Beer and Veg

This has been my go-to cookbook for the last few years. The recipes are thoughtful, exciting, and the definition of comfort food. Every Thanksgiving, we make the porter mushroom, chestnut, and lentil shepherd’s pie. The rich depth of flavour of the mushrooms creates a dish bursting with umami, drawing out more of that savoury character from the porter. In turn, the porter adds a nutty, toasted richness that complements the chestnuts and stewed onions making it unforgettable. One day, I’d love to intentionally work my way through every recipe in this book, but some of my other favourites include the seitan chick’n, mac and cheese, and soft pretzels. This isn’t just a cookbook, either. In the introduction, Mark Dredge explores how to pair vegetarian food with beer and provides thoughtful pairing recommendations across a wide range of beer styles. Out of all the pairing books I’ve read, this is the one I’ve connected with most deeply. Partly because, as someone who doesn’t eat animal products, these are pairings I can genuinely get excited about. But also because I find plant-based cooking endlessly inspiring; the diversity of flavours, textures, and techniques possible with plants feels almost limitless. Vegan food has always fascinated me scientifically, but this book helped me appreciate it through another lens as well: as a lover of beer.