Kitchen Matters with Pamela Salzman

I dropped by the Jenni Kayne store last week to meet Pamela Salzman and pick up her new book, Kitchen Matters. She shares her mantra of eat well, live well, be well in the extensive compilation of some of her most popular recipes, including the Eggplant “Meatballs” (above). After inquiring, she told me the Breakfast Crisp, Chocolate Zucchini Cake and Chicken Shawarma (her husband’s favorite) were definite winners as well. They all sound good to me, but one of the things I love about the book is how every recipe is customizable for vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free diets. I appreciate that, especially for entertaining when guests have specific dietary needs.

I plan on giving the Eggplant “Meatballs” a try and pairing them with a big green salad. A perfect dinner anytime of the year. In her book, Salzman describes how they passed the test with her carnivore family and taste very similar to traditional meatballs. She covers them with homemade Marinara Sauce and serves them with spaghetti squash for a delicious vegetarian meal. Any leftovers make a great sandwich the next day.

I’ve already earmarked a handful of other recipes in Kitchen Matters that will make it to my table. If you love to cook healthy, nutritient-dense meals, you should take a look at Pamela Salzman’s blog too. It’s a treasure trove of recipes, information on meal planning, shopping and stocking the pantry, plus tons of inspiration to get cooking relying predominately on plant-forward, accessible ingredients. Yum.