EAT IT by hot for food
The Life Changing Issue (April to June 2023)
New
This exciting new issue will feature lots of videos and is coming to ya April 3, 2023!
Lauren ToyotaIssues
Select Issue (8)
2023 Spring
2023 Winter
2022 Fall
2022 Summer
2022 Guest Chefs
2022 Spring
2021 Winter
2021 Summer
EAT IT by hot for food
All For You (January to March 2023)
This is the inaugural member recipe requests issue! I had so much fun creating the recipes YOU really wanted, that I’ll likely do this again. Annual members are added to my close friends’ list on Instagram so that’s where I took submissions and did a little back and forth with y’all to determine exactly what you wanted me to work on. Oh, and it wasn’t without some challenges. If you were following along then you saw the disastrous journey the vegan butter cake was! I eventually figured out something inspired by what was requested— a copy-cat of CPK’s famous butter cake! I landed on the orange sugar-glazed cakes you’ll see below. I’m a big fan of the vegan pozole verde recipe. Pozole is something I probably wouldn’t have done on my own, but I’m so glad I discovered it. You’ll also see an epic recipe for tofu marsala, Filipino tortang talong, a super easy strombli, simple bean & cheese arepas, and a cozy vegan tuna casserole where I used tofu and hearts of palm for the tuna.
Big thanks to these members for making these requests for the issue: Danielle Verner, Laura De La Giroday, Miranda Hull, and Katrina Malakhoff!
Lauren ToyotaIssue’s Recipes
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Easiest Recipes Ever (October to December 2022)
My easiest recipes ever have been a long time in the making. Nine months and then some to be exact! These simple, but incredibly delicious ideas are all things I ate during my pregnancy and continue to make in my everyday mom life because they’re that easy. I know so because I’m able to whip them up while baby snoozes or during those precious wake windows (only moms will get that!) Either way, everyone needs meals they can throw together in around 30 minutes and I guarantee these ideas will become regular staples for you too.
There’s plenty of Asian inspiration here from Japanese okonomiyaki to kimchi fried rice to my go-to noodle bowl. Asian eats are always what I crave, and I’m mad hungry as a breastfeeding mom! I’ll also show you how to make Korean veggie pancakes and air-fried teriyaki tofu sushi bowls. There’s a recipe for a quick couscous with sauced up portobellos, tomato miso butter spaghetti, as well as a sheet pan quesadilla—it’s an internet hack that’s worth the 2 sheet pans! I haven’t forgotten super swift sweets either. Both offerings are chocolate based so take your pick! I would choose both of them personally. Chocolate cereal bark is really kid-friendly, while us sophisticated foodies can satisfy our sweet tooth with chocolate banana bites in 3 scrumptious flavors.
I hope you can use these recipes from now until the end of time to get meals on the table quickly and efficiently leaving more time to do what brings you joy. Coincidentally for me, that’s cooking, so you’re welcome!
Lauren ToyotaIssue’s Recipes
EAT IT by hot for food
Carb Girl Summer (July to September 2022)
I hope you’re enjoying the summer wherever you are in the world. It’s so damn hot here in California right now that I’m inside with the A/C on full blast attempting to work with a newborn baby by my side. This issue was inspired by that event actually because, as you may know, I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant. So I cut carbs! I know, I can’t believe it either. I did it with some success… let’s be honest, I cheated. So now I can’t be bothered with hot girl summer and I suspect I’m too old for weird girl summer. That’s why I’ve opted for a Carb Girl Summer and I know you can get down with that too. You are hot for food after all!
This collection of recipes is carbs that still scream summer. Fresh and light pasta dishes using seasonal faves like zucchini, peas, and shallots. I even recreated spaghetti alla nerano—a life-changing pasta according to Stanley Tucci. There are two unique dips for picnics, and poolside snacking accompanied by homemade vegan naan… hello garlic butter! I made vegan ham & cheese croissants the easy way and I crave them constantly ever since I made ’em! I’m also giving you a couple of fruity sweet things to top it all off. The strawberry lemonade bars are beautiful and scrumptious and my key lime sheet cake is just the snack you need to make your #carbgirlsummer a success—both are perfect desserts for sharesies.
I feel like I’m supposed to say, “get outside and enjoy the sun” but with climate change coming in hot and heavy I advise just staying inside all season and cooking up stuff from EAT IT!
Lauren Toyota
Issue’s Recipes
EAT IT by hot for food
Guest Chefs (April to June 2022)
Hey, hot for food fam! This special issue features exclusive recipes from some of your fave vegan chefs and bloggers. It was an idea I had when I knew I’d be having a baby in April and I just could NOT get myself together to make my own recipes for this issue. But I know you’ll fall in love with these guest chefs and their tasty recipes.
When those cake cravings hit there’s School Night Vegan’s pineapple upside-down cake, Big Box Vegan’s coffeehouse iced lemon loaf, and Rabbit and Wolves have an easy fluffy triple berry shortcake recipe to get you through!
