First and foremost, I’d like to thank my publisher, Jon Robertson, at Vegan Heritage Press. Without your extensive expertise in publishing and marketing, this beautiful book would not have been possible. Throughout this whole new-to-me process, you have been endlessly patient and responsive, and as a result, together we’ve created the cookbook of my dreams. Hopefully it’s only the first of many to come!
Thank you to Matthew Kenney, my mentor and longtime inspiration, for your huge role in catapulting me towards making raw food not just my passion, but my career. To Russell James and Haylee Otto, my instructors at the Matthew Kenney Academy, for all the culinary skill and proficiency you passed on to me. To Drs. Rick and Karin Dina at the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute; you reinforced my nutrition knowledge base like no one else ever has. To my recipe testers, for your generous dedication of time and resources to help me make this book the best it can be. Samantha Robertson, Rachel Detwieler, Lisa Pitman, Merryn Ironmonger, Jennifer Marie Smith Robertson, Billie Brockwell, Nicholas Wozniak, and Christine Borosh, thank you for all your hard work.
Thank you to Stephen Melvin, my talented photographer, for helping me get comfortable in front of a camera and capturing the photos of me throughout this book. Thanks also to Geri at Portfolio Kitchen & Home and Lloyd at Doolittle Distributing Inc. for the use of your lovely kitchen spaces.
Thank you to my parents, Ken and Cheryl Ford, for your lifetime of supporting and believing in me. You were an integral part of this accomplishment.
Thank you to my wonderful husband Matt Crawley, not only for helping me eat all this food and do all these dishes (!), but for the immeasurable love and mirth you bring to my life every single day. You offer guidance when I’m lost, you motivate me when I’m down, you encourage me when I’m unsure, and you always know how to put a smile on my face. I truly couldn’t have done this without you.
Last but not least, a huge thank you to all my fans and blog readers of almostveganchef.com. Without your thoughtful comments and feedback, often witty and hilarious repartee (Hannah, I’m lookin’ at you!), and continuous support and encouragement, I wouldn’t be the chef I am today. Thank you all!