Photo credit Lies van Veen
Lisanna Wallance is a chef, herbalist, and author of The Natural Witch’s Cookbook, which has been published in four languages. She grew up in New York and attended Barnard College of Columbia University before moving to Paris, where she now lives. She was born with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that causes dysfunction throughout the body. When her symptoms suddenly worsened, she delved into cooking and plant medicine to help manage her symptoms. She has a degree in clinical herbalism from l’École des Plantes de Paris.
Q: What inspired you to write Plant-Based Magic?
Lisanna Wallance: I wanted to sublimate my own pain and health battles and to share the nutritional and medicinal plant knowledge I acquired during years of coping with chronic conditions in order to help others. I believe that plants hold the most powerful potential to heal, and I want to share that with other people.
Q: How is magical cooking related to science and nutrition?
LW: Food is medicine and magic is really science. By eating more plants, we can support both the health of our body and our earth (without forgoing flavor). We need to move toward a more preventative medical system, and everything begins with what we eat. Not only does Plant-Based Magic show how to make plants taste amazing, but it demonstrates how to easily integrate herbs and medicinal mushrooms into everyday recipes.
Q: How do you balance nutritional benefits with taste in your recipes?
LW: My recipes focus on bringing out the flavors of vegetables by preparing them in certain ways or combining them with other ingredients, like herbs, aromatics, healthy oils, and plant-based cream. I do not shy away from caramelizing or using dressings, creamy sauces, infused vinegars, and lots of fresh herbs to really optimize the flavor profile of a dish.
Q: What sets magical cooking apart from other styles of cooking?
LW: My approach to magical cooking integrates elements of herbalism and mushroom medicine into easy recipes and shows how to choose ingredients based on their nutrient profile and combine them to optimize effects. The fact that all the recipes in the book are gluten-free, vegan, and often low-histamine and low-FODMAP also makes Plant-Based Magic unique. And you wouldn’t know that these recipes are so healthy by the taste!
Q: What are common misconceptions about herbalism and food nutrition that Plant-Based Magic addresses?
LW: Many people assume that eating healthy means making dishes that lack flavor—but the recipes in Plant-Based Magic are both flavorful and nutritious. What we eat is one of the most powerful ways to take control of our health. Herbal medicine is actually quite accessible, and can be easily integrated into everyday recipes and be a tool of self-empowerment.
Q: How can readers integrate your recipes into everyday life?
LW: Plant-Based Magic is divided into seasons with mains, sides, medicinal drinks (potions), and desserts. I show how easy it actually is to integrate plant healing into your meals by infusing herbs into vinegars, incorporating mushroom powders into sauces, and sprinkling herbal powders into cakes and cookies.
Q: What is your favorite recipe from Plant-Based Magic?
LW: I love how fresh the recipes from the spring chapter are, how the summer chapter is vibrant and colorful, and how the autumn and winter chapters are both so cozy and comforting. If I had to choose, the “Autumn Forest Immunity Pumpkin” (a whole roasted pumpkin stuffed with all the best immunity-supporting ingredients of autumn) and the “Strawberry Cream Creation Cupcakes” (frosted cupcakes with a strawberry cream filling imbued with fertility-boosting magic) would be my favorites.
Q: How can magical, nutritious cooking help restore health in all areas of our lives?
LW: Personally, I’ve found that the recipes and potions in Plant-Based Magic have helped rebalance my gut, calm digestive issues, soothe symptoms related to my immune disorder, balance mood, and so much more. I also receive messages from followers sharing how my recipes have helped them treat certain symptoms, such as one woman who raved about my calming lavender syrup and how it put her anxious husband right to sleep at night. Others have shared that due to their digestive issues, they couldn’t find anything to eat, but that my recipes don’t trigger issues. One girl told me that my hair boosting oil stopped hair loss. Hearing stories like these is the most gratifying part of sharing my magical recipes.
Plant-Based Magic is out on March 17th. Find it everywhere books are sold.
