Interview with Lisanna Wallance, Author of Plant-Based Magic: 120 Seasonal Recipes to Heal Body and Soul
In today’s interview, Willem Marx asks Lisanna Wallance the dinner table question that has vexed American parents for decades: “Do you have any ideas or theories as to why [a] conflict between what’s good for you and what tastes good is so ingrained in our psyche?”
Not only does Lisanna reply with a satisfying answer, she offers healthy, flavor-enhancing techniques—not tricks—to help parents get their kids to eat peas, broccoli, and other green, nutritious vegetables.
Willem’s review ends with a flourish: “Plant-Based Magic makes healthy eating a rapturous endeavor.”
As someone who has lived on several continents, what differences have you noticed between different food and eating cultures? Are there lessons about ingredients, meal traditions, or other aspects of eating that you’d like to see shared between countries and geographies?
I grew up in the US with a Dutch mother and a father whose family emigrated from the former Soviet Union. My summers were spent with my grandparents in the Netherlands, where they had an incredible garden with vegetables, berry bushes, and fruit trees, and lived largely off the food they grew. Their basement was lined with jars of pears, apples, and berry sauces, which later inspired my own kitchen apothecary. Helping in the garden and kitchen shaped my early relationship with food.
At home in the US we ate mostly organic, whole foods. But eating at friends’ houses or in the school cafeteria was a culture shock. It was the early 2000s, when processed food was heavily marketed to kids. Ketchup came in purple and green, snacks were Lunchables and Gushers, and PB&J was served on soft white Wonder Bread. My dense brown bread sandwiches never attracted many trade offers at lunchtime.
When I moved to France after college, I reconnected with European food culture. The rich menus of classic French brasseries aren’t everyday life. Daily food culture revolves around fresh ingredients, neighborhood markets, balanced lunches, no snacking, and a lot of home cooking. There is also respect for farming and stricter agriculture and additives regulations than the US. Something I like about American food culture is that it constantly pushes culinary innovation.
I’m particularly intrigued by the way you prioritize both health benefits and taste in your recipes. There’s a knee-jerk reaction, at least in the United States, that sets these two aspects of diet at odds—I’m thinking of phrases like “eat your greens” or “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” Do you have any ideas or theories as to why this conflict between what’s good for you and what tastes good is so ingrained in our psyche?
Something I’ve noticed after living in both the US and Europe is that American culture is much more black and white compared to that of the French. Americans tend to place things into categories of opposing extremes, not just politics, but also food and health. French culture is much more open to things existing in an in-between space. In America, “junk food” is often believed to taste good but is bad for our health, unlike healthy food, especially plant-based foods, which are framed as less flavorful. But there are so many ways to make plants taste amazing. Caramelizing onions and drenching roasted vegetables in creamy plant-based sauces are just a couple of examples of how to maximize flavor in with healthy ingredients.
Can you break down how you go about developing a new recipe? Is there a trial-and-error process? If it’s helpful, one recipe from Plant-Based Magic that especially jumped out at me is the “Blueberry Pizza.” Where did that recipe come from?
I’m fascinated by the synergy of nutrients and flavors of how certain ingredients taste incredible together and how those pairings often make nutrients more powerful. Every recipe in Plant-Based Magic, and most of the recipes I develop, targets a specific organ or system in our body. I look for ingredients whose nutrient profiles support that system. For example, the anthocyanins and quercetin in the blueberries in the “Blueberry Pizza for heart support” have antioxidants that are increased by lightly cooking them, and which are known to combat high cholesterol and lower blood pressure. I pair blueberries with caramelized onions, whose sulfur-containing compounds also support healthy cholesterol levels, their combination reinforcing the dish’s cardiovascular benefits. Nutrition science is always a part of the process, but it always starts with flavor. We want to eat healthy foods more often when they taste good, and I love the idea that we can impact our body and mind by combining nutritionally-charged ingredients and turn recipes into culinary spells.
In the book’s introduction, you describe the way rare medical conditions that doctors failed to resolve ultimately set you on a path to finding solutions through diet. What would you say to readers who are fortunate enough to not have complex medical conditions, or who perhaps don’t pay attention to how their bodies respond to their diet? Why should they think about the kinds of food in Plant-Based Magic?
I created these recipes as much for those who face health challenges as people who are considered healthy. Plant-based foods are particularly rich in phytochemicals and nutrients that play uniquely supportive and protective roles in our body. That is as important for those who struggle with their health as it is for those who want to sustain it. The medical world is realizing more and more that food is our first line of defense in preventative healthcare. This collection of recipes shows people how to prepare plants, turning them into delicious food, and highlighting the impact their powerful nutrients have on our bodies.
What do you look for when you go out to eat at a restaurant? Are there ways to maintain the spirit of Plant-Based Magic‘s thoughtful, seasonal recipes when you’re not the one cooking?
When I go to restaurants, I focus on what produce is in season because those ingredients will not only taste better than when out of season, but they are also more nutrient dense. The spirit of Plant-Based Magic can be applied to restaurants as well as to our kitchen. Having knowledge of the flavors and nutritive benefits of plants, helps us make better choices. For example, you might choose a side of roasted potatoes after knowing what kind of vitamins and minerals it holds, or a lentil-based dish when trying to get more iron or fiber. A little tip: as someone who formerly worked as a private chef and has worked in restaurants, if you love a dish you ordered, send your compliments back to the kitchen, the message will be truly appreciated.
Can you speak about how you incorporate herbalist practices like making tinctures and infusions into your everyday life? What does your kitchen look like?
It’s very witchy. My kitchen is filled with plants and herbs growing in pots and there are recycled jars with dried herbs and mushrooms everywhere as well as mason jars with medicinal herbal blends soaking in vinegar or alcohol at various phases of extraction. These potions range from everything from anti-allergy to adaptogenic tinctures, such as the ones you can find in Plant-Based Magic!
The way I practice herbalism is seasonal. In the autumn I brew immunity potions with summer flowers that are finished infusing by winter, when I begin preparing allergy and energy-focused potions ahead of the arrival of spring. I also brew teas with different blends of plants depending on my needs at the time. I have stacks of jars filled with powdered medicinal herbs alongside the salt, pepper, and usual kitchen spices. If I’m making soup or sautéing vegetables, I’ll often add a spoon of some medicinal herbal powder for their medicinal benefits. And an easy and sustainable way I incorporate herbalism into everyday recipes is by keeping fresh herbs as well as herbal-infused oils and vinegars on hand to add little doses of plant magic to every dish.
And a final, two-part question: Where do you continue to learn and draw inspiration from? And, are you working on any upcoming projects?
Studying herbalism will be a life-long practice for me and is a source of constant inspiration. I learned so much upon finishing my clinical herbalism studies at L’école des plantes in Paris, but it also felt as if I just scratched the surface of understanding the power of plant and mushroom medicine. I’m also inspired by ancient medicinal practices. I have been studying and privately practicing acupuncture for years and am constantly reading Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic texts with connection to plants. The forest and oceans hold endless secrets and there’s so much magic yet to be discovered. And flavor in itself is inspiring! Because of my health conditions, I have heightened senses, including taste and smell and am sure that helped me connect with flavors.
As for what’s next, I’m working on my next cookbook and deep in recipe and flavor testing!
Willem Marx
