Root

Starred review from April 19, 2021
Howell, chef at Bristol, England, eatery Root, debuts with a delectable mix of vegetable-forward recipes. Rather than being vegan or vegetarian, his dishes sometimes include meat, but keep vegetables at the forefront. Vibrant colors abound, especially when beets (or beetroot, as it’s called in the U.K. and here) are added to the mix. A five-day fermentation process brings tang to beets with blackberries, hazelnuts, and seaweed, while walnuts, oats, and four types of seeds provide a crunchy texture to salt-baked beets with turnips, smoked yogurt, and savory walnut granola. A chapter of meat and fish dishes is packed with mouth-watering options, such as fried duck egg on beef dripping toast with ox tongue sauce, and marmite and maple-glazed lamb sweetbreads. Those with less adventurous palates will appreciate the cheese chapter with its toasted fruit loaf served with Tunworth cheese, and several fun desserts like carrot jam–filled doughnuts. (Home cooks should come prepared with a scale that measures in grams, as instructions use only metric measurements.) These bold dishes may be small in size, but they’re big in heart and flavor.

September 24, 2021
It's hard to find many quibbles with this first collection of small vegetable plates and more from up-and-coming UK-based chef Howell. For the most part, his 100-plus recipes are innovative, hearty, and take advantage of the best qualities produce has to offer. Who wouldn't be seduced by crispy salsify, polenta chips and salad cream, beetroot risotto finished with goat's cheese, or caramelized onion and shallot tart? Certainly, meats (mostly fish with a handful of hoofed and legged varieties) are presented, with desserts remaining a home chef's special: carrot jam-filled donuts, carrot jellies, lemon posset, and milk sorbet with a chocolate crumb. Howell sells the book as perfect for home cooks, especially since his restaurant is based in a shipping container and has a pint-sized kitchen, but a better sense of the average U.S. chef's kitchen and competencies would have aided the collection, along with volume, weight, and temperature conversions to U.S. norms; and recommended substitutions for typically English ingredients, like hispi cabbage, hasselback parsnips, and others. Glorious color photographs round out this otherwise vital and energizing cookbook.

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