🙏🏾 Save a Little Space For Me on Your Bookshelf
My New Book, Veg-Table + Extra-Creamy Hummus
Friends, I’ve got big news to share; I wrote a cookbook!
April is a special month. It’s my birthday month, and now, it also happens to be the month I get to share the title and cover of my new book with you - VEG-TABLE, and it’s now available for Pre-Orders worldwide!
Veg-Table was an absolute joy to create, and I started working on it in 2020 when we moved to LA from Oakland. If I had to describe the recipes in the book, I’d say they’re bold and my most adventurous collection of recipes to date. I’ve also written the recipes so they’re approachable, and there’s something in this book for everyone. And for those who started following me and my work through my blog, A Brown Table, you are absolutely correct! Veg-Table is most certainly based on my blog’s name (thank you to my pal, Akshay, who came up with the title).
My goal with this cookbook was singular. I wanted to share all the practical science I’d learned about vegetables and plants through the lens of a cook. At the end of the day, science should improve our lives, which is true even in cooking. Applying the knowledge will teach you to cook more efficiently and prepare tastier and more nutritious meals with vegetables. I’ve packed in 100 recipes that cover more than fifty different types of vegetables. There are more than 200 photos in the book that I’ve styled and photographed, and I even grew some vegetables. This book also contains the gorgeous artwork of Matteo Riva (who also worked on The Flavor Equation), and I know you’re going to love them as much as I do. They’re epic! I also want to give a special shoutout to my recipe tester, Lisa Nicklin, who was my voice of reason and practicality as we worked our way through the recipes. Thank you to the entire team at Chronicle Books and my literary agency Stonesong for believing in me and allowing me to write this special book on a very dear topic. Finally and most importantly, thank you for buying my books and cooking my recipes; I wouldn’t be writing this book without your love and support. 💞
Now for Some Book Q + A
When does the book come out, and is it available everywhere?
The book will be published on October 24, 2023, worldwide.
Why pre-order?
October might seem a bit far away to pre-order a book, but here’s the thing, they’re extremely important. Pre-orders are super helpful for authors because it helps support us and your local indie bookstores. In this age of unpredictable internet algorithms, pre-orders are extremely important. It also acts as a gauge for success; early preorders help give a book more visibility, bookstores can stock up properly, and publishers know how much to print. If you pre-order and share the book with your friends, more people will see and learn about it. If that isn’t good enough a reason to convince you, think of it like this, you’ll receive your copy of Veg-Table as soon as it comes out! It’s an extra-special treat in the mail. If you do pre-order, please save your receipts because I’ll be doing some fun things with you once you receive your copies. Use the Pre-Order button below, and it will give you a list of options to choose from. If you use Amazon, they have a new follow feature to stay updated with your favorite authors that you can check out.
Can I order a signed copy?
Yes! Signed copies for order are currently available for pre-order through Now Serving LA and Kitchen Arts and Letters in NYC. As for other stores, I’ll update that information on my book page as soon as I get it.
Is this a vegan or vegetarian cookbook?
This is a vegetable-centric cookbook, and my goal is to encourage people to incorporate more vegetables into their diet. The book contains plenty of vegetarian and vegan recipes and a tiny handful of recipes with meat, but you can easily drop the meat out or use a different plant-based protein as a substitute. I’ve also listed substitutions for ingredients wherever possible.
Are weights included in the recipes?
Yes, I want as many of you to cook through the book! Like my previous cookbooks, Veg-Table also contains both Imperial and Metric measurements.
Are there any sweets in this cookbook?
I wanted to focus on and celebrate vegetables in all their glory and create recipes to help you easily prepare flavorful and delicious meals. This book skips sweets and even cocktails entirely.
Will you do a book tour?
Yes! I’ll share information regarding my tour at a later date. Follow this newsletter if you aren’t already; I’ll announce details here and on my site.
Is Paddington joining me on tour?
Unfortunately no. He is too busy lounging and eating apples and carrots. He was my Pawducer on the book’s trailer and has been my constant companion during the production of this book. Random fact, Paddington was born sometime during the time I started working on the book.
I’ve got a new recipe for an extra-creamy hummus that will go very well with author Adeena Sussman’s perfect pita. My hummus recipe’s creaminess depends on using chilled cooked chickpeas and their cooking water and letting it refrigerate after blending. Cooler temperatures help stabilize the emulsion and thicken it. Chickpea cooking liquid (aquafaba) contains albumin proteins that help act as emulsifying and thickening agents. Yup, the same family of proteins seen in egg whites (the proteins are very similar but not identical). You can get rid of the chickpea skins before blending the ingredients, but honestly, I rarely do this. One way to do this is to let the skins float to the surface of the cooking water and then skim them off. IMO, a high-speed blender does an excellent job of creating smooth hummus.
As this is my birthday month, we’ll eat cake and ice cream. Please be prepared!
Stunning cover photo!
Congratulations! Can't wait for this book Nick!