Joni Marie Newman is just a regular gal who loves to cook and bake…ESPECIALLY for friends and family. Self taught, and still learning, she spends most of her spare time in the kitchen. When she is not in the kitchen, she really enjoys knitting, painting, wasting endless hours on the internet, hiking with her husband and the girls, traveling, reading, and most of the other stuff regular gals enjoy.
A California native, she is currently residing in Trabuco Canyon, in a small cottage, with her three rescue mutts, her very handsome cat and her extremely delicious husband, in one of the last rural towns in Southern California. It is in this cottage that she creates delicious and cruelty free delicacies for the world to enjoy. Through her food, she hopes to help people to understand that it is not necessary to murder or torture another living creature in order to have a tasty supper.
I had the pleasure of meeting Joni at Vida Vegan Con last spring, and I throughly enjoyed the classes she taught so I asked her if she would like to chat about cooking, veganism and her new book Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen.
Chic Vegan – What motivated you to become vegan? Was it an overnight switch or more gradual shift?
Joni Marie Newman – I have always been an animal lover. I became a vegetarian when I was about 15, when my beloved Morrissey told me Meat was Murder. But, I was a half-assed off and on vegetarian, and I could never really commit. I knew it was the right thing to do, but hadn’t had my, “Aha!” moment yet. In the summer of 2005, I decided to take it seriously. I kicked of my veganism with a 10 day Master Cleanse on the 4th of July, and followed that up with a 99% raw vegan diet for the following few months. But I missed cooking! I started cooking again, but remained vegan ever since. I did have a few slip ups, in the beginning, but we all know that being vegan isn’t about being perfect, right? I have never been more passionate about my veganism and animal compassion than I am now, and each day it gets stronger and stronger.
CV – Congratulations on your new book Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen! Tell me a little bit about it and what inspired you to write it.
JMN – I wanted to write a book that reflected the way we eat here in California. We like to mix it up, mixing flavors from all over the world to create new spins on traditional classics. All over Southern California, there are food trucks and restaurants that feature creative and intriguing combinations of Asian flavors fused with Mexican foods, Italian foods mixed with Indian foods mixed with American classics…you get the idea. The diverse cultures here have lead to some amazing cuisine. But where are all the vegan options? So I began messing around with fusion flavors both at home and at work, and developed lots of amazing sauces, which are the key to most of the recipes in the book.
CV – You sometimes coauthor cookbooks with Celine Steen. Is there a different process for book writing when you’re working on your own?
JMN – It is such a delight to work with a co-author, and Celine was (and still is) amazing to work with. I think working with her on the first 3 books, gave us the blueprint for getting it done, and I still follow that same plan. I can’t speak for her, but the way I do it is; I plan the book out by chapter first, then start a list of recipe names that will fit into those chapters, then develop and test (and retest) the recipes. I do a lot of driving and while I am driving I plan menus and recipes in my head. I mean, I literally think of flavor profiles and ingredient combinations as I am tooling around town, back and forth to work, or heading to the market, then when I get home I write it down, then I make it. I usually have pretty decent results the first time out, but will need to tweak amounts and techniques to get it to the recipe worthy stage. I will say the biggest difference between writing with a co-author and doing it by myself, is that when I am working with Celine, I have a sense of responsibility to her to make sure I get things done on time. When left to my own devices, I pretty much tend to miss each and every deadline. Ha.
CV – For the past two Christmases, quite a few of the presents I’ve given to friends and family were from your book Vegan Food Gifts. How did you come up with such an awesome concept for a book?
JMN – That is so awesome to hear. And that is the reason I wrote the book. I wanted to write a crafting/cooking book to give people of every skill level the tools to create fun, cruelty free gifts for any occasion. I have always been a DIY type of gal, and I have been making food gifts for as long as I can remember. There are lots of books like this out there for non-vegans, so I figured it was time for a vegan version.
