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The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma's Kitchen
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - NAMED ONE OF THE BEST NEW COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Epicurious - EATER - Stained Page - Infatuation - Spruce Eats - Publisher's Weekly - Food52 - Toronto Star
The dazzling debut cookbook from Joanne Lee Molinaro, the home cook and spellbinding storyteller behind the online sensation @thekoreanvegan
Joanne Lee Molinaro has captivated millions of fans with her powerfully moving personal tales of love, family, and food. In her debut cookbook, she shares a collection of her favorite Korean dishes, some traditional and some reimagined, as well as poignant narrative snapshots that have shaped her family history.
As Joanne reveals, she's often asked, "How can you be vegan and Korean?" Korean cooking is, after all, synonymous with fish sauce and barbecue. And although grilled meat is indeed prevalent in some Korean food, the ingredients that filled out bapsangs on Joanne's table growing up--doenjang (fermented soybean paste), gochujang (chili sauce), dashima (seaweed), and more--are fully plant-based, unbelievably flavorful, and totally Korean. Some of the recipes come straight from her childhood: Jjajangmyun, the rich Korean-Chinese black bean noodles she ate on birthdays, or the humble Gamja Guk, a potato-and-leek soup her father makes. Some pay homage: Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake is an ode to the two foods that saved her mother's life after she fled North Korea.
The Korean Vegan Cookbook is a rich portrait of the immigrant experience with life lessons that are universal. It celebrates how deeply food and the ones we love shape our identity.
The dazzling debut cookbook from Joanne Lee Molinaro, the home cook and spellbinding storyteller behind the online sensation @thekoreanvegan
Joanne Lee Molinaro has captivated millions of fans with her powerfully moving personal tales of love, family, and food. In her debut cookbook, she shares a collection of her favorite Korean dishes, some traditional and some reimagined, as well as poignant narrative snapshots that have shaped her family history.
As Joanne reveals, she's often asked, "How can you be vegan and Korean?" Korean cooking is, after all, synonymous with fish sauce and barbecue. And although grilled meat is indeed prevalent in some Korean food, the ingredients that filled out bapsangs on Joanne's table growing up--doenjang (fermented soybean paste), gochujang (chili sauce), dashima (seaweed), and more--are fully plant-based, unbelievably flavorful, and totally Korean. Some of the recipes come straight from her childhood: Jjajangmyun, the rich Korean-Chinese black bean noodles she ate on birthdays, or the humble Gamja Guk, a potato-and-leek soup her father makes. Some pay homage: Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake is an ode to the two foods that saved her mother's life after she fled North Korea.
The Korean Vegan Cookbook is a rich portrait of the immigrant experience with life lessons that are universal. It celebrates how deeply food and the ones we love shape our identity.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 2021
509 people are currently reading
4353 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Lee Molinaro
3 books45 followerstik-tok
instagram
With over 5 million fans spread across her social media platforms, New York Times best-selling author Joanne Molinaro, a.k.a The Korean Vegan, has appeared on The Food Network, CBS Saturday Morning, ABC's Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Today Show, PBS, and The Rich Roll Podcast. She's been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, NPR, and CNN; and her debut cookbook was selected as one of “The Best Cookbooks of 2021” by The New York Times and The New Yorker among others.
Molinaro is a Korean American woman, born in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents were both born in what is now known as North Korea. Molinaro started her blog, The Korean Vegan, in 2016, after adopting a plant-based diet. In July 2020, she started her TikTok (@thekoreanvegan), mostly as a coping mechanism for the isolation caused by the global pandemic. She began posting content related to politics and life as a lawyer during quarantine. However, after a single post of her making Korean braised potatoes for dinner (while her husband taught a piano lesson in the background) went viral, Molinaro shifted her attention to producing 60 second recipe videos, while telling stories about her family—immigrants from what is now known as North Korea.
With over 5 million fans spread across her social media platforms, New York Times best-selling author Joanne Molinaro, a.k.a The Korean Vegan, has appeared on The Food Network, CBS Saturday Morning, ABC's Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Today Show, PBS, and The Rich Roll Podcast. She's been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, NPR, and CNN; and her debut cookbook was selected as one of “The Best Cookbooks of 2021” by The New York Times and The New Yorker among others.
