This is not your grandma’s veggie cookbook..
With over 100 creative recipes and mouthwatering photos (shot by Jesse himself, because of course) this book is your ultimate guide to turning humble vegetables into total showstoppers.
They’re the headliners. He treats them the way most people treat steaks – grilling, charring, caramelizing, and infusing with big flavour energy.
Whether it’s peas grilled in a sieve (yes, really) or cabbage crisped to perfection, these recipes make it impossible to ever call veg “boring” again.
Not vegan? No problem.
Jesse isn’t pushing labels..
Expect to see smoked bacon, anchovies and chorizo pop up here and there as cheeky flavour boosts, but always as supporting acts.
Every dish can be adapted to fit your vibe.
The recipes are sorted by vegetable type – leafy greens, roots, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, and more – so you can easily cook based on what’s in the fridge or what you picked up at the farmers’ market last weekend (ambitious!).
Whether you’re solo-cooking a cheeky weeknight noodle bowl or prepping a sunset garden dinner with friends, Jesse’s food is made to be shared – or devoured on the sofa with a fork and zero shame.
His philosophy? Flavour should always come with feeling, and great meals are about connection as much as they are about the cooking.
Let’s rewind. Jesse grew up in LA in a family where food was everything – his Italian-American mom worked with legend Nancy Silverton at La Brea Bakery, and Jesse trained in the vibrant, multicultural kitchens of Southern California, soaking in influences from Mexico, Korea, and Guatemala.
Before food took over, he spent a decade behind the camera as a fashion photographer for names like Marc Jacobs and Victoria Beckham.
But eventually, the smell of sizzling garlic and the call of the chopping board pulled him back in.
Now, living in London with his wife and two kids, Jesse is using his lens and ladle to make vegetables cinematic again.
Jesse doesn’t just talk the talk – he shares the real-deal, eat-right-now kind of recipes.
Here are two of our favourites straight from Cooking With Vegetables:
(Serves 8–10 | Perfect with a dollop of crème fraîche)
This rich, fudgy cake comes from Jesse’s friend Anna Greenland – an organic veg grower, pirate-level tough, and cooler than your average homesteader.
The beets make it moist, the chocolate makes it dreamy, and the vibe is apocalypse party in Suffolk.
You’ll need:
250g raw beetroot, peeled + cubed
200g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate
250g coconut sugar
5 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
240g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Crème fraîche (optional but elite)
How to:
Steam the beetroot till soft, blend with sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Melt the butter + chocolate together, cool it, then mix with the beetroot blend. Fold in almonds, baking powder + salt. Bake in a 23cm tin at 170°C fan for 20 mins, then 160°C for another 20. Cool, slice, and try not to eat the whole thing in one go.
(Serves 4 as a side | Fancy but easy, salty and smoky)
Born from a holiday mishap in Pantelleria, this dish proves that stress-cooking = delicious results. Slightly bitter radicchio, charred to perfection, meets a punchy sauce that basically screams sunset dinner party.
You’ll need:
1 tin anchovies in oil
30g capers
1 lemon
4 tbsp olive oil
1 head radicchio
Salt + pepper
Handful of parsley
How to:
Blend anchovies, capers, juice of half the lemon + olive oil into a sauce. Char the radicchio wedges in a smoking-hot pan with olive oil + salt. Squeeze the rest of the lemon on top and drizzle with the sauce. Finish with parsley and good vibes.
Whether you’re a full-time foodie or just want to spice up your weeknight dinners, Jesse’s bringing the cool factor back to the kitchen – one smoky leek and silky beetroot cake at a time.
You can grab your copy now wherever books are sold. Trust us – your fridge, your feed, and your dinner party guests will thank you.
SHARE:
