
Would definitely recommend