Molinaro is a Korean American woman, born in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents were both born in what is now known as North Korea. Molinaro started her blog, The Korean Vegan, in 2016, after adopting a plant-based diet. In July 2020, she started her TikTok (@thekoreanvegan), mostly as a coping mechanism for the isolation caused by the global pandemic. She began posting content related to politics and life as a lawyer during quarantine. However, after a single post of her making Korean braised potatoes for dinner (while her husband taught a piano lesson in the background) went viral, Molinaro shifted her attention to producing 60 second recipe videos, while telling stories about her family—immigrants from what is now known as North Korea.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
June 23, 2022
This book is stunning. It’s gorgeous and incredibly satisfying to read.
Not only are there scrumptious photos of the food including the completed recipes but there are many photos of the author and her family. This is as much an autobiography & family biography as it is a cookbook. There are photos for all of the recipes (except for maybe the very last recipe?) and even though I’ve read a bunch of cookbooks with beautiful food photos these might be the best of all the cookbooks that I’ve read. The author is personable and a good storyteller. She got a tad maudlin and overly poetic at a couple of passages at the end but the content made that 100% understandable.
I love most international cuisines (my favorites might be Mexican, Italian, and Indian, but ask me at any given meal and I might give a different answer, Thai or California cuisine, for instance.) There are relatively few national/regional cuisines that I don’t tend to like. Korean has been one of them and even though I found appealing recipes in this book it’s not just that it’s typically meat/fish centric. I do not like kimchi, pickled things, fermented things, vinegar, mirin, wasabi, or any sea vegetables, nor does my GERD appreciate most of these.
That said did find some recipes I think I’d enjoy, even without tweaking, and then even more recipes I think I’d like with just a bit of tweaking, though the author makes clear that some substitutions will not at all work for certain of the dishes.
I like that for each recipe the author marks how easy or difficult it is to make (easy, medium, practice makes perfect) and lists any common allergens in the ingredients.
I’m lucky to live in a city with a lot of diversity so this might not be true for every reader, but the ingredients called for in the recipes look as though they’d be readily available in many food markets. If you have a Korean food market or a Korean section in a food market, that would help for making the dishes in this book. It also would help to have a couple of the cooking tools mentioned.
Contents:
Introduction
The Korean Vegan
The Korean Vegan Pantry
1. The Basics
2. Breads
3. Side Dishes
4. Kimchi and Salads
5. Soups and Stews
6. Noodles and Pastas
7. Bar and Street Foods
8. Main Dishes
9. Sweets
The Lees in Korea
Acknowledgements
Index
This is a 5 star book all the way and I recommend it as an owned book to everyone who enjoys Korean food. Because I’m not a huge fan of the cuisine, I mostly enjoyed the stories and the images, and I do not want to own the book, but I hope that it will always be available for borrowing because I would like to try some of the recipes. I wanted to read it to see if I’d like vegan Korean more than traditional animal heavy Korean and I did but there are still a lot of basic ingredients-dishes that do not appeal to me. But yum: Korean Glass Noodles, and (I don’t usually even like most fried foods but) Fried Stuffed Pancakes (both the savory and the sweet recipes) and a couple of the desserts also: Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake and Chocolate Persimmon Cupcakes.
Highly recommended for: all people who enjoy Korean food, most vegans, cookbook collectors
Not only are there scrumptious photos of the food including the completed recipes but there are many photos of the author and her family. This is as much an autobiography & family biography as it is a cookbook. There are photos for all of the recipes (except for maybe the very last recipe?) and even though I’ve read a bunch of cookbooks with beautiful food photos these might be the best of all the cookbooks that I’ve read. The author is personable and a good storyteller. She got a tad maudlin and overly poetic at a couple of passages at the end but the content made that 100% understandable.
I love most international cuisines (my favorites might be Mexican, Italian, and Indian, but ask me at any given meal and I might give a different answer, Thai or California cuisine, for instance.) There are relatively few national/regional cuisines that I don’t tend to like. Korean has been one of them and even though I found appealing recipes in this book it’s not just that it’s typically meat/fish centric. I do not like kimchi, pickled things, fermented things, vinegar, mirin, wasabi, or any sea vegetables, nor does my GERD appreciate most of these.
