REVIEW: SMITH & DELI-CIOUS
WORDS BY OLIVIA MORFFEW
This second cookbook from inner-city Melbourne darlings Shannon Martinez and Mo Wyse is the ideal blend of veganism, inventive dishes and nostalgia.
To say Smith & Deli is our favourite vegan establishment is an understatement. If you’re vegetarian, vegan or invested in Melbourne food culture, then you’ve probably heard of the eatery. Maybe you’ve even been down to their deli where food lovers are lined up down the street, ignoring Melbourne’s unpredictable weather for a taste of some vegan delights. Perhaps you’ve passed by the now-iconic ‘Eat Vegan’ sign or have salivated over their Instagram feed.
There’s a sense of community that’s unique to the deli. Dogs who join their human companion are treated to puppacinos—making the wait even more enjoyable. Staff care about everyone’s well-being, pets included, which is reciprocated by the customers. It gives the eatery a quirky, humble charm that you won’t find anywhere else.
Shannon Martinez and Mo Wyse—the powerhouses behind Smith & Deli—have just released their second cookbook, designed to give readers an insight into the creation of their deli and its delights. Departing from their first book, Smith & Daughters: A Cookbook (That Happens to be Vegan), which focused on recipes evoking their celebrated restaurant of the same name, Smith & Deli-cious: Food From Our Deli (That Happens to be Vegan) is all about dishes that create broader food experiences. One of their goals is to connect with as many people as possible—vegan or otherwise.
‘And that’s the thing with Smith & Deli-cious—it encourages you to break the rules and do your own thing.’
They want to show that vegan food is more than just another boring salad and Smith & Deli-cious is a tool for making vegan food appealing and accessible.
Shannon and Mo have collated recipes that have a hint of nostalgia or have been featured in the deli itself. Think split pea soup, beef stroganoff and cherry meringue pie, all with a playful, vegan twist. The images throughout are vibrant, capturing the joy you’d feel if you were to walk into Smith & Deli and come away with an egg salad sandwich and an iced donut.
What makes this cookbook unique is how friendly and user-friendly it is. With Shannon and Mo’s voice talking you through each and every recipe, it’s like cooking with old friends in a reflection of the nostalgia that the food itself evokes. They have also included a ‘How to use this book’ chapter that, coupled with the chatty tone throughout the book, gives you the confidence that you can cook vegan food, regardless of your experience in the kitchen. It helps that there’s an ingredient substitution section that provides vegan alternatives to pantry staples as well as recommendations of places where you can get products that don’t break the budget. If the recipe says beef, opt for mushroom-based mutton chucks.
The recipes themselves are as diverse as they are delicious—in other words, there’s a lot of range. Colourful photos of the dishes accompany the hilarious and insightful headnotes for most, if not all, the recipes. The methods are easy to follow and flexible enough that you can break the rules to tailor the dish to your own personal preference.
And that’s the thing with Smith & Deli-cious—it encourages you to break the rules and do your own thing. The fact that the ingredients are accessible and the recipes are easy to follow will make Smith & Deli-cious an essential in your kitchen—even if you’re not vegan.
Some of the standout recipes include: beef stroganoff, cheesy broccoli pie, cherry meringue pie and all of the milkshakes.
Smith & Deli-cious: Food from a Deli (That Happens to be Vegan)
Shannon Martinez and Mo Wyse
Published by Hardie Grant Books
Available in all good bookstores.