„The First Mess Cookbook“

By:
Laura Wright

9.7 / 10

Who wrote it?

Laura Wright’s vegan cooking blog can be found under the name TheFirstMess.com. Both the blog with its recipes, as well as the cookbook of the Canadian chef, have been featured and awarded multiple times. Laura’s close-to-nature upbringing in rural Canada and work in the family’s local food market and vegetable patch shaped her relationship with food, especially fruits and vegetables, from an early age. After training as a nutritionist, working in restaurants, and volunteering at a local nutrition education center, she started said blog as a hobby.

And what is it about?

“Whole-food vegan recipes for every meal of the day, using the best the seasons have to offer.” - I help myself here times freely to the description at the large online retailer, because it is so aptly formulated. And while that may sound too healthy to be tasty for some, it can be quite surprising, as the photos quickly suggest.

What does it look like?

With its almost A4 (US Letter) format, the book is not exactly petite. But not only the dimensions and the weight are imposing, also the cover impresses with its simple, timeless aesthetics. The good first impression continues on the inside. The pictures photographed by Laura herself, which are placed alongside each recipe, are staged without too much frills, but never boring and correspond at least to my very personal taste 100%. In addition to brief anecdotal introductions, all recipes are accompanied by a clear list of ingredients and preparation steps.

What can I expect?

120 recipes divided into the following chapters: “Mornings and Breakfast”; “Soups and Stews”; “Salads and Dressings”; “Hearty Main Dishes and Big Plates”; “Vegetables and a Couple of Grains”; “Energizing Drinks and Small Bites”; “Desserts and Small Treats”. Preceding the recipe chapters, Laura provides information on “Stocking your Pantry” and the “Kitchen Equipment for Eating Well“.

Can I do that?

Although the author has learned her craft, the recipes have not yet overwhelmed me as an amateur cook.

What do I need?

The previously mentioned chapters on pantry stocking and kitchen equipment basically outline perfectly what is needed to get started on the book’s recipes. Most things should be standard in every kitchen in my eyes (good knives, pots/pans, rasp, colander, kitchen scale…). In addition, a good blender or, of course, even better, a high-performance blender is needed to prepare soups, sauces, dressings, etc..

Substitute products?

In these purist recipes the closest thing to substitute products is almond drink which can be found here and there.

Who needs it?

Actually, I would like to say that I can unreservedly recommend the book to everyone, but since tastes are different, I limit myself to the extent that you should indeed like vegetables. Haha, so yes, everyone who is here and reading this needs this book!

Oh yes, and does it taste good?

Even though I made a recipe or two I didn’t like (at all), I’m still completely thrilled and convinced. The majority of the dishes were simply delicious and I look forward to testing more.

You can find all the recipes tested and my recipe reviews below or on Instagram under the hashtag #VCRthefirstmesscookbook.

Recipe tips to get cooking:

Tofu Noodle Soup with Coconut Lemongrass Broth
Brussel Sprouts Salad with Lime and Miso (find the recipe here)
Sunshine Crackers

Conclusion

I think you can guess: Buy! This collection of unusual, but always grounded recipes, bound in a cookbook that is also visually absolutely convincing with entertaining text passages, should not be missing in any collection.

By the way, the book also makes an excellent gift, because it is beautiful inside and out AND the recipes are exceptionally tasty.