That said did find some recipes I think I’d enjoy, even without tweaking, and then even more recipes I think I’d like with just a bit of tweaking, though the author makes clear that some substitutions will not at all work for certain of the dishes.
I like that for each recipe the author marks how easy or difficult it is to make (easy, medium, practice makes perfect) and lists any common allergens in the ingredients.
I’m lucky to live in a city with a lot of diversity so this might not be true for every reader, but the ingredients called for in the recipes look as though they’d be readily available in many food markets. If you have a Korean food market or a Korean section in a food market, that would help for making the dishes in this book. It also would help to have a couple of the cooking tools mentioned.
Contents:
Introduction
The Korean Vegan
The Korean Vegan Pantry
1. The Basics
2. Breads
3. Side Dishes
4. Kimchi and Salads
5. Soups and Stews
6. Noodles and Pastas
7. Bar and Street Foods
8. Main Dishes
9. Sweets
The Lees in Korea
Acknowledgements
Index
This is a 5 star book all the way and I recommend it as an owned book to everyone who enjoys Korean food. Because I’m not a huge fan of the cuisine, I mostly enjoyed the stories and the images, and I do not want to own the book, but I hope that it will always be available for borrowing because I would like to try some of the recipes. I wanted to read it to see if I’d like vegan Korean more than traditional animal heavy Korean and I did but there are still a lot of basic ingredients-dishes that do not appeal to me. But yum: Korean Glass Noodles, and (I don’t usually even like most fried foods but) Fried Stuffed Pancakes (both the savory and the sweet recipes) and a couple of the desserts also: Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake and Chocolate Persimmon Cupcakes.
Highly recommended for: all people who enjoy Korean food, most vegans, cookbook collectors
February 4, 2022
I rarely (never?) review cookbooks, but this one is SUCH a pleasure to both cook from and read. Every essay is lovely even without the recipes, and I've already used it at least ten times. In one month!
November 30, 2022
Joanne Lee Molinaro combines her amazing recipes with her fascinating family story. This book was interesting enough in it's own right, the story of her father's escape from an arranged marriage in North Korea and their subsequent life in the US was fascinating and I loved seeing the family photos.
The recipes are amazing, we have tried several and they have all worked well and have tasted delicious. The dumplings were very good, we tried the black bean and walnut burgers and were really impressed. Despite regularly making our own burgers from nuts and pulses these were exceptionally good. The author's recipe for Oma's barbeque sauce is very good, this is freezable, so made extra to use another time. Good recipe for vegetable broth. Some nice quick recipes for slaw and soup, tried these and they all worked well. Lots of interesting mains and a wonderful desert section. This is definitely a book I will go back to again and again.
A couple of recipes had ingredients I couldn't source but these worked well without or using substitutions. Several recipes call for a food processor, I don't have one and these worked fine without. I find chopping finely, mashing, pushing through a sieve or using a hand blender works just as well.
This book uses US terminology so you might need to Google names some of ingredients and measurements.
I would highly recommend this book, a very enjoyable read even if you don't make the recipes.
Thank you so much to Lisa Vegan for recommending this wonderful book!
The recipes are amazing, we have tried several and they have all worked well and have tasted delicious. The dumplings were very good, we tried the black bean and walnut burgers and were really impressed. Despite regularly making our own burgers from nuts and pulses these were exceptionally good. The author's recipe for Oma's barbeque sauce is very good, this is freezable, so made extra to use another time. Good recipe for vegetable broth. Some nice quick recipes for slaw and soup, tried these and they all worked well. Lots of interesting mains and a wonderful desert section. This is definitely a book I will go back to again and again.
A couple of recipes had ingredients I couldn't source but these worked well without or using substitutions. Several recipes call for a food processor, I don't have one and these worked fine without. I find chopping finely, mashing, pushing through a sieve or using a hand blender works just as well.
This book uses US terminology so you might need to Google names some of ingredients and measurements.
I would highly recommend this book, a very enjoyable read even if you don't make the recipes.
Thank you so much to Lisa Vegan for recommending this wonderful book!