CV – I saw you speak on a few different panels about publishing and writing cookbooks at Vida Vegan Con last year. What’s the number one piece of advice you would give an aspiring cookbook author?
JMN – Anyone who wants to write a cookbook, can! There are self-publishing options that will cost you very, very little upfront. Whether anyone will buy that book, well, that is the question. So, make sure to get yourself known. Start a blog, a facebook page, a Pinterest account, an Instagram, a Twitter…you get the idea, and make a name for yourself. The internet has opened up the doors for anyone to be the next sensation.
CV – Do you have any favorite recipes from your cookbooks?
JMN – Oh, man! Are you asking me to pick which of my children I love the most? Haha. Certainly, I have some favorites. The Bacon Cheeseburger from The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet is pretty amazing. The Crispy Glazed Cherry Pie Bites from Home-Cooked Vegan Comfort Foods are so easy to make, and so sinful. The Mustard and Spinach Smashed Potatoes from 500 Vegan Recipes are an easy and tasty side dish. I absolutely adore the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe in Vegan Food Gifts, and my new favorite is the cover model for Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen, Ya Ka Mein!
CV – Do you have any advice for people who might be new to vegan cooking?
JMN – Have fun in the kitchen and enjoy your food! I was a terrible cook before going vegan. I was stuck in a rut of using the same few ingredients and adding Lawry’s Seasoned Salt to everything I made. Once I went vegan, I was forced to try out new recipes, new foods, and new ingredients, and I was hooked on cooking. I had so much fun with it. Get your feet wet with easy recipes that utilize inexpensive, easy to find ingredients, that way you won’t feel like you wasted a bunch of money if it doesn’t work out. Use the internet to find recipes, pictures to inspire you, YouTube videos, and a network of like minded folks who will also have tips for new vegan cooks. Of, course there are lots of cookbooks out there, as well.
CV – What is your favorite vegan indulgence?
JMN – Right now? Right now I am obsessed with Majestic Garlic’s Healthy Creamy Garlic Spread. I love the original, the Basil, and especially the Sun Dried Tomato and Jalapeno flavors. It is so smooth and creamy, and I can just plop down on the couch, grab me a tub of this stuff, and some warmed up pita bread, and kill the whole tub. The stuff is freaking unbelievable. Who knew garlic, lemon juice and oil could make something so amazing? I tried to make it at home, but can’t get the right texture. Man, that stuff is so good. My other indulgence is vegan books. I have so many. Cookbooks, animal rights books, picture books, I just can’t get enough books!
CV – What vegan product could you not live without?
JMN – Nutritional Yeast. No question about it. I can make my own vegan mayo, dressings, even cheeses, but without nooch, I am screwed!
CV – Can we expect to see more cookbooks from you soon?
JMN – Yes! I am in the final editing phases of my newest project, which is a collaboration with food science and nutrition expert, Gerrie Lynn Adams. It is titled Going Vegan. The goal of this book is to teach and guide anyone to a path of compassion and health through a vegan lifestyle. Gerrie covers the science and nutrition portion of the book, while I tend to focus on the ethical end of veganism. We both wrote the recipe section of the book together. We hope to bridge the gap between the plant-based eaters (those that are doing it for their health alone) and ethical veganism. I know that we can learn so much from one another! The book will have about 100 recipes, the basics, recipes that would appeal to new vegans, and lots of options for those avoiding sugar, or added oils and fats. But please know that while I can certainly enjoy an oil free meal every now an again, my aim is to prove that there is room for everyone in veganism, and I made sure to throw a few recipes that are deep fried, or sugar filled in there for good measure. There is also a recipe for Clam Chowder and Tuna Salad, that were, in my opinion, game changing, but you’ll have to wait a while longer to judge those for yourself.
Food photos by Wade Hammond of Wade Hammond Photography. Photo of Joni Marie Neman by Celine Steen.
This is a great interview. Not only do I want to be Joni’s BFF now, I also really can’t wait to get my hands on her book!