Bianca Phillips* is associate editor at the Flyer and author of the hugely popular food blog Vegan Crunk, her no-animal-products ode to the Southern comfort food she ate while growing up in Arkansas.
Next month sees the release of Bianca’s first cookbook, Cookin’ Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South featuring 140 or so recipes that pass the “crunk” test — what Bianca defines as having fun while showing pride and passion in her approach to Southern cooking.
So … you’ve got your blog Vegan Crunk, the “vegan” tattoo on your wrist, and, now, you have a new cookbook, Cookin’ Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South. What’s your point?
I’m hoping to show people they can still enjoy classic Southern soul food without the ham hocks and bacon grease. Not only are my vegan recipes healthier than their meat-laden counterparts, but they’re also kinder on the animals and the Earth. There are recipes for country fried tempeh steak, whole wheat buttermilk biscuits and chocolate gravy, a tofu chicken wafflewich with maple-dijon sauce, vegan ranch dressing, slow-simmered collard greens, peanut butter and banana “Elvis” cupcakes, and chocolate pralines to name a few.