February 7, 2022
As others have pointed out there are several “technical issues” (poor editing/checking—eg missing ingredients, lack of proper measurements). If you’re a fairly experienced cook and read through everything first, you should be okay.
I’m in the minority where I didn’t like/care for/want a “memoir” with recipes. While I don’t mind a thought here or there, or couple personal notes, I found it exhausting and boring here, again, something a good editor could have trimmed up or organized better. This is more memoir than cookbook and I want more cookbook less memoir. I feel there aren’t that many recipes…
I also felt frustrated by the inclusion of recipes that aren’t Korean but “Italian-Korean inspired”. It’s odd that after saying Koreans only eat rice (and a token noodle dish or two) there were so many pasta dishes. This is because her husband is Italian.
A good number of recipes rely heavily on JUST EGG, which I worry about for those who don’t live by a Whole Foods or if that product disappears…
That said, I did find a few authentic/traditional recipes to try (“weekend only” recipes) and am glad there is any cookbook at all dedicated to Korean food. I also learned a good bit about Korean culture and Korean cooking. Not worth the wait at the library but I am glad I didn’t buy it. I returned it pretty quickly
I’m in the minority where I didn’t like/care for/want a “memoir” with recipes. While I don’t mind a thought here or there, or couple personal notes, I found it exhausting and boring here, again, something a good editor could have trimmed up or organized better. This is more memoir than cookbook and I want more cookbook less memoir. I feel there aren’t that many recipes…
I also felt frustrated by the inclusion of recipes that aren’t Korean but “Italian-Korean inspired”. It’s odd that after saying Koreans only eat rice (and a token noodle dish or two) there were so many pasta dishes. This is because her husband is Italian.
A good number of recipes rely heavily on JUST EGG, which I worry about for those who don’t live by a Whole Foods or if that product disappears…
That said, I did find a few authentic/traditional recipes to try (“weekend only” recipes) and am glad there is any cookbook at all dedicated to Korean food. I also learned a good bit about Korean culture and Korean cooking. Not worth the wait at the library but I am glad I didn’t buy it. I returned it pretty quickly
October 13, 2021
Beautiful Book
I love the pictures in this book and the cover. I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet but I finished reading the stories and I cried a couple of times. I honestly used to see food as just something that you need for survival. But now I understand how food is more than that. It is a way to connect with your roots, with your family, friends and just people in general. How a meal can transport you to another country, how it can make you understand where someone comes from. Furthermore, I realized how we sometimes take our parents for granted. Ugh I’m getting emotional again 🥺🥺
I love the pictures in this book and the cover. I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet but I finished reading the stories and I cried a couple of times. I honestly used to see food as just something that you need for survival. But now I understand how food is more than that. It is a way to connect with your roots, with your family, friends and just people in general. How a meal can transport you to another country, how it can make you understand where someone comes from. Furthermore, I realized how we sometimes take our parents for granted. Ugh I’m getting emotional again 🥺🥺
December 13, 2021
If you don’t think a cookbook can make you cry, think again. A gem of a cookbook and an archive of a Korean-American family. The recipes look incredible yet approachable. I personally can’t wait to make jjajangmyun since I usually just make Chapaghetti for myself.
I highly recommend following her TikTok, too, @TheKoreanVegan.
Thank you to Libro.fm for the gifted audiobook copy. This is my honest review.
I highly recommend following her TikTok, too, @TheKoreanVegan.
Thank you to Libro.fm for the gifted audiobook copy. This is my honest review.
March 3, 2022
This is a very specific book, and although I love Korean food, I am not vegan. I'm not even vegetarian but I still like recipes and books about vegetables and vegetarian cuisines. I think vegan cookbooks just go too far for me, with all the different replacers that I have no reason to buy.
I know I'm not the intended audience for this type of book, but I still wanted to check it out so I borrowed it from the library. I think if you already cook a lot of Korean food and don't eat a lot of (or any) meat then this book would be fantastic for you. I recognize there aren't a lot of cookbooks like this since even the author mentions veganism in Korea is incredibly rare, so I bet this fills a really great niche - it's just ultimately not for me. Wonderful pictures and stories though.
