RESTAURANT Cookbook for home Cooking
Fun, flavourful recipes will hook plant-based eaters and omnivores
When the tiny, six-seat Superiority Burger opened in New York City’s East Village three years ago, its namesake vegetarian sandwich already had a devoted following. “Brooks Headley makes the best veggie burger I’ve ever had,” restaurateur and early enthusiast David Chang says.
What started as a staff snack at the opulent Italian restaurant Del Posto evolved into a pop-up and then the unique takeout spot. Rather than attempting to mimic ground beef, James Beard Awardwinning pastry chef (and drummer) Headley strove to replicate the experience of eating a fast-food burger.
“The plan was to make something that’s delicious and satisfying when put on a bun with toppings like a burger, but (that) wasn’t ever trying to directly be texturally or flavour-wise a burger,” the longtime vegetarian says. Topped with melted Muenster, shredded iceberg lettuce, slices of pickle, roasted tomatoes and honey mustard sauce, the lauded quinoa-chickpea-walnut patty is the first recipe in Headley’s second book, Superiority Burger Cookbook (W.W. Norton & Company).
And while the famous sandwich might be the draw, the 90 unconventional recipes that follow will hook plant-based eaters and omnivores alike.
Headley’s combinations are flavourful and fun: an umami bomb of a hammered mushroom sandwich; a loaded sweet potato with tarragon sauce, labneh (strained yogurt) and dill pickles; and a neutral base that can be spun into endless gelato flavours. Affordability is his primary driver, Headley says: “Nothing on the menu is over $9.”
And given Superiority Burger’s compact kitchen, “anything we can make here you can also do at home.” This is a restaurant cookbook designed for exciting home cooking. Recipes from Superiority Burger Cookbook by Brooks Headley.