Cookbook Corner: Thug Kitchen 101

How do you review a cookbook that has four letter expletives liberally plastered throughout its pages? You just do it, put aside your prejudices and look for the gold and find out what is really inside these pages. And it’s a good job that I did because under all the hip-hop bluster and shock style language the message is very clear – ‘eat green to save green’.  

Thug Kitchen 101 advocates that eating a plant-based vegan diet is good for the environment, good for our bodies and minds and good for our bank account. These recipe creators give us an introduction which makes sense of the ethos of growing our own food, avoiding processed and expensive takeaways and improving our health. Each recipe includes whether it is freezer friendly, good for leftovers, a weeknight “go to” one pot meal, gluten free, inclusive of pantry staples or a longer dinner party style recipe.  The theme throughout is that food that tastes great can be fast, easy to cook and be far better for you than a takeaway.

Thug Kitchen 101 has over 100 easy to create vegan recipes to startle your palate into realising that vegan food can be both interesting and taste great. There are recipes for salsas, sides and small bites. Maple roasted sweet potatoes had me drooling as I read the simple recipe. Salads and slaws are healthy and colourful, and the photographs are funky and very hip. 

As the book is themed on a road trip, the reader gets the sense of a road trip in an old Chevrolet throughout the country towns of America in the early 60’s, celebrating the influence of African and Mexican culinary influences. ‘Hot box’ is the title of a big chapter full of fiery chilli or lentil soups which are both hearty and full of flavour. The running commentary and the larger than life illustrations add to the impact of this recipe book.

‘Open road’ deals with vegan mains which use noodles and grains. These more substantial recipes include a ‘sun dried tomato carbonara’ and a ‘shredded brussels sprouts and quinoa pilaf’. The extensive ‘cruise control’ section highlights smoothies, drinks and cocktails, and here once again we are limited by only the imagination. ‘Cherry Jindra’ is one such delight with white rum and cherries and lime. Yum. Finally, the last chapter deals with cookies, cakes and other sweets and is entitled ‘Call it a night’ I like the look of the ‘banana choc chip cookies.’

The book concludes with some kitchen basics, how to set up a vegan pantry, how to cook basic grains like quinoa and millet, information on the best fats to use, kitchen preparation and cooking methods, and how to make sauces and dressings. What is perhaps most impressive is that I have always thought that the vegan lifestyle is very limited, but after reading Thug Kitchen 101, I realised that I did not see one gram of meat or animal flesh mentioned, there was no dairy used and no eggs, yet these recipes look amazing and appetising, not the brown glutinous stodgy messes of vegan tucker I have sadly encountered in the past. In fact, this book made being a vegan look like it could be a good thing.

Thug Kitchen is a restaurant in Los Angeles, USA. Hence the road trip vibe that permeates the book. What is interesting is that their first book Thug Kitchen with its hip-hop flavour was actually created by vegan cooks Michelle Davis and Matt Holloway who encountered some controversy because they are lily white. However,  in spite of criticism and controversy, their first book made the top of the New York Times best seller list and I can see why. 

Yes, it’s full of swear words, but so are the graffiti covered walls I drive past every day. I just tuned them out, learned a whole lot about a cooking style which has intrigued me, and also realised that taking to the vegan lifestyle is a whole lot more ‘doable’ than I had previously thought. Probably not a book to be enjoyed by your elderly Anglican grandma, but if you’re interested in investing in your health, helping our planet and saving money, then this book is worth investigating. I personally really love it. It is entertaining, funny, irreverent and a bit mad. But it promotes a good sound philosophy towards food which I believe our planet needs to embrace, so it is well worth a look.

Thug Kitchen 101 – Not for the faint hearted, but could be a life changer. Give it a go. Published by Hachette Australia, this book is available from Dymocks. Click here to learn more.