New Yorkers have long applauded the East
Village vegan restaurant, Angelica's Kitchen. They pack the tables,
not only because the food is healthy and organic, but because this is
inspired cooking. The owner, Leslie McEachern, now shares the fabulous
recipes of the restaurant in her book The Angelica Home Kitchen.
Lavishly crediting the chefs who evolved vegan cooking from the heavy
fare of the hippie movement to gourmet delights, McEachern gifts us
with recipes for the favorite dishes of Angelica Kitchen devotees. Though
the restaurant menu changes daily, these are the basic dishes which
devotees insist remain on the menu.
Spanning cultures, McEachern has main-course
recipes for a classic vegetable lasagna, Asian root vegetable stew,
posole, a Moroccan-style tagine. There are sauces and vinaigrettes,
sandwiches and salads, desserts that are lighter than air. Among the
ingredients are classic vegan fare - tempeh, tofu, seitan- all turned
into gourmet dishes by the creative chefs at the restaurant. McEachern is a devout believer in sustainable
farming and healthy organic food untainted by pesticides. In her 'rabble-rousing'
she shares her philosophy and gives nutrition information. McEachern
is not a preacher, however, and central to her philosophy of food is
an open heart. She credits her farmers and suppliers, not only applauding
their efforts, but emphasizing them. The Angelica Home Kitchen is a book
about passion. It reflects McEachern's passion for sustainable crops
and healthy eating as well as her passion for luscious food. And she
shows us that the two are not incompatible when love and imagination
are brought into the equation.
If you visit New York, make a trip to the
restaurant. Sit at the community table off to the side and discover
love-filled food and possibly a friendly New Yorker or two.
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