2.5
I know I'm not the intended audience for this type of book, but I still wanted to check it out so I borrowed it from the library. I think if you already cook a lot of Korean food and don't eat a lot of (or any) meat then this book would be fantastic for you. I recognize there aren't a lot of cookbooks like this since even the author mentions veganism in Korea is incredibly rare, so I bet this fills a really great niche - it's just ultimately not for me. Wonderful pictures and stories though.
2.5
October 7, 2022
This book will be my gift giving book for the season .A beautiful cookbook that reads like a family memoir and looks like a coffee table art book. I'm a long time fan, love her recipes.
April 10, 2022
I have been following @thekoreanvegan since her TikTok’s infancy and have been cheering her on as Joanne made the leap from law to full-time creation. The magic of @thekoreanvegan has made its way into the pages of this cookbook — I teared up at many different parts, reading about her accounts of her 엄마, 아빠, 할머니— 가족들 and the family secrets and unspoken love that’s so core to the Asian immigrant experience. I truly didn’t expect to be moved so greatly when reading a cookbook.
I’m not vegan by any means, but I strive to eat veggie-forward these days. This cookbook has my favourite recipes and more! As somebody who doesn’t like seafood, this has opened more korean dishes to my palate than I thought possible.
The -1 deduction is for the actual cookbook construction, which another reviewer pointed out, is definitely due to the timeline in which this book was put together and published. I would’ve preferred a less glossy paper stock. There were certain parts where there were printing mishaps (the manufacturer’s fault). Another small quibble is that the Ingredients list includes pre-processed ingredients (eg “30 g of mushrooms, chopped). I’ve been spoiled by Carla Lalli Music’s style of incorporating the food prep into the instructions. I would’ve wanted more metric measurements for non-baking recipes as well as indicators of how long dishes can last in the fridge (mainly directed at the banchan recipes).
However, the food photography is beautiful though AND this cookbook has accompanying photos for EVERY recipe, which is such a huge plus for me. Minor construction issues and cookbook writing philosophy aside, I can see why this was the best selling cookbook at my local bookstore this past holiday season.
I’m not vegan by any means, but I strive to eat veggie-forward these days. This cookbook has my favourite recipes and more! As somebody who doesn’t like seafood, this has opened more korean dishes to my palate than I thought possible.
The -1 deduction is for the actual cookbook construction, which another reviewer pointed out, is definitely due to the timeline in which this book was put together and published. I would’ve preferred a less glossy paper stock. There were certain parts where there were printing mishaps (the manufacturer’s fault). Another small quibble is that the Ingredients list includes pre-processed ingredients (eg “30 g of mushrooms, chopped). I’ve been spoiled by Carla Lalli Music’s style of incorporating the food prep into the instructions. I would’ve wanted more metric measurements for non-baking recipes as well as indicators of how long dishes can last in the fridge (mainly directed at the banchan recipes).
However, the food photography is beautiful though AND this cookbook has accompanying photos for EVERY recipe, which is such a huge plus for me. Minor construction issues and cookbook writing philosophy aside, I can see why this was the best selling cookbook at my local bookstore this past holiday season.
October 13, 2021
This book is amazing! The recipes all sound delicious! I cannot wait to start cooking from this masterpiece. I was initially worried that there would be lots of hard to find ingredients but it’s really not that bad. Only 1 or 2 that I think I will have trouble finding. But most of the recipes are quite accessible. Everything looks delicious!! Especially all the kimchi’s!!
Plus the amazing stories throughout the book!
Plus the amazing stories throughout the book!
June 14, 2022
haven't tried the vast majority of these recipes, but i have read all of the text! my sister got me this book as a birthday present last year, and i finally finished reading through it.
i really loved it. i think anyone raised by immigrants can relate to the somewhat complicated nexus of food, language, family and heritage, particularly in a diasporic context. and the pride and satisfaction that comes from growing and creating your own food -- however humble -- in the midst of poverty or food insecurity.
tbh even if the recipes suck (and i've enjoyed the ones i've tried so far), i don't really care. this is the epitome of what a cookbook is to me: food as ethnography. food as a way of mediating generational trauma. food as a map of who we are, where we come from, who brought us here, and where we may go.
