Cookbook review: Silk Road Vegetarian by Dahlia Abraham-Klein

Full disclosure: I wrote the Foreword to this book, Silk Road Vegetarian. I don’t know the author, but we are acquainted via Facebook. When she reached out last year to ask if I would write the Foreword, I was touched. I received the manuscript (a Word document), read it, tested recipes, and happily contributed my portion. I was more excited than usual to receive the actual book and see how beautifully it turned out.

My version of her stuffed grape leaves

Layout and design:
The book is homey and rich, with the feeling of a spice bazaar. The organization is clear and easy to follow: Spice Pantry, Basic Preparation, Bases Condiments & Other Useful Recipes, Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Main Dishes, Rice Dishes, Side Dishes, Desserts.

Photography:
The photography by Jennifer Jagusak is straightforward and appealing.

Recipes:
I made the stuffed grape leaves and the red lentil falafels and both were delicious.

What I liked about this book:
All recipes are labeled if they are gluten-free and vegan, and most are both. Her fascinating heritage and family identity are skillfully woven through the book, and I love the family photos that are included in her Introduction. The section on freezing and storing fresh fruits and vegetables is especially helpful.

I wasn’t so keen on:
I wish it included the nutritional analysis, so I could see if some of the recipes that work for my migraine diet are also low enough in sodium for me

Recommended for:
Anyone seeking to eat more healthfully, as it’s a wonderful introduction to the foods of Eastern Europe, re-imagined for a new century; vegans, vegetarians, celiacs, gluten-free eaters

Not recommended for:
Migraine sufferers (unless you really, really know your triggers); as there is no nutritional analysis included, I can’t say whether this is suitable for low-sodium diets

A note about my cookbook reviews: In the past, I worked very hard at testing at least three recipes from each book, snapping a photo of them, and telling you about my experience. Due to my dietary limitations (extremely-low-sodium for my Meniere’s Disease and trigger-free foods for migraine relief), it is no longer possible for me to test the recipes and do them justice. I’ll continue to review cookbooks without the recipe testing.

Required FTC disclosure: I received one copy of this book from the publisher for the giveaway on May 30th.
Here’s the book if you want to order your copy now.