A very beautiful vegan cookbook about vegetable cooking techniques with a big highlight on beans, nuts and fermentation.
This is for the serious cook, with time on their hand and a strong desire to do everything from scratch (though I was surprised to see a few cans of beans in the ingredients).
It uses a lot of hard to find ingredients and equipment, which puts it out of my range... also I have limited cooking time, being a working mum, I'm certainly not going to smoke anything, or make nut cheese from scratch, or those types of things - but it remains interesting to anyone curious about food and new flavors, I mean who knew you could make a bean "cheesecake"?

This is very much a chef's book, for passionate cooking people with time and patience.

An interesting book about plant-based foods, starting with the philosophy and then into the basics - sauces, stocks, nut butters etc. with a few recipes at the end of that section. Cashew Bechamel tart looks especially inviting. The various stocks are also well worth a try. Next come legumes - how to sprout them, cook and ferment, again a few recipes (bean otto looks good); grains and pseudo grains likewise. Moving to plants (bit odd title as that's what's been discussed up until now) there's plenty about hot and cold smoking techniques with a few recipes. Next section is fermentation - types and details (the most interesting section for me), and then a 'cheese' module. The section on adaptogens (beneficial plants) felt a bit too quirky to me, emphasizing many things that seem like current fads although many will, no doubt, have a long heritage in other cultures. A good section on gluten-free followed this with raw foods (heated to not more than 42C) providing recipes for Cashew Cream, Caramels and fermented ginger cheesecake for three. A section for plating is fun if you are doing a dinner party - I especially love the vibrant image of blobs, drops, smears and splots of base food on plates - but not for every day dining in my household at least. Ideas for plating, sketches on how to develop the plate and then final photos have a nice effect though. At the end there is a table of soaking times for nut and seeds - always useful. Overall the book is well-written and provides plenty of useful basic information about a plant-based diet. Recipes are rather few but this does not label itself as a recipe book. Ingredients mostly available even if some has to be through the internet. Photographs are mostly enticing although Buckwheat Pumpernickel with a lurid purple spread set me running for the hills! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Been trying to get more into homemade vegetarian cooking that isn't just Asian inspired, and this gave me so many ideas! Loved it!

Plant Academy is a beautifully curated cookbook. It is very much exactly what it promises, "This is a book of techniques, base recipes and more complete recipes that use those techniques." I thought that the balance between pages with information and the pages with techniques or recipes was done well.

The photography and illustrations throughout the book were gorgeous, and I thought the layout of each section was easy to follow along with.

The intent behind the book being more focused on the overall theme of adapting various plant-based ideas and methods rather than just "here's 100 recipes using plants" without any background was refreshing. The bits of food science and explanations for different terms and techniques I found to be very straightforward, but still interesting and informative. (I will add that the "How to Use a Blender" section kind of made me LOL, but what they say is true; sometimes there is more to learn about a basic)

I have bookmarked quite a few things to try out, learned quite a few things I didn't know, and overall liked reading through this cookbook. If it's an area of cooking that you enjoy, I wouldn't say no to picking this one up!

Plant Academy is known for their next level vegan / plant-based dishes that look and taste just as good as their non-vegan counterparts. Many culinary enthusiasts and professionals have learned from them over the years so I was super excited to read this book!

It is packed with tried and true techniques to make amazing vegan dishes, desserts, dips and everyday essentials, ranging from easy-to-do up to more advanced complex recipes.

This book is packed with beautiful imagery and was a joy to read!

This is perfect for the vegan foodie in your life or someone who wants to learn how to make more elevated plant-based dishes.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group –Leaping Hare, Leaping Hare Press, Plant Academy and Lauren Lovatt for giving me an ARC of this super cool cookbook!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s becoming very common for chefs to collect recipes which build on one another, starting with the basics, and as someone who’s very interested in learning more about plant-based recipes, I really appreciated this approach being used here. The recipes themselves look wonderful, and I’m looking forward to trying them out!

Absolutely stunning plant based cookbook, full of exciting and very unique recipes! Some recipes are perhaps more complex than I would probably dabble with typically, however I will definitely be cooking from this, and recommending to my audience.

A big thank you to Lauren Lovatt, Quarto Publishing Group, Leaping Hare & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Really interesting cooking techniques for someone who enjoys the art and pleasure of cooking.
Likely someone who has the time to recreate some of these delicious sounding recipes.
Not a book for someone looking for quick and easy recipe ideas.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone experienced cook who’s not afraid to try anything new, and looking to expand their knowledge of plant based cooking techniques.

What an exciting cookbook to enter the scene! This book covers absolutely everything from bases to full blown meals and is so comprehensive with an immense amount of attention paid to the details of being plant based. It covers so much content in detail that I genuinely believe you could become basically self efficient with this cookbook alone - it is that good!

I love how gloriously innovative and creative the recipes were and to be honest I was infinitely impressed by how exciting these recipes were. I would've preferred more fuller meals, which is the only thing that robs this book from being a 5 star read. However, I still see it as a staple for any plant based cooks.

