Growing up with Mediterranean tastes, Cleo Vance’s grandmother’s tomato-rich stews, fresh herbs taken from the garden, and the golden drizzle of olive oil on almost everything, she developed She was therefore resolved not to lose that link when she started a vegan diet.
“People think vegan eating is limited,” she notes, “but for me, it brought my roots closer.” Cleo started changing the meals she loved, substituting grains, legumes, and strong seasoning for meat and cheese.
She substituted briny olives for feta; she used chickpeas spiced with cumin and paprika instead of lamb. Clean Eating Cookbook for Beginners: Eat Better, Feel Better, 500 No-Fuss Clean Recipes Incl. Whole Foods, Diabetic Recipes with 21-Meal Plan to Fuel Your Life
That produces meals that seemed both very familiar and wonderfully fresh.
Cooking started to be an investigation of invention and memory. Although her kitchen smelled like home, the dishes were fresh with plant-based accents.
“I realised I didn’t have to decide between my choices and my culture,” she says. “I could honour both.”
Cleo now presents her vegan Mediterranean-inspired dishes to friends and relatives, usually shocking them with their weight and taste. “Food doesn’t have to exactly follow tradition,” she notes. It simply needs to feel true.
