Hello, and welcome! I’m Alexandra Shytsman, the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind this website, and home cook of nearly 20 years. I created The New Baguette because I believe in the healing, transformative, energizing power of plant-based whole foods. My mission is to inspire fellow home cooks with global flavors, unusual ideas, and beautiful colors.
My Story
I’ve been obsessed with food since I was tall enough to see the top of the stove. Back then, that meant hovering over my mom’s hands while she folded varenyky and fried katlety. When I was 9, my family and I immigrated from Odessa, Ukraine to Brooklyn, NY. Soon after, I met my new best friends: Rachael, Giada, and Ina.
It wasn’t long til I started pretending to host a cooking show of my own. My “recipes” included such classics as Goya Rice with Chopped Chicken Nuggets. (God bless my family for dutifully eating my experiments night after night.) In high school, I’d spend my days dreaming about the elaborate snacks I’d make when I got home… which explains the solid B average I had in those days.
Naturally, I’d hoped to attend culinary school, but my parents weren’t so keen. In typical immigrant fashion, they wanted me to do something practical. So while in college – the year 2009 – I started a blog to document my cooking escapades. (Spoiler alert: I never stopped!)
I did eventually end up at cooking school (Natural Gourmet Institute, the renowned NYC plant-based culinary school) – but as a Marketing Manager, not a student. By this time, my interest in the connection between food and health was already piqued, and the job ended up changing the course of my life.
Working alongside NGI’s chefs and nutritionists showed me how exciting cooking with plants can be. So in 2017, I went off on my own to pursue plant-based recipe development full-time.
I created The New Baguette to be a resource for others like me. When I first decided to transition my diet from melted-cheese-on-everything to primarily plant-based, I had no idea what I was doing. Like a lot of people at the start of this journey, I assumed all I could eat were salads, smoothies, and quinoa (so boring, so not sustainable).
As I experimented with new ingredients and techniques, I created recipes and kitchen routines that worked for me. My goal with TNB is to share what I’ve learned to make your kitchen life healthier and happier, too.
Street Cred
The New Baguette is currently in the running for the prestigious IACP Food Blog of the Year award (woo!). Apart from publishing 300+ recipes here, I’ve written several cookbooks – I am the author of Friendsgiving, co-author of The Complete Vegan Cookbook, and editorial contributor to Danny Seo’s Naturally, Delicious. As a freelance recipe developer and photographer, I contribute to various publications, including The Kitchn, EatingWell, Food52, and Taste of Home.
I’ve also had the immense privilege of presenting at The NYC Vegetarian Food Festival and The Great New York State Fair, and teaching vegan cooking classes at The Institute of Culinary Education and Yondu Culinary Studio.
Features
My work has been featured in outlets like HuffPost, Cherry Bombe, BuzzFeed, and New York Magazine’s The Strategist. You can also hear me on the High Vibration Living and Keep On Cookin’ podcasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
As a diehard francophile, I wanted to pay homage to my favorite culture. In France, a baguette is a given at nearly every meal. For me, The New Baguette is a representation of a new type of eating, where we think beyond what’s convenient and expected, and consider health and sustainability first. (I still love baguettes, though!)
If you’re new here, start with my 10 Golden Rules and learn how to stock a plant-based pantry. Then try some of my reader favorites, like the Moroccan lentil soup, sesame garlic tofu, and date brownies.
While 90% of my meals are vegan, and I don’t cook with any meat or dairy at home, I don’t identify as vegan. I’ve never found labels useful for myself and don’t want to feel like I’m “cheating” if I wanna go out for sushi or pizza.
The best way to keep in touch is to join my newsletter community. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. If you want to get in touch, fill out this form or email me at hello[at]thenewbaguette[dot]com.
