Craig McAnuff and Shaun McAnuff’s Pure Flava: Fast & Straightforward Plant-Primarily based Caribbean Recipes was printed by Bloomsbury in March 2022. Evan Kleiman (KCRW) interviews the authors for her article “’Caribbean feel-good issue’ is core to vegan dishes from ‘Pure Flava’ authors.” [Many thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this item to our attention.]
Raised in South London by Jamaican dad and mom, Craig and Shaun McAnuff have a big UK viewers for his or her platform Unique Flava. Recalling giant household get-togethers with aunties, uncles, and cousins, meals was at all times a focus.
A visit again to Jamaica prompted the brothers to discover the Ital weight loss plan of the Rastafarians, together with that of their herbalist uncle. Of their second e book “Pure Flava,” they modify up frequent gateway dishes for vegetarians and vegans, together with a plantain hummus and a jerk-spiced squash and callaloo wellington with nods to their Jamaican heritage and London roots.
KCRW: Inform us concerning the journey again to Jamaica that impressed you to broaden your palate.
Craig McAnuff: We went again to Jamaica for our “Unique Flava” e book, but additionally to see our household in Jamaica. We met with our uncle, who’s a Rastafarian. He has his personal land, he’s an herbalist who believes in sing the meals of the earth to assist to replenish, to nurture, and likewise to eat. We’re not truly vegans, we’re “flexitarian” we wish to say, however we needed to showcase the superb array of vegan palette that’s in Caribbean meals.
Hummus is such a well-liked vegan go-to, and may be made with so many alternative components, however I’ve by no means seen plantain hummus, one of many recipes in your e book.
Shaun McAnuff: It was one thing that we got here up with a couple of years in the past, truly. Principally you simply add it to your chickpeas, mix it with salt and pepper, a little bit of lime juice as properly. The identical means you do the conventional hummus however you simply add plantain to offer it that sweetness and that taste. … You may cook dinner it down and you may fry it down. You may roast it, or you may put it in naturally as it’s. [. . .]
Are you able to describe your recipe for the curried chickpea plantain boat?
Craig: We’re so used to utilizing plantain and frying it within the Caribbean — slicing it up and placing it in some scorching oil, pretty, golden, and crispy, lovely aspect dish. However we simply needed to vary it up a bit. So we roasted some plantain, or you may fry a complete plantain or roast within the oven [with] some oil on it. And you then make up a stunning chickpea curry and pour it over the entire plantain. So it’s a bit just like a banana sundae.
Shaun: Or a banana sundae. That break up down the center is essential, so it makes a divide in the course of the plantain so that you’re in a position to insert the chickpeas on prime so it simply slots proper within the center.
On the subject of Jamaican dishes, most individuals consider jerk, and sometimes affiliate it with meat. However you may jerk something. Inform us about your recipe for jerk-spiced squash and callaloo wellington.
Craig: Wellington is actually in style over right here within the UK. And normally it’s utilizing beef because the filling. So we use a butternut squash, which has a really plump texture to it, similar to a meaty texture, in addition to very stringy. We used a jerk marinade after which we simply massaged it onto the pumpkin or the squash. After which we added the callaloo to it and wrapped it with some pastry and it’s simply completely scrumptious. An actual centerpiece on a vegan plate. [. . .]
For authentic article, see https://www.kcrw.com/tradition/reveals/good-food/caribbean-cuisine-state-water-rights-seltzer/craig-shaun-mcanuff-natural-flava
Pure Flava: Fast & Straightforward Plant-Primarily based Caribbean Recipes
Craig McAnuff and Shaun McAnuff
Bloomsbury, March 2022
256 pages
ISBN 978-1526631879 (hc)
https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/natural-flava-9781526631879
Extra e book evaluations right here:
Unique Flava need to present Jamaican meals is extra than simply jerk hen in new plant-based e book
Prudence Wade, Irish Information, January 29, 2022
https://www.irishnews.com/life-style/2022/01/29/information/recipes-original-flava-want-to-show-jamaican-food-is-more-than-just-jerk-chicken-in-new-plant-based-book-2570997
Caribbean delicacies has scrumptious vegan meals
Josh Barrie, iNews, January 7, 2022
https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/food-and-drink/caribbean-cuisine-delicious-vegan-food-original-flava-brothers-veganuary-1387473