From the introduction:

“ALL ABOUT THE FAMILY

Hi everyone, first and foremost-if you're reading this, it means you are supporting my effort to bring nostalgic Puerto Rican/soul-inspired vegan dishes lo everyone in the country, and for that, I thank you. Writing this book helps me share my recipes by passing the plate into your home and heart.

Let me share my story so you can get an idea of how this Black/Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx became the Black Rican Vegan. Let's start with my maternal grandparents. Grandma Margarita Larriu and Grandpa Ramon Martinez were both born in Puerto Rico. My grandma is from Aguadilla and my grandpa is from Vega Baja. They both migrated to New York City-the Bronx specifically-where they met, married and went on to have four children, two boys and two girls, the youngest of the siblings being...

Lizandra, my mom. While she was growing up, my grandma was the primary caregiver and cook in the family, but my grandpa was also a great cook. He cooked with a flourish and made sure there were vegetables with every meal. He came to New York City at an older age than my grandma, so he was more in tune with the native delicacies of the island. He made elaborate breakfasts at times which included omelets filled with bacalao (salted codfish) and okra. He would make lunches of fritura (fried foods), including bacalaitos (codfish fritters) and chicharrón (fried chicken or pork chunks) with panapan (breadfruit). For dinner, he would make dishes with root vegetables, such as ñame, yaulia, malanga and more. My mom, being the youngest, was connected at the hip to my grandpa, and she watched and learned to cook and appreciate those same dishes while growing up.

Though she grew up with both her parents in the house, I was raised primarily by my mom and maternal family.

My father, who was African American, was in the home until I was six years old. My dad was from the South, so my diet was made up mostly of Puerto Rican and southern soul food. My mom learned to make the dishes my dad liked, which included smoked neck bones with black-eyed peas, fried catfish with baked mac 'n' cheese and collard greens, and fried chicken with potato salad, just to name a few. We had a diverse menu at home, but the one thing that remained constant was, like my grandpa, my mom made sure we had vegetables at every meal. Times were hard back then; fresh veggies weren't always available and affordable, so even if it meant it was canned corn or frozen green beans, we had a vegetable on our plate every night. Because of that rule, my love of vegetables started early.

Once my parents split, my mom was a single mom of three at the age of twenty-three. She wanted to finish her educa tion lo give us a belter life, so she worked a full eight-hour day, then attended school at night, so we ale our meals at grandma's house where we were cared for by my grandma, grandpa and my mom's brother, To Ramon. To Ramon would cook on most days and, being the inquisitive kid I was, I would go into the kitchen with him to escape my brother and sister's shenanigans. I watched as he made a lot of the same dishes my mom had learned to make from my grandpa, as well as many of his own creations. His soups and slews are Al hence a whole chapter dedicated to them). By age eight, I was cooking alongside him and my mom on the days she was home early.

Even though my mom was the youngest of her siblings, she always took care of everyone, and our house was where all the family gatherings took place. It was always a great time for us as my mom loved to host the family. There was always salsa music playing (she and To Ramon also taught me and my siblings how to dance salsa, merengue and bachata) and enough food on the table to feed everyone and provide take-home plates for all the guests. This was her love language. Our family was always connected by love, food and togetherness, which makes most of my childhood memories so special.

I am the middle child in my family. I have an older sister and a younger brother. As I got older and my mom worked two jobs to make ends meet, I began cooking for my siblings. I didn't see it as a chore; it was my love language to them. Of course, I was still learning, and my mom would help me tweak the recipes or correct me when I made a mistake, but overall, the kitchen was my happy place.

While my childhood dishes were delicious, they weren't the healthiest. Traditional Puerto Rican/soul food dishes are made with a lot of fats, oils and butter and are high in starches and sugars. While growing up, I noticed that this contributed to quite a few of my family members' suffering and some even passed away from food-related ailments, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. I wanted to end that cycle and provide a healthier alternative for my family and friends.

In 2016, I made the decision to go vegan. I wanted to live a more holistic lifestyle remove animal products from my diet. I did it for my health and overall well-being.

In 2020, I realized that the vegan food I was eating lacked something. I missed the flavors of love I was used to and did not want to lose the culture and tradition from my childhood meals, so I decided that I would cook nostalgic dishes, such as pasteles (meat-filled tamales), pernil (pork shoulder) and arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), and meatloat and mashed potatoes, but put my own vegan twist on them.

During the pandemic, I was on lockdown and began cooking my vegan Puerto Rican/soul dishes for myself and then posting pictures on social media just for fun. The feedback I received was overwhelming! | began to get requests for the meals! People were willing to pay for my food?! What the hell?! It all began with putting out a basic menu that I cooked in my little kitchen in my Bronx apart ment in April 2020. The orders came pouring in and I sold out in minutes. The next week, the same thing happened... and that's when the lightbulb went on! Black Rican Vegan was born! I haven't stopped pulting out a menu or selling out ever since! I now cook in a professional commercial kitchen in Harlem. My motto has been "What the people want, the people get!" I ask my followers what their favorite dishes are and what they would like to see on the menu any given week.

If you are familiar with the nonvegan versions of the dishes in this book, I want you to take a trip down memory lane and taste your childhood. Transport yourself to another time and place with these flavors that are both new and familiar at the same time. If you are new to these recipes, my hope is that this cookbook will change your perspective on veganism and show you that flavor doesn't have to be compromised to live a plant-based lifestyle.  

I want these recipes to be continually passed down and re-created as your own. These recipes are an extension of me. I want to welcome you into my heart and share my love language with you. This cookbook will make you laugh (hopefully), cry (happy tears) and teach you unique and innovative ways of cooking vegan food that will definitely make you the star of the show at any gathering you host. These recipes not only fill your stomach, but will and fill your soul."

New York Times acclaimed vegan chef, Lyana Blount, shares her Afro-Latinx roots in this mouthwatering collection of plant-based soul food. PUB DATE: 45132 Author: BLOUNT, LYANA MEDIUM: TRADE PAPER Illustrator: Imprint : Page Street Publishing