Book Review: Veggiestan

I feel I should get this out of the way now: I really like my meat. Really really really. I could give up chocolate before bacon. I love the vegetarian recipes on the site, but I'll often serve them up with a steak, or a bit of chicken. Vegetables are very very tasty, and very very good for you. But I still want lamb and pork and duck and... well, you get the point.

But Veggiestan is the first vegetarian cookbook that I've wanted to get my hands on (and not because it's published by our publisher). I've actually known the author, Sally Butcher for about five years. She's even done a guest post for us and we did a book signing at her shop at the weekend. (This post is RIDDLED with disclaimers and mild nepotism). Sally runs a lovely Persian shop in Peckham - Persepolis is one of the places that guide books refer to as a 'hidden gem' and her inspiring recipes and quirky style make this book a real treat.

I never expected to be bored by a book that Sally wrote - if you ever get chance to go to her shop and raid the baklava counter, you'll know that she could never be called dull. The book has the same energy. There is so much in the book that I want to try (I'm getting right on the Tsatsiki tomorrow - I've had withdrawals since coming back from Cyprus). The photos are beautiful and the colours just gorgeous. You'll need a pretty hefty spice cabinet to dive straight into the book, but you can see some snippets from the book over on the Veggiestan website. Even if you're a fan of all things meaty, I bet you'll be tempted by this book. It's £15.54 on Amazon, it's gorgeous and since I'm not planning on lending my copy out any time soon, you should go and buy it.