Writing one cookbook manuscript takes time, patience, and focus. Writing two manuscripts at the same time was a test of my organizational skills and my ability to compartmentalize my mind, something I’m used to doing in my “day job,” but not anything I’ve done with writing cookbooks. I initially wasn’t asked to submit the manuscripts for this book and The Essential Pantry together, but the fact that I made the decision to, and followed through on that plan, feels satisfying. Now I know that cooks can use either, or both, of the Essential Pantry books to create over one hundred recipes for tasty meat- and plant-based food with a very similar core set of pantry ingredients.
As with all cookbooks I’ve written, this wasn’t a solitary project. I provide the guts of the book, and many people helped along the way.
The leading main man and the best male cook I know, Warren Green continues to stand beside me at all times. His attention to detail is unmatched by anyone I’ve ever met. This comes in handy for recipe development, where he tastes, smells, and critiques; in food preparation, when he’s always willing to shop for ingredients or wash the dishes; and when it’s time to read recipes and manuscripts and his sharp eye and even-sharper pencil make my work better. For this, and for his expanding hobby of brewing ales and lagers, I am forever grateful.
At the heart of what I do, our three children, Stuart, Julia, and Neil, have grown up with me in the kitchen tinkering with my own recipes, or with recipes for a project or client. No matter what’s going on, they are always willing to taste the fruits of my labor and provide their feedback, even when the food was meat, egg, and dairy free. They now have friends who join the tasting sessions, and that is a lot of fun. I never imagined that when my teens left our home for high school, college, co-ops, fraternity life, and time with other families and friends, my heart would continue to grow in love and appreciation for them, their hard work, and what they bring to our family as their horizons expand beyond our kitchen table. For this book, I especially want to thank my sweet daughter, Julia. Her exploration of plant-based eating was the impetus for this book. Our experiment with no meat, dairy, or eggs lasted almost one year. We had fun together exploring this way of eating and cooking. If you choose to eat this way, I know the kitchen is a place you’re familiar with.
A proud member of the Essential Plant-Based Pantry team, professional photographer Sarah Jane Sanders is a true joy to work with. I’ve had the benefit of working with Sarah Jane more than once, and for that I am appreciative. Sarah sees food and ingredients through the lens of a camera in a way that not many photographers do. I thank her for her expertise to bring the concept of common pantry ingredients, and recipes from these ingredients, to life for this book.
In touch and always helpful, my acquisitions editor, Ashley Runyon, contacted me and asked me to submit my idea for this cookbook, and its companion book, The Essential Pantry. Ashley was always available to answer questions, give her opinion, and provide whatever I needed while I wrote the manuscripts. I thank her for her confidence in me, my ideas, and my ability to write two cookbooks at one time.
On my mind are the individuals who dedicated their time, ingredients, and utilities to the recipe-testing portion of the Essential Plant-Based Pantry project. The dedicated and willing testers for this book all responded to my request for recipes testers, and when I asked if they could do more, I was generally in receipt of an enthusiastic yes. I know that their work helped shape these recipes into formulas that cooks everywhere can use to achieve good-tasting results: Robert Anderson, Mary Anderson, Frances Banks, Kyle Baumann, Lori Bright, Suzanne Caithamer, Heather Chapman, Alex Flamm, Elizabeth Flamm, Kaye Flamm, Patty Grasty, Warren Green, Julia Green, Carl Kroboth, Brandy Mohktar, Lori Moser, Gwen McCormack, Luisa Polito, Mejie Renaud, Sharon Thompson, and Tammy Yancey.
Working behind the scenes to edit, design, print, market, and sell this book was Red Lightning Press. I thank all who took my manuscript and turned it into a finished book, including my editor, Rachel Rosolina, and my designer, Pamela Rude.