There was also the inclusion of incorporating adaptogens which I felt was a really fun and interesting way to add an edge to this book whilst informing the reader of another aspect of nutrition that they can incorporate into their plant based living.

I really love looking through vegan cookbooks for inspiration to eat more plant-based foods, and this one had some really delicious-looking foods. The recipes sounded fairly simple to follow, although some of the ingredients would be a little bit harder to come by.

This is an in-depth cookbook for plant-based foods. Unlike your classic cookbook which is choc-a-full of recipes this one hones in more on techniques and food science which is certainly very informative and interesting. It aims to develop more skills, techniques and foundational elements that one can expand on and incorporate into their own recipes and experiments. I have definitely learnt a lot of new things after reading this!

The book is sectioned into stocks and sauces, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, grains and pseudograins, fermented foods, vegan cheese, desserts and even a section on plating at the end. I also enjoyed the section on the history of veganism and Lauren’s story in the world of plant-based cooking.

Whilst there are certainly more straightforward recipes in the book, there are also some which are more technical and probably a bit better suited for someone who has some experience in the kitchen. There are also some great foundational recipes including for stocks and sauces and recipes for anyone wanting to try their hand at making nut milks and creams and vegan cheese from scratch. Most recipes are accompanied by lovely vibrant photos. With the recipes there are a few nods to Mexican and Asian influences but this book is primarily based around Western plant-based cooking. There is a part on adaptogens and recipes incorporating these for health benefits; one adaptogen mentioned being CBD with a recipe for CBD salad. As a health professional, that part did rub me the wrong way as quality evidence in the area is still limited and any potential longer term side effects from regular use remains to be fully elucidated. However I’m at least glad there was a note to discuss with a health professional regarding incorporating CBD and other adaptogens into food especially if one has a health condition.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking at expanding their repertoire of plant based dishes.

This was not exactly my taste. The photos were beautiful and I appreciated the emphasis on technique and aesthetic. As someone who loves to cook and who collects cookbooks, I’m not sure that I would add this one to my collection. The recipes seemed difficult, and the Descriptions were extremely lengthy. If you’re looking to venture into higher end and fancy vegan/plant based foods, this is probably exactly what you’re looking for. Although, there are only 3-4 recipes per category. I was hoping for something a bit more casual. Thank you for the opportunity!

This is a very detailed plant based/vegan cookbook that is broken down into a lot of categories that makes it super easy to follow and search through. My favorite section is probably the raw desserts, I can't wait to try one of the recipes!

I received an ARC of this cookbook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful cookbook. It's filled with interesting, delicious recipes!

Lauren Lovatt’s Plant Academy: The Cookbook is an excellent guide to plant-based cooking, whether you’re fully vegan or just looking to add more plant-based meals to your routine. The book stands out because it doesn’t just focus on recipes, it also teaches you techniques, like how to ferment foods, build deeper flavors, and make plant-based versions of staples.

The recipes are easy to follow, even if you’re not an experienced cook. I especially enjoyed the stovetop flapjacks and saffron oats, which were simple to make but still felt unique and full of flavor. Lovatt’s approach is practical, and she includes lots of helpful tips on prepping ingredients and experimenting with flavors.

What I really appreciated was how the book is laid, it’s not overwhelming and gives you all the tools to try out plant-based cooking at your own pace. Even if you occasionally eat animal products, like I do, it’s still super accessible and doesn’t feel preachy.

Overall, it’s a great cookbook for anyone curious about plant-based meals or looking to try something new in the kitchen. It’s educational, but also approachable and fun to use.

This seems like a great book but it’s really a manual for creating fantastic, restaurant looking (and tasting) dishes. This was a bit out of my scope. However, I found it inspiring and enjoyed reading about their journey and career path. I’m sure my family would say I should pay more attention to its section on plating! The two things I thought I could attempt were the Romesco and the molasses seed loaf. Who knows where that will lead.

I'm vegetarian, so was looking forward to some inspiring plant based recipes. There are definitely some in here (nut butter bars and cookie sandwiches are the ones I'm most keen to try), but otherwise the book isn't really what I was expecting - it's not a traditional recipe book.

The photography is lovely, and the book provides a very detailed and thorough introduction to plant based eating and cooking - would be ideal for anyone new to a plant based diet and lifestyle who wants to be educated in a wide variety of topics and cooking techniques ("academy" in the title is accurate). There are lots of tips even for someone who is an experienced cook and I definitely found it an interesting and useful read.

This is great for some basic staples - making your own milks etc., but some 0f the recipes are a bit uninspiring / give off a 'healthy' vibe that may put off new veggies/vegans. I would definitely try a few of these recipes.

I really like the style and picture in this cookbook. Easy to understand and follow the recipes. I would of liked more recipes and more complete meals

Very creative recipes. The photos for each recipe are lovely. This book would make a nice gift for your plant eater in your life.