"What you are smelling is the salt from the ocean by my home, the garlic I fermented inside a bit of cheesecloth I buried one foot below the dirt, where it was cool, the gochugaru your grandfather would bring home on days he and your father had done well at the fruit stand.
When you eat this kimchi next week, you will not only be eating the kimchi from yesterday, but you will also be eating a tiny little bit of the kimchi I packed for your father's lunchbox when he was your age. You must remember this when you are packing kimchi for your family one day."
i really loved it. i think anyone raised by immigrants can relate to the somewhat complicated nexus of food, language, family and heritage, particularly in a diasporic context. and the pride and satisfaction that comes from growing and creating your own food -- however humble -- in the midst of poverty or food insecurity.
tbh even if the recipes suck (and i've enjoyed the ones i've tried so far), i don't really care. this is the epitome of what a cookbook is to me: food as ethnography. food as a way of mediating generational trauma. food as a map of who we are, where we come from, who brought us here, and where we may go.
"What you are smelling is the salt from the ocean by my home, the garlic I fermented inside a bit of cheesecloth I buried one foot below the dirt, where it was cool, the gochugaru your grandfather would bring home on days he and your father had done well at the fruit stand.
When you eat this kimchi next week, you will not only be eating the kimchi from yesterday, but you will also be eating a tiny little bit of the kimchi I packed for your father's lunchbox when he was your age. You must remember this when you are packing kimchi for your family one day."
January 28, 2022
Normally I wouldn’t say I “read” a cookbook but I did literally sit down and read this cover to cover. The stories she shared about her food and her family are so beautifully written, it made me cry no less than 4 times. Plus, the recipes are amazing and written with passion and clarity.
December 23, 2021
This book is absolutely stunning! This would make a great gift. I appreciated how the recipes were labeled easy, medium and hard. I’ll be honest, I didn’t try any of the hard recipes bc I don’t have skills like that.
The ingredients might sound intimidating, but go to a local Korean grocery store and you’ll be able to find them. Then many of the recipes use the same ingredients.
The black soybean noodles were a standout for me - they were sooooo good. They almost made this a 5-star book, but I felt like a few of the recipes were lacking flavor (mostly they needed salt -IMHO).
The ingredients might sound intimidating, but go to a local Korean grocery store and you’ll be able to find them. Then many of the recipes use the same ingredients.
The black soybean noodles were a standout for me - they were sooooo good. They almost made this a 5-star book, but I felt like a few of the recipes were lacking flavor (mostly they needed salt -IMHO).
January 31, 2022
This book was stunning✨
I'd previously already heard of the Korean Vegan via her cooking videos on Youtube (they're so relaxing to watch! Highly recommend) and I remember thinking "wow her stories would make a great memoir/biography someday" and now.. Here it is!!
This isn't just a cookbook. It's Joanne and her family's lifestory as both immigrants and Korean Americans, the hardships and triumphs they've faced, and all the recipes that have shaped their lives. If you thought it was impossible for a cookbook to make you cry then think again.
If you've been following her youtube journey, like me, then you've probably heard many of these stories before, but honestly, they were still equally as moving as when i'd first heard them.
Listening to the audiobook was such a treat and it's even narrated by the author herself! My only qualm was that I wish it'd been a little longer and had included more of her stories — i could listen to her voice all day! — but I guess there's only so much text that you can add to a cookbook.
I can't wait to try some of these recipes out for myself!
Rating: 5/5 ⭐
— Thank you so much to Libro.fm and Penguin Random House for providing the ALC in exchange for a review. This did not affect my review in any way and all opinions are my own.
I'd previously already heard of the Korean Vegan via her cooking videos on Youtube (they're so relaxing to watch! Highly recommend) and I remember thinking "wow her stories would make a great memoir/biography someday" and now.. Here it is!!
This isn't just a cookbook. It's Joanne and her family's lifestory as both immigrants and Korean Americans, the hardships and triumphs they've faced, and all the recipes that have shaped their lives. If you thought it was impossible for a cookbook to make you cry then think again.
If you've been following her youtube journey, like me, then you've probably heard many of these stories before, but honestly, they were still equally as moving as when i'd first heard them.
