TWO RAW SISTERS

ROSA & MARGO FLANAGAN, BATEMAN BOOKS, H/B, $39.99

“Oh no, not yet another plant-based cookbook,” I thought, as my desk disappeared under this year’s stampede of vegetarian/vegan/plant-based books, “Yet more cooks jumping aboard the bandwagon.” But what won me over to this offering from Rosa and Margo Flanagan, aka the Two Raw Sisters, was their cheerful and breezy manner, their exuberance that plant-based food can be easy, tempting and delicious as well as good for you, and furthermore that you don’t need expensive ingredients and a ton of time to make it happen. The sisters tuned in to a plant-based diet to cure their own health issues and they draw inspiration for this collection from that experience and their cooking workshops throughout NZ. They freely explain that they are neither vegetarian nor vegan, nor are most of their followers; dishes such as eggplant laksa, bread-free bahn mi and a cheesy nut crumble scattered over grilled greens are an ever-so tempting encouragement to be largely plant based (and I think their miso-tahini dressing will be a staple in my fridge all summer). TW