This is SO much more than just recipes. It’s so in depth regarding plant based eating. I absolutely loved reading this, I added some of the recipes to my shopping list for groceries for the next two weeks!!

I've been a vegan for many years and am always looking for new recipes to add into my rotation, especially those focussing on whole foods. Many of the dishes look and sound incredible (and I loved reading more about their history and creation) but unfortunately not many of these would be accessible to me. While the blurb acknowledges the potential barriers to plant-based diets (cost, culture, access, housing, equipment, time, health conditions), I don't feel that many of these recipes are achievable to those facing multiple challenges.

The photographs and layout are gorgeous and it was great to have additional information and interviews, but I wonder if it was trying to do too much as everything felt quite surface level, especially the "grow your own" section. It reads almost more like a luxury vegan magazine!

While this obviously isn't a reflection of the finished book, it was near impossible to read on a Kindle due to the layout.

A great little guide to eating more plants. This is a quick read for anyone wanting to be more conscious of what they eat and how we consume food.

You always get the ingredients list with quantities first and then the method telling you how to make it, but this book had the method of what to do and then the quantities of ingredients after it. The ingredients list for the patties is in the middle of the method. There are lots of different vege dishes and I would make some of them.

Lovely recipes. Great pictures. This wasn't just a recipe book and had lots of information about living a plant based life.
I was keen on the lay out of the instructions first and ingredients second. Thst didn't make any sense to me.

It's quite hard to read a cookbook on a Kindle, so I ended up reading a lot more of the text which gives some of the history of the community behind this cookbook, and about veganism, plant-based eating and community work in general. The recipes are from different chefs who are linked with the community, a bit of a pot-luck. I actually discovered that I prefer a cookbook with a single author and thread/ style of cooking. The recipes I read really were reminiscent of vegan cafes. It wasn't my perfect cookbook but I might get it from the library as a physical copy to look again.

Plant-based and practical recipes with great stories behind them. Well-illustrated with photos that make you want to try each one. Many have tips on how best to cook certain ingredients, useful for unfamiliar vegetables. The author includes interviews with people who help run the community plant-based cookery school and charity Made in Hackney which uses these recipes. Great for anyone who wants to add tasty new ideas to their cooking repertoire which are good for the environment. The story behind this book is fascinating and the recipes are well laid out.

This will definitely up my plant intake as promised, there were a few recipes I've taken that I want to try ASAP. Anything with chickpeas gets an automatic must try from me.
The myth bust section was a revelation. It had way too much text, the information on the community cooking classes was too much, we could have cut that down and kept the rest on the website. At the end of the day I wanted more recipes.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the opportunity to discover this amazing book!

This isn’t just a cookbook, it is a moment of self care and joy! Not only does it contain some amazing looking recipes from a plethora of cuisines, it has the most interesting little side notes, interviews and conversations about so many important topics.

This book is fun - to look at and to consume - but it also has some great information about some really serious topics like equality and food poverty.

I have ear marked a few recipes to start with and I cannot wait. I’m not vegan but that doesn’t even matter for this book!

I loved it! 5 stars all day!
#WeCookPlants #NetGalley

I had never heard of this author before, but I'm always looking for new plant-based cookbooks so thought I'd give it a try. The first few chapters about her community and growing your own plants were unnecessary for me, but others might find them helpful.

There are hardly any salad recipes (yay!) and the recipes in this book are very different than most books which is nice, but it also means I'm unlikely to make many of them. I prefer recipes with less prep/cook time and more standard ingredients. Overall, this just isn't the right cookbook for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Watkins Publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks netgalley and @watkinswisdom

I absolutely loved looking through this cook book!
Though / it is not all it seems! It’s a full learn about plant foods and diverse tastes and exciting cooking! I loved the goal and aim of the book and where it has come from and the interviews / information and enjoy that earthling Ed is in it. Being a plant based person is so difficult socially it’s nice that there’s all these amazing recipes and information I wouldn’t have read / thought about to get stuck into.

I would rec this book to help with seasoning, recipes ideas and postive information.

Love the colours of the cover and look forward to trying some of the cooking instructions

✨✨✨✨

I have been vegan for over thirty years and there is very little another cookbook can tell me so I’m always on the lookout for a book I can give to others – and boy, is this book it!

We Cook Plants is so, so much more than a recipes - it is about being kind to yourself, to others, to animals and to the planet. The whole vegan ethos presentd in a non-preachy way.

Visually stunning, the recipes are are clear and easy to follow with nutritional information and other asides.

I will be buying this, probably several copies. Who could resist a book about the power of kindness?

Different from some plant-based/rich or vegan cooking books I have read, this book has a community-oriented and social perspective.
It was great to see many recipes for meat-free alternatives of favourite foods.
The interview styles and the cook's photographs as well as tips about growing plants were extremely cool.
Exceeded my expectations.

This was a great cookbook. It has easy-to-follow recipes. I would highly recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for the ARC.

Really liked all of the information that this book provided, recipes were okay. Felt like some photos were stunning and pulled me in, while others made the food feel amateur.

Such an interesting and valuable book which is so much more than a recipe book.
Within the collection of plant based recipes the community ethos and concern for well being and interconnectedness shines through. The background stories are really fascinating and the recipes are appealing.
Thanks to Netgalley and Watkins publishing for the chance to read and review this book.

I thought this was such a thoughtful book as a non-vegan. I enjoyed the fact that information is given both of the vegan lifestyle, but also on the different considerations and cultural backgrounds of the contributors. I plan to try a few of the recipes—especially the banana tarte tatin!

Sarah Bentley has written an inspiring ode to both veganism and community. Bentley weaves the story of Made in Hackney, a community cooking school that teaches multi-cultural vegan cuisine and has cooked more than 250,000 free meals for Hackney residents. Each recipe tells a story of the chef who created it along with details of the culture and people who influence them—appreciation rather than appropriation. The recipes use common ingredients and seem easy to make. I'm looking forward to trying most of the recipes Bentley shares.

I do have two quibbles with the book. First, the chapter on growing plants, while the message that growing food can be easy and done in small spaces, the how-to part of it seems too superficial to be helpful to someone who doesn't know anything about gardening. Second, the ingredients for the recipes are including midway through the instructions rather than at the beginning. I can appreciate trying to do something new and different but I found it an awkward way to present recipes.

For someone who wishes to cook simple yet tasty vegan dishes, We Cook Plants is an excellent starting point or addition to a cook's vegan cookbook collection. For those who want to learn about creating a community service organization, there's much to learn from Bentley's experience.

Thank you to Watkins Media Limited and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

We Cook Plants is a cool cookbook that is more than a cookbook. The recipes look incredible, but I was possibly even more interested in the other writing in this book - about fatphobia and body inclusivity, cultural appropriation, mindful eating, etc. There is a lot to read and think through in this.

The images were beautiful, but sometimes the background and font colors were not easy combinations to read.

After seven years of being vegan, I’m still always looking for new and inspiring cookbooks. This was an innovative and exciting way of presenting both recipes and information. We learn a lot about “Made in Hackney”. It has a great ethos, showcasing the power of community!
The recipes looks really nourishing and interesting, drawing from the cultures and experience of their members.
I also loved the interview with vegan figurehead Earthling Ed. All in all a great addition to the vegan cooking canon.