Listening to the audiobook was such a treat and it's even narrated by the author herself! My only qualm was that I wish it'd been a little longer and had included more of her stories — i could listen to her voice all day! — but I guess there's only so much text that you can add to a cookbook.
I can't wait to try some of these recipes out for myself!
Rating: 5/5 ⭐
— Thank you so much to Libro.fm and Penguin Random House for providing the ALC in exchange for a review. This did not affect my review in any way and all opinions are my own.
Read
September 2, 2023feel like the difficulty ratings on some of these recipes are off - if you are not a confident cook be a little aware
December 6, 2022
I've always found Joanne's storytelling aspirational and the book doesn't disappoint. I'd been dabbling with Korean cuisine for a while before reading this cover to cover which made the Korean pantry items used in a lot of these recipes fairly familiar. Great pictures and fabulous recipes inspired by Korean American and (her husband's)Italian cultures. We have a few favorite recipes we keep going back to. Great keepsake, highly recommend it.
March 11, 2022
First, the book is stunning. It's by far the most beautiful cookbook I've ever seen, and could earn a space on my kitchen counter just for that fact.
Second, I never thought I would want to actually read a cookbook, but here we are. The stories are beautiful and really do help you appreciate the important place food has in our lives (outside of, you know, sustenance).
Last but not least, the book is accessible. I love Korean food, but when it comes to making it, I had no idea where to start. I'm a terrible cook, but Molinaro does a wonderful job breaking down each element, each unknown word and explaining the best process, including what tools to use that might be found in a Western kitchen.
Unfortunately, I have terrible GERD, and the spices and oil in the recipes make many of them hard on my stomach. That said, there are still many delicious recipes to be found in this book. If you like Korean or vegan food, or are just looking to try something new, I can't recommend it enough.
Second, I never thought I would want to actually read a cookbook, but here we are. The stories are beautiful and really do help you appreciate the important place food has in our lives (outside of, you know, sustenance).
Last but not least, the book is accessible. I love Korean food, but when it comes to making it, I had no idea where to start. I'm a terrible cook, but Molinaro does a wonderful job breaking down each element, each unknown word and explaining the best process, including what tools to use that might be found in a Western kitchen.
Unfortunately, I have terrible GERD, and the spices and oil in the recipes make many of them hard on my stomach. That said, there are still many delicious recipes to be found in this book. If you like Korean or vegan food, or are just looking to try something new, I can't recommend it enough.
Read
December 15, 2024I don’t think I can rate this without having made a single recipe, but everything sounds delicious and I very much enjoyed reading her stories about her family. She does an excellent job weaving the experience of her parents and grandparents as refugees, then immigrants, then life in America as part of the Korean diaspora, together with the food ways shared in this book. Basically I didn’t expect to get so emotional reading through a cookbook but here we are.
I’m definitely excited to try making many of these recipes, and the recipes themselves are generally straightforward, with many basics that serve as building blocks that are combined in different ways for later recipes. Even those with higher difficulty ratings are written such that they sound achievable with a moderate amount of practice.
Hat tip as well to the photographer and ceramicist: everything looks incredibly beautiful and delicious.
I’m definitely excited to try making many of these recipes, and the recipes themselves are generally straightforward, with many basics that serve as building blocks that are combined in different ways for later recipes. Even those with higher difficulty ratings are written such that they sound achievable with a moderate amount of practice.
Hat tip as well to the photographer and ceramicist: everything looks incredibly beautiful and delicious.
June 4, 2023
I love this book / cookbook. As far as a cookbook goes, it has a wide range of fantastic recipes. There are Difficulty ratings for each recipe (easy, medium, and "practice makes perfect") and Allergy notes for each, plus notes as needed.
But what I really love about this book are all of the personal stories interspersed within the recipes. We get a feel for Joanne Lee Molinaro's childhood and family, and her connection to these recipes and ingredients.
As a bonus, the cover and photography is absolutely gorgeous.
But what I really love about this book are all of the personal stories interspersed within the recipes. We get a feel for Joanne Lee Molinaro's childhood and family, and her connection to these recipes and ingredients.
As a bonus, the cover and photography is absolutely gorgeous.
February 26, 2022
4.5 🌟 Ihanaa, vegaaninen korealainen keittokirja ❤ Kauniit kuvat, kiinnostavat tarinat ja tietysti toimivat reseptit tekevät tästä erinomaisen. Suomalaisesta näkökulmasta jäin kuitenkin kaipaamaan täällä käytettäviä mittayksikköjä, nyt teoksessa puhutaan vain paunoista ja kuppimitoista. Lisäksi joidenkin korealaisten sanojen romanisaatio tuotti korean opiskelijalle vaikeuksia - esimerkiksi 할머니 (=isoäiti) oli kirjoitettu "hahlmuhnee" eikä "halmeoni", kuten sana nykyisen romanisaation mukaan pitäisi kirjoittaa. Jos nämä pikkuseikat jätetään huomiotta, teos on kuitenkin loistava ja tervetullut lisä liha- ja kalapainotteisten korealaisten keittokirjojen joukkoon!
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May 8, 2023Beautiful photography and interesting interweaving of family stories with reinvented recipes. I made two recipes that didn't require special ingredients (omelette and braised potatoes) -- instructions were clear and I appreciated some ingredient options. The potatoes came out well — the flavor palette was unusual but tasty. The omelette I think I didn't have the heat up high enough, or a smaller pan may have worked better.
April 5, 2025
The recipes we've tried have been excellent thus far, with the caveat that I'm vegetarian, not vegan, so I've been swapping in true dairy and egg products for those listed and making small modifications based on what's available at the Asian market. I'm lucky to live in a city where these ingredients are mostly available. The stories are sweet and heart wrenching. Pairs well with Crying at H-Mart so you can try the food you're reading about!
December 28, 2021
One of the best cookbooks that I’ve read. The author does an excellent job of connecting us with the food experience. The back stories are lovely - as significant as the recipes, and I felt connected with this author’s story - and the photography! I’m not vegan and haven’t tried a lot of Korean food, but I will be making some of these dishes. Highly recommend. Well done!
January 5, 2022
I never would have thought to listen to a cookbook but I am so glad I did. The Korean Vegan is a love story of family and food. Joann is a wonderful narrator and I enjoyed listening to her families history. I may attempt to make a few of the recipes or maybe I’ll just stop by a Korean restaurant. Thank you to Libro.fm for the gifted audiobook
September 27, 2022
Joanne’s deep love for her heritage, her family and her story are felt through this book. She reimagines Korean recipes and creates her own artful recipes that embody the vegan diet and lifestyle. I will say, it’s going to be tough to come across these ingredients unless you have a decent Asian market near by.
January 11, 2022
I have never read a cookbook cover to cover. In fact I don't really HAVE cookbooks.
THIS one, though is a journey of stories that provides context and life to the food. The recipes have meaning and life within a context.
I may never make any of these dishes, but I am most definitely inspired and moved.
THIS one, though is a journey of stories that provides context and life to the food. The recipes have meaning and life within a context.
I may never make any of these dishes, but I am most definitely inspired and moved.
January 13, 2022
A stunning and beautifully written book! I am excited to try so many of these recipes and new ingredients. I especially loved the short essays and reflections before each chapter - a cookbook unlike any other.
August 3, 2022
An excellent cookbook. There are definitely a few things in here I want to try making but haven't yet. I like the layout and the explanation of the food. Some of it is a bit intimidating to try or a bit too many steps for something I want to make only once in awhile but the bulgogi sounds good and I am going to try that one as I haven't been able to try Korean food because of the heavy fish and meat element. Love that classic Korean dishes have been veganized.
November 14, 2022
I enjoyed this book as it is not just a recipe book but also talks about her life and how she became vegan. Yep, it was because of her husband. He turned vegan for health reasons and that turned her world upside down. How the heck do you do Korean food and make it vegan? Calling her Omma (mom), she slowly learned and experimented with sauces. One-third of this book concentrates on sauces alone.
She has some traditional recipes that she tweaked to it being vegan.
I am not a vegan and found this book interesting but her life story to be more fascinating than anything else.
She has some traditional recipes that she tweaked to it being vegan.
I am not a vegan and found this book interesting but her life story to be more fascinating than anything else.
April 6, 2022
Absolutely stunning. Listened to the audiobook all in one go
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