Book Review: Every Day

Every Day is a New Zealand cookbook written by Raglan based chef, blogger and parent; Emma Galloway. At first I actually mistook Emma for another New Zealand cookbook author that I love, Nicola Galloway. Nicola’s cookbook, Homegrown Kitchen, is one of my favourite cookbooks, so I was surprised to learn that there is another talented cook by the name of Galloway (are they perhaps arch enemies?...I like to think so). Emma Galloway, author of Every Day is also the author of the food blog My Darling Lemon Thyme, through which she documented her journey of removing gluten from her already vegetarian diet, whilst raising her children.

The books to precede Every Day; My Darling Lemon Thyme (2014) and, A Year in My Real Food Kitchen (2016), are really worth a read. In order to best understand her latest book I tried a few things out from her back catalogue, and I’m happy to say her recipe for ‘Sweet & sour lemongrass tempeh’ from My Darling Lemon Thyme actually made “The Folder” in our house. The highest of honours, only the best recipes make it to “The Folder”.

Upon delving into Every Day the first thing that stood out to me was the design in her latest book has gone to the next level. Great fonts, food photography and page layout make for a pleasurable read. I even felt like reading her introduction, which is something I usually skip. It was here that I learnt that Every Day was born in level 4, COVID-19 lockdown, where a trip to the supermarket was no longer that enjoyable experience, but rather an exercise in survival. In keeping supermarket trips to a minimum, Galloway felt inspired to keep the ingredients lists basic and to make use of every last scrap of food. Thoughtful comments are dotted throughout the book in this vein, like when calling for cauliflower, Galloway says “1/2 medium cauliflower, roughly chopped, including stem (reserve leaves for Any-veg Kraut, page 44, vegetable scrap stock, page 15, or compost)”. Galloway really encouraged me to be more mindful around food waste, and we have actually started regularly making vegetable scrap stock.

I recommend making her mushroom + lentil lasagne recipe, it wasn’t too labour intensive and was definitely a comfort food, but without the guilt thanks to all the veggies she managed to pack into it. I paired it with a cos salad, dressed with Galloways ‘Honey mustard miso dressing’. The dressing was so good that it made it to “The Folder”, and I’m super fussy with my dressings so this is saying something. I did deviate from the recipe slightly when she said to whisk the ingredients. I’ve always found shaking the dressing in a jar to be the easiest and most efficient way to emulsify it.

I would recommend this book to those who are fans of the humble meal; beans, macaroni, lasagne and the like. Comfort meals without too much fuss, but with plenty of veg. Because vegetables, in my opinion (and clearly in the opinion of Emma Galloway also), are the best.