Isa Does It Best

I trust Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Not just because she’s got punk cred I can relate to–like pen pal-ing with MRR (which, I’m shocked to learn, is still in publication and has a Twitter), “salad days” of all-ages punk shows, zine culture and the general coolness associated with the proximity to New York City in the heyday early nineties. It’s more than this though. See, this combination of credibility is long defunct. New York City (sorry) kind of sucks now. The lore is long tainted with doofus influx and box store domination. The decades passing reveal us Generation X-ers as the last of the authentic weirdos. Now, weirdness is flashpan–a momentary surface penetration often for the benefit of social media followers. I trust Isa because she comes from the weird places I come from. Or, at the very least, this is a viable projection based on available empirical evidence. But what’s this got to do with vegan food? Everything.

When you’ve spent hours of your youth searching for import vinyl b-sides of beloved bands, when you infuse a passionate do-it-yourself ethos into a myriad of creative ventures–all revealing a small part of your soul, when you’ve tipped your emotional range gaping wide (in opposing directions) by immersing yourself in music that challenges and refines what can be deduced from catharsis… then you know quality, you’re compelled by it. It’s in you. That’s why I trust Isa.

Ok… that and her recipes have never failed me. So I was delighted when I received her latest cookbook as a birthday present. The book is epic, to borrow an overused adjective from my class of 10 year-olds. Besides the obvious A+ for book layout, fonts, photography, and “pagefeel” (similar to “mouthfeel”), there are tons of new dishes I want to make inside. So it was time to stop talking and get started.

I chose her Sweet Potato Gnocchi as my first go. Because it’s double-carb dreamy… and I can use the remainder of the super flavorful veg stock taking up valuable tall space in the fridge.

The bright orange yam makes a beautiful gnocco.
Paired with the cashew cream sauce and Brussels: superb.Perfection from Isa. Again.