Tastes of Love and Light Review: a Thai Vegan Cookbook From Professional Thai Chef Philippa Kingsley
I love Thai food, so I was delighted to be invited to the launch of Tastes of Love and Light: A Thai Vegan Cookbook by Philippa Kingsley this week. The event was held at the beautiful Bulthaup Mayfair Showroom bringing a diverse crowd that even included the wife of the Thai ambassador to the UK
The book was published on 10 September 2026, has a foreword by Ken Hom CBE, and brings together 86 of Philippa’s own Thai recipes, all made vegan.
Who is Philippa Kingsley?
This isn’t a vegan cook dabbling in Thai food. Philippa is a professional Thai chef. Originally from London, she trained in Thai cooking in both Thailand and London, then founded a Thai catering company and cooking school, which she ran as executive chef for more than 20 years from Atlanta, Georgia, and later The Hague in the Netherlands.
Along the way she catered for the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington DC and the Tourism Authority of Thailand in New York. A visiting Thai dignitary gave her the Thai name “Khun Pimpa”, and at a later event in Washington DC she was granted a personal audience with HRH Queen Sirikit of Thailand. She has also cooked on American TV, including Good Day Atlanta (FOX5), Peachtree Morning (WXIA) and Home Plate (Turner South).
Her move to vegan cooking came later, through a spiritual path into animal communication and energy healing. She is also the author of Rising Above Grief for People and Pets. Tastes of Love and Light is her long overdue first cookbook.
What’s Inside
The 86 recipes come from Thailand’s four main culinary regions: the North, the Northeast (Isan), the Central Plains and the South. They range from Bangkok street food to dishes inspired by the Royal Palace kitchens that you rarely see outside Thailand. The chapters cover:
- Appetisers and canapés
- Salads
- Soups
- Curries and curry pastes
- Stir-fries
- Noodles and rice
- Desserts
- Cocktails
Most recipes come with “Thai Tips”, short practical notes that read like a cookery teacher standing next to you. Philippa’s own story, her love of animals and her passion for Thailand run through the chapters so it’s a book to sit down and read as well as cook from.
Meat and Fish Substitutes
Thai cuisine often feature meat or fish, so Philippa is using meat substitutes like Beyond Meat, Gardein and Verisoy for classic recipes such as Vegan Chicken, Shrimp, or Cucumber Satay (Satay Gai/Satay Ghoong), Spicy Wok-Roasted Vegan Duck or Chicken Salad with Crispy Noodles and Cashews (Yam Ped Yang) or Barbecued Style Vegan Chicken with a Spiced Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce (Gai Yang).
For Thai ingredients in the UK, Philippa recommends Wing Yip, the large Asian retail and wholesale supