The Accidental Vegan

In the last decade, veganism has moved into the mainstream as home cooks seek out healthy, fresh, economical, and environmentally sustainable foods. Omnivorous author Devra Gartenstein's pioneering vegan cookbook, first published in 2000, gets a timely make-over with more than 20 new recipes, simplified instructions, and a focus on fresh and local ingredients. THE ACCIDENTAL VEGAN includes appetizers, soups, mains, sides, and desserts inspired by Indian, Thai, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Mexican, and Italian cuisines. And with Devra's special brand of simplified instructions and no-fuss ingredients, even accidental chefs will be able to whip up this healthy fare.

DEVRA GARTENSTEIN owns and runs the Patty Pan Grill, a vegetarian-vegan restaurant and take-out counter in Seattle, Washington. She is also a farmers' market vendor who can be found at local markets almost every day during the summer. Visit www.quirkygourmet.com

THE AUTHOR SCOOP

If you had to boil the message of The Accidental Vegan down to one sentence, what would it be?

You don't have to be a vegetarian to eat vegetarian food, just like you don't have to be Thai to eat Thai food, and you don't have to be Mexican to eat Mexican food.

When did you know you were a writer?

When I was in third grade one of my teachers said, "You should never start a sentence with "and," unless you're a writer." And right then and there, I decided that's what I wanted to be.

What's the farthest you've ever traveled?

I once traveled to a small town in Poland thinking it was the birthplace of my great grandfather, but when I got home and double checked, it turned out I'd gone to the wrong town.

Any memorable kitchen disasters?

I once spilled half a bucket of tahini. That's twenty pounds of tahini. There's no good way to clean up twenty pounds of tahini.

What book do you re-read every few years?

I re-read Isak Dinesen's Babette's Feast, and then I watch the movie again, because it's every bit as good as the original story.

What are you working on now?

I'm working on a book called Honest Food: A History of Eating Well. It's an account of the relationship between humans and food, from Paleolithic times until the present day.

—Kerry Trueman, cofounder of Eating Liberally

“Just as you don’t have to be Italian to love pasta, you don’t need to be vegan to enjoy these recipes.”

—Taste for Life