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Newly released book A Southern Girl’s Guide to Plant-Based Eating by Cametria Hill has been making waves with excellent reviews from high profile readers.
According to Demetrius Bagley, Producer of documentary Vegucated: “[I’m] enticed by how personable and delicious this reads – it’s a very timely publication with so many black folk exploring veganism these days, discovering down home cooking can apply to vegan eats too.”
Hill described her book, the third to be released by the new vegan book publisher, Sanctuary Publishers, as the first plant-based eating guide inspired by her Southern upbringing in ‘the melting post of the four best cuisines on Earth’ – BBQ, Cajun/Creole, Tex-Mex, and Soul Food’ – Houston, Texas.
Journey
Hill’s journey began in her early teens as she started thinking about the ethics of eating animals.
Her journey was consequently cemented into vegetarianism and finally, veganism after realizing what supporting the dairy and egg industries meant.
She continued embracing veganism and plant-based eating, which greatly impacted her in a positive way.
Illness
One day, she suddenly realized, looking around her own community, that she did not know anyone over 45 who was not suffering from diet-related illnesses.
All her loved ones were on medication. At this moment, Hill made it her duty to help create a resource that would inspire her family and friends to eat more healthily.
Having thoroughly researched veganism and plant-based diets, as well as subsequently becoming a professional chef and caterer, helped seal her fate.
Thus, she embarked on her own journey based on compassion and support to help bring that Southern magic that she grew up with to plant-based cuisine and vegan living.
The book is stuffed with inspiring recipes
New style
Hill recalls having, “…a sort of ‘Lord what have I been missing’ kind of moment and obsessed over seeing how I could morph ‘this’ vegetable into ‘that’ type of dish we used to eat in the South.
“Before I knew it, I had developed my own new cooking style that was a natural evolution of the type of culinary prowess the South is legendary for producing.”
Noting accessibility with regards to cost and time, as well as the often-obscure ingredients in many vegan cookbooks, she made it her mission to create traditional Southern-inspired dishes with affordable and readily available plant foods.
Her style was based on the typical Soul Food way of cooking where every single part of the food is used. She applied this as a ‘root to leaf’ philosophy, where every part of the plant is used.
Inspiring
The result? Dozens of recipes, cooking tips, a jumpstart guide to those new to plant-based eating and cooking, tips on eating out, as well as resources beyond food and getting healthy, gave rise to one of the most supporting and inspiring cookbooks officially now out on the book market.
From novice to expert in the kitchen, A Southern Girl’s Guide to Plant-Based Eating, has recipes breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including Buttermylk Biscuits and Black Pepper Mushroom Gravy, Louisiana-Style Cornmeal-Encrusted Tofu Fish Fry, Carrie B’s Cornbread Dressing, Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pie, Banana Nut Hush Puppies, among others.
The book is filled with snacks, sides, main meals, including 30-minute meals and protein heavy recipes, as well as desserts.
Personality
Hill’s explanations, playful-expressions, and easy to follow recipe instructions make Southern plant-based cooking easy and truly enjoyable.
Humbly, she reflected back on the journey that brought her to this very moment and said: “So here I am today sharing the stories of my family, and life through dishes that remind me of them.
“Things that I treasure, information that I wish I had sooner but Importantly that I hope impacts your life in all the beautiful ways being plant-based have had for me.”
You can get to know Cametria Hill viathevvc.comand keep up with updates, special bonus recipes, events, and more onFacebook
The book is available for purchase throughAmazonor directly through theSanctuary Publisher’s shop
