NYC Vegan by Michael Suchman and Ethan Ciment brings New York’s fabulous foods to the plant-based table. Michael and Ethan are native New Yorkers, and they wrote the book as a tribute to the city they love. From the diners and delis of Brooklyn to the traditions of Little Italy and Chinatown, the foods of New York are the foods of the world.
The recipes in NYC Vegan are simple and delicious and bring the city vibe to your own kitchen. As self-trained cooks, Michael and Ethan are food lovers who show how vegan food can taste just as good as nonvegan dishes and how eliminating animal products from your diet does not mean you can’t enjoy New York City’s iconic foods.
NYC Vegan is due in stores on May 9th. While you wait for your copy, here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll find inside.
This recipe makes makes big, thick, fluffy NYC diner-style pancakes.
Manhattan clam chowder is the red, tomato-based soup found on diner menus all over the city. Mushrooms bring the perfect texture and flavor to this vegan version of the iconic New York City soup.
Oscar Tschirky created the Waldorf Salad sometime between 1893 and 1896 at the Waldorf Hotel, the precursor of the now Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, in Midtown East.
The soft pretzel has been sold on the streets of New York City since at least the 1820s. Today, they are sold from ubiquitous metal carts found all over Manhattan and always offered with mustard.
Latkes, the Yiddish word for potato pancakes, are traditionally eaten by Ashkenazic Jews on Hanukkah. You can find latkes at just about any Jewish deli in the city.
Summer in New York City means weekend street fairs. The fairs have no rides or games. Instead, avenues are closed to traffic for several blocks, where dozens of vendors sell food. One of the most popular foods is Mexican Street Corn—freshly grilled sweet corn coated in a mixture of cheese and spiced mayonnaise.
Thanks to a famous episode of Seinfeld, the black and white cookie, once only known to New Yorkers, garnered national attention. In that episode, Jerry used the black and white as a metaphor for racial harmony. Although called a cookie, these treats are actually made from a stiff cake batter and baked free-form on a cookie sheet. Once found only in bakeries, today the black and white can be found in almost every grocery store and bodega in New York.
Cheesecake is one of the most iconic New York City desserts. New York–style cheesecake is unique in that it relies on heavy cream and sour cream to make it thick and dense. Many New Yorkers who move away from the area often have relatives send them frozen cheesecakes so they can have a taste of home.
NYC Vegan is available for pre-order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your favorite independent bookstore.
All photos by Jackie Sobon.