There’s a super-exclusive recipe from Two Spoons for her buckwheat crepes and cashew cream cheese which she let us publish from her upcoming debut cookbook! There are plenty of savory comforting eats too like Mississippi Vegan’s cheesy herb bread twists, Miyoko Schinner’s pork tenderlove recipe, a sustainable recipe from Alejandra Schrader for her plantain cups, fried tofu wontons from Yummy Yatra, a take on Camarones a la Diabla from Edgar Castrejón, and tasty southwestern falafels from Haile Thomas.
Superstar Caitlin Shoemaker of From My Bowl contributes a super simple dump and bake mac & peas as well as a full video tutorial to entertain you. I can’t thank these amazing guest chefs enough for coming through with some of the best recipes to be featured on EAT IT! I hope you all enjoy them and share the love on social by tagging these chefs and bloggers.
Lauren ToyotaIssue’s Recipes
EAT IT by hot for food
Magnificent Meals (January to March 2022)
Happy New Year to y’all and to me, because I actually managed to get this issue out despite wanting to stay in vacay/hibernation mode until April. However, we do have a reason to celebrate 2022 and it’s this collection of Magnificent Meals.
Starting off a year new with delicious, new, and easy-to-make meals is a big motivator. It was my intention to make crave-worthy comfort foods for your dinner meal plans that don’t require much fuss. In comes one-pot primavera orzo, sheet pan mushroom birria tacos, and a solid Japanese golden curry recipe paired with crispy sticky rice wedges.
The feature ingredient in this issue is tofu… and I’ll be showing ya how to transform tofu into some magical things like vegan chicken-fried steaks, halloumi cheese, and a take-out fave, mapo tofu with a twist.
Dive into this delectable collection of dinners, tantalizing ways to use tofu, and a light fruit dessert to cap it all off. Happy eating!
Lauren ToyotaIssue’s Recipes
EAT IT by hot for food
A Helluva Holiday (October to December 2021)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! So long as you’re doing it cruelty-free and vegan my friends. The holidays are about love and joy and so eating good food this time of year should also reflect that. That’s why I’m here to give you A Helluva Holiday feast with brand new recipes for your festive events. I’m leveling up potatoes, yet again, with a crispy and easy to achieve potato pave with béarnaise sauce, and giving you a rustic side of braised cabbage that’s sure to convert you into a cruciferous veg lover. I haven’t forgotten the stuffing, but I did a little stuffing in stuffing action with a full-on stuffing bread loaf. There’s even a show-stopping meaty main. No turkeys were harmed in the making of my bone-in vegan turkey drumsticks. No, that’s not a typo!
For dessert, we venture into the featured ingredient of the season, miso. I’ve got 2 sweet and 1 savory recipe featuring magical miso. No holiday is complete without a sticky toffee pudding, but I’m me, and so I put miso in that sticky toffee pudding. It’s going to wow your holiday guests for sure. I also share a new recipe for the softest, most fluffy cinnamon buns topped with miso caramel, and for those post-holiday lazy days, I’ve got your quick and easy dinner covered. Say hello to miso ramen carbonara!
This issue of EAT IT will keep you busy from Thanksgiving to New Year so I hope you enjoy a little rest and relaxation amongst the usual holiday bustle and don’t take things too seriously. Remember, it’s just food! Here’s to a helluva holiday. Cheers!
Lauren ToyotaIssue’s Recipes
EAT IT by hot for food
Savor Summer (July to September 2021)
This summer is definitely one to savor given the trainwreck that was summer 2020! In fact, this whole EAT IT thing was concocted during quarantine so it feels kinda cool to be launching it a year later. The Savor Summer issue is a beauty. I’m giving you boards galore, recipes made with pickles, and a new ice cream flav to add to your repertoire. Get those ice cream vessels in the freezer stat! You don’t want to wait around once you see this pineapple ginger snap ice cream.
When it comes to eating food off a big platter or board, it really is a vibe anytime, but I especially like to partake in board grazing during the summer. Envision presenting my Brooklyn deli board with beet lox and whitefish spread to your pod while hanging in the backyard with beers. Or sharing the sweet dessert board with banana cream pie dip and hazelnut s’more dip with your fam for game night. I hope these boards bring joy to everyone you share them with… or don’t share if you want them all to yourself too!
Finally, my feature ingredient, pickles, will give you the gift of 3 interesting recipes—dill pickle dip, pickle cheddar biscuits, and dill pickle soup. Ya for real! Each issue of EAT IT will feature a unique or underused ingredient with a handful of recipes that utilize the featured ingredient. So why pickles? I don’t know. I just love them and I think they deserve more than being relegated to a condiment or sandwich topping. Pickles on a sandwich are pretty much essential, though! And the only kind I buy is Bubbies—in the big jar—in case you were wondering.
Lauren Toyota
