Secrets of a Vegan Latina

Terry Hope Romero, author of Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers, and brand-new cookbook Vegan Eats World, is a Venezuelan ex-pat who translates the flavors of Latin America into vegan treats. TLK caught up with Terry and asked her about her history and interest in the vegan lifestyle, the adventure of writing Viva Vegan!, and the dishes she craves in and out of her kitchen.

Why are you so interested in vegan food, lifestyle and recipes?

I’ve been vegetarian since 16, and in my 20’s my interest turned increasingly vegan. My initial interest grew from a desire to eat healthier and feel better, but grew as I learned about how consuming animal products affects both farm animals and our environment. Cooking without animal products also seemed like an exciting challenge, and I still love the experimental aspect to this very day!

What inspired you to take the leap past co-authoring to tackle a Latin skew in Viva Vegan!?

Viva Vegan! didn’t feel like a big leap.I wanted to do a solo book, and working on a collection of Latin vegan recipes seemed [like] the next step. There’s so much more to Latin cuisine than guacamole and burritos!

You bring a lot of your Venezuelan heritage to Viva Vegan!, can you tell us about your background?

My parents came to America in the 60’s, and my mother’s family originally immigrated from Poland to Venezuela. While my parents spoke Spanish at home, I grew up in a very Polish neighborhood in New England. It wasn’t until I moved to NYC that I met a wide range of Latinos.

Tell us about your experience translating traditional meaty dishes into vegan meals.

For Latin cuisine, I’m hugely in favor of using seitan. Unlike tofu or tempeh, seitan has a chewy, meaty texture that works well on the grill, grated, or pan fried and can be embedded with flavorful ingredients such as tomato paste, olives, garlic or oregano.

Vegan food often gets a bad rap. How do you use your cookbooks to bring flavor and enthusiasm to this misunderstood food category?

For my own work, I draw on ethnic cuisines and embrace both making traditional favorites and experimenting with new flavor combinations. While I’m well-acquainted with old fashioned vegetarian cooking, I often dive into more modern flavors and textures.

What are your favorite Latin ingredients for incorporation into a vegan diet?

Hominy corn is soft and chewy, great in stews and very hearty. Aji amarillo is a delicious medium-hot, flavorful chile I like in soups. Quinoa, avocados, and black beans are staples for many vegans. Kale is a year-round favorite.

Any ingredients you feel are under-appreciated?

The wide range of dried Mexican chiles are fascinating and versatile. Yucca, yams, tropical tubers, plantains, chayote and calabaza squash are inexpensive and provide a boost i] flavor and nutrition. And I’m a huge fan of panela.

You have some friends coming over. What meal do you make for this hungry crowd?

I’d enlist them to help make batches of 2 to 3 different kinds of tamales. With less time, I’d make grilled seitan potato tacos with the works; everybody assembles their own tacos to taste!

If any dish could magically appear in front of you right now, what would it be?

My creamy corn-filled empanadas, inspired by the humita fillings of Argentinian empanadas. I’ve been so busy working on other books I haven’t had a chance to make these with fresh summer corn this year!

Working on any new projects? Can we expect more Latin inspired dishes?

I have a new cookbook coming out this November called Vegan Eats World. It’s my fantasy vegan cookbook, an international tour inspired by the ethnic neighborhoods of Queens. There are a few Latin things, but there’s more on Asian, African, Middle Eastern and European dishes.

When you aren’t in the kitchen, where are you eating?

I eat out plenty; it’s a fact of living in NYC. I’m always ready for dosas, well-made vegan sushi, good Thai noodles and all manner of dumplings.