From toledoblade.com
What once started as a hobby has turned into a full-time career for vegan food influencer Halle Burns.
“I really got into food media right when COVID happened,” said Burns, who was a freshman in college at the time. “I had so much extra time with all my online classes to just continue what I had done throughout quarantine, which was to make these little TikTok food videos.”
From posting short recipe clips online to now releasing her debut cookbook, Call Me Vegan, which comes out on Tuesday, Burns said her goal with this book was to produce an inclusive compilation of everything she’s learned since she started her food journey.
“There’s never been a tangible way to access all of these recipes and tips that I’ve posted,” Burns said, who is based in Brooklyn, N.Y. “I’m so proud of it. I got to thrift all of the outfits that I wore during the shoot, and I did all of the digital art for it. … I definitely wanted to stay a part of the process.”
With more than 100 recipes in the cookbook, 70 of the recipes can be made gluten free, she said. The book includes recipes for snacks, entrees, desserts, and basics — like Popcorn Olives, Cheesy Vegan Mac, Soy Sauce Syrup, and more.
“It’s like everything you’d ever want as a starter pack to becoming a vegan, and everything is super simple,” she said. “Same principles, less than 10 ingredients, minimal amount of time, very easy to follow.”
While the cookbook was in development, Burns said, she was enrolled in a vegan-specific culinary school in Goa, India, meaning she and her team would be testing recipes across the world from one another, which she said was one of the more difficult parts of the cookbook-making process.
“A lot of work went into making sure that what was put on paper was going to work exactly the way it was supposed to,” she said. “I’m pretty confident that it’s written in the same way that I would tell it to somebody I was trying to describe how to make something to.”
The book aims to be very user-friendly, the author added. While it’s catered to a younger audience, the 23-year-old said it could appeal to all ages.
“Not only am I hoping that it teaches readers, but I want it to inspire people as well,” Burns said of her debut cookbook. “It encourages you to follow the recipe, but also make it your own. That’s how I found so much love and comfort in food is that it never felt black and white. It left a lot of room for fun.”
Burns started eating fully vegan her senior year of high school — around seven years ago — she said, noting that each year the lifestyle becomes simpler, with more and more vegan products being released.
“I don’t think I ever would have imagined trying to recreate umami, savory flavors and really nail them as much as I would have if I hadn’t become vegan,” she said. “I just think it gives you the opportunity to really get creative with food in a way that you haven’t before.”
When trying a vegan diet for the first time, Burns recommends starting small, like buying oat milk instead of dairy milk or swapping dairy-based cheeses out for vegan cheese slices to make the adjustment less overwhelming.
Jacquelyn Jones, owner of SolFood Collective in Perrysburg, agreed with Burns’ sentiment that starting simple when eating more plant based is key.
“It’s baby steps,” Jones said, who is a certified health and wellness coach and vegan chef. “Have more leafy greens and vegetables, stick to complex carbs [like] sweet potatoes and quinoa.”
The chef said she tends to keep ingredients like chickpeas, mushrooms, garlic, lemons, and avocado oil on hand — with many of these items being repeat characters in Call Me Vegan.
Jones said she’s been watching Burns’ food content for years, and appreciates the work she’s doing for the vegan food community.
“I think it’s great that she has a cookbook. … I think the more vegan cookbooks we have out there, the better,” Jones said. “I love how TikTok has created so many amazing careers for these people. Especially during the pandemic.”
As her career continues to grow, Burns wants to keep learning and challenging herself, hoping that as food media continues to evolve — she gets to be a part of it.
“A life motto I always say to myself is that I never want to regress,” the author said. “I’d just like to keep growing in some way. I’m not really sure what that looks like, but all I know is I still love it, and I’m really passionate about it, and I don’t plan on going down any other avenues anytime soon.”
Mushroom Pulled Pork
Shredded mushrooms are the base of this recipe, which are tossed in barbecue sauce and baked to create the “best sandwich ever,” according to Burns.
Yield: 2 sandwiches
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
12 ounces mushrooms, such as king oyster, portobello, shiitake, enoki, or any combination
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons of your favorite barbecue sauce
3 tablespoons Hal’s Everything Seasoning (page 187)
1 tablespoon tapioca starch or cornstarch
2 sandwich buns or gluten-free buns for serving
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Shred the mushrooms with a fork or grater (use the largest holes on a box grater). You should get about 4 cups. Put the shredded ’shrooms into a large bowl and add the olive oil, barbecue sauce, Hal’s seasoning, and tapioca starch/cornstarch. Toss until the ‘shrooms are thoroughly coated.
Spread in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan and roast until the mushrooms start to crisp ever so slightly on the edges and become softened, about 25 minutes. Divide the barbecue mushrooms between two buns and serve. You can also store the mushroom in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat before serving on buns.
Source: Call Me Vegan, page 122
Rice Paper Bacon Snack Strips
Burns said the mushrooms and tofu bits between the strips of rice paper makes for the most flavourful, crispy, crunchy snack.
Yield: 12 bacon strips
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
3 ½ ounces (¼ of a standard package) firm tofu, drained
3 to 4 baby bella mushrooms, or 1 portobello mushroom cap
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
4 rice paper sheets
¼ cup Soy Sauce Syrup (page 193)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1.4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
Add the tofu, baby bella mushrooms, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, and the maple syrup to a blender and pulse until a paste forms.
Pour the remaining two 2 tablespoons of soy sauce into a wide, shallow bowl. Soak one sheet of rice paper in the sauce for 5 seconds, remove, and lay flat on a cutting board or sheet pan. Spread half of the tofu-mushroom pasta, about ½ cup, evenly over the rice paper. Repeat the soaking process with a second sheet and lay it on top of the first rice paper sheet to evenly cover.
Using kitchen sheers, slice the mushroom-filled rice paper “sandwich” into 6 strips. Place the strips on the prepared sheet pan at least 1-inch apart. Repeat the entire process with the remaining two rice paper sheets to make 6 more strips. In a small bowl, stir together the Soy Sauce Syrup, olive oil, and black and cayenne peppers. Brush the mixture on the 12 strips.
Bake until the rice paper bubbles and browns at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Let the strips cool on the sheet pan for 10 minutes before eating. Enjoy immediately or wrap in a paper towel and in an airtight bag or container for up to 2 days.
Source: Call Me Vegan, page 28
Two-Ingredient (No Bananas!) Ice Cream
Vegan ice cream without bananas in the recipe is hard to find, Burns said. This recipe manages just fine without them, and comes out to be a thick and creamy sweet treat.
Yield: 1 pint
Time: 15 minutes, plus time for freezing and thawing
Ingredients:
¾ cup Vegan Condensed Milk (page 202) or condensed coconut milk
3 cups frozen raspberries or other frozen fruit
Directions:
In a blender, combine the Vegan Condensed Milk/condensed coconut milk and the frozen berries. Blend on high until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed.
Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container with a top, cover, and freeze overnight. Let thaw for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Source: Call Me Vegan, page 170
https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/food/2025/03/09/vegan-visionary-influencer/stories/20250309007
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