Vegan Mob: BBQ and Soul Food Recipes
Vegan Mob is a book by a super-cool Californian chef, offering soul food galore and street food vibes. The 80 mouth-watering recipes are by an Oakland-based restauranteur, who infuses his food with hip-hop music playlists. Toriano grew up eating soul food and when he went vegan, he wanted to recreate favourite flavours.
Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets.
Vegan street food is a celebration of fresh ingredients served in creative combinations. This food trend has roots in many cultures, providing a wide variety of tastes and textures that appeal to everyone. Popular street foods are tacos, falafel wraps and Vietnamese bánh mì .
Street food has a long history, dating back to ancient times. In many cultures, it was the go-to option for those in need of a quick meal.
From bustling markets in Asia to food stalls in Europe, street vendors have always known how to tantalise taste buds. Street food embodies the spirit of community and sharing, making it a cherished part of cultural identity.
The innovative recipes include:
- Vegan Mob Gumbo
- Vegan Brisket
- Mobba’Q Baked Beans
- La La Lumpia
- Mafia Mobsta Noodles
- Mob Lasagna
- Mob Taco Bowls
- Mob Burgers
The recipe for Smackaroni is a plant-based take on our macaroni cheese. It only needs a few ingredients like pasta, palm-oil-free vegan butter (like Flora) and flour, plus onions, garlic, pea milk and salt, and shredded vegan cheese. Once mastered, you’ll never go back.
Toriano has an interesting life story. He actually studied at Cordon Bleu (his grandfather owned two restaurants) but instead became a rapper, fell into drugs and even had a dice with death.
He then got his life back together and today is a celebrated chef in the US. He began selling his homemade plates from his car, before investing in his own restaurant. Known for making ‘amazing meatless barbecue a thing’, he uses his past life experiences to help incarcerated and at-risk youths in San Francisco.
Even to this day, my food is hip-hop. Remixing dishes, making them vegan and blending influences to make a new recipe requires me to be creative in the kitchen.
Almost five years ago, I decided to vegan. I had caught the flu and wasn’t getting better and I was also scared because people were dying from pneumonia. A friend of a friend died from it.
After that I started juicing and drinking ginger shots. Then I decided I didn’t want to eat meat anymore, and after that I cut out dairy.
I found that I had more energy, and my emotional state was better. I had no idea that eating this way would lead me down a whole different career path. Today I feel better than ever.
