By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
For a long time, I’ve bookmarked recipes by Hetty Lui McKinnon, a regular contributor to New York Times Cooking. When I saw her book, Linger: Salads, Sweets and Stories to Savor, on the list of new acquisitions from my local library, I requested it, thinking there might be a few vegan recipes I’d be interested in.
To my delight, Linger, is a mostly vegan cookbook. By my count, there are 94 recipes that either are vegan or could easily be made vegan and 8 that are vegetarian but not vegan. Each recipe is clearly identified as vegan and/or gluten-free and is accompanied by an enticing photo.
McKinnon’s book is organized around shared meals based on salads. Each of the 12 chapters features a collection of recipes that could be served together for a lunch or dinner party. Of course, the recipes also work well for smaller gatherings, say family dinners where you could make one or a couple of dishes.
An exciting feature of this book is McKinnon’s philosophy that anything can be a salad, or at least can inspire a salad. For example, Linger includes salads based on gnocchi and on dumplings, as well as salads inspired by falafel, French onion soup, and shawarma. Salads feature a variety of vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. Each chapter also includes a dessert recipe such as Black Sesame Tofu “Basque” Cheesecake and Hong Kong Milk Tea Tres Leches. Both of these recipes are vegan.
So far, I’ve made Charred Gai Lan with Black-Eyed Peas and Chile Crisp Vinaigrette and Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Tofu Crumble, Shiitake and Hot Tahini. Both recipes were quick to prepare and super-flavorful. I appreciate McKinnon’s suggestions for substitutions which accompany each recipe. I didn’t have gai lan, so I successfully used her suggestion to substitute bok choy.
I’m looking forward to trying Hot-and-Sour Potato Salad; Mushroom, Seaweed, and White Bean Burger Salad; Kung Pao Cabbage with Tofu; Ginger-Roasted Kabocha with Black Rice and Ginger-Miso Dressing; and Cherry Tapioca Pudding, among others.
Linger: Salads, Sweets and Stories to Savor (ISBN 9780593804193) is a 310-page hardcover book. It is published by Alfred A. Knopf and retails for $40.