When photographer and artist Erin Gleeson decamped from New York to a cabin in the woods outside San Francisco, her environment changed drastically and, in turn, so did her career. It was there, in a remote cabin amidst the trees, that Gleeson birthed the idea for her blog, calling it, fittingly, The Forest Feast. The blog, which focused its attention on food, drinks, and entertaining offered a lens into her new lifestyle—a seductive prospect for those of us whose day-to-day did not look so idyllic—all of it framed by her signature watercolor illustrations. Now, the widely-lauded blog has been transformed into a lovely book, The Forest Feast: Simple Vegetarian Recipes from my Cabin in the Woods (Abrams). As advertised, the vegetarian recipes included are across-the-board approachable (a hallmark of Gleeson’s style), with short ingredient lists and easy execution. On our current must-cook list are her persimmon salad (as soon as we can find good persimmons!), accordion zucchini, and peanut butter coconut balls. Gleeson’s artful touches are also apparent on every page, from the whimsical recipe name font to the watercolor renderings of ingredients. If cookbooks could be bestowed with senior superlatives, this one would be dubbed “most friendly.” FV
Courtesy of Abrams
Courtesy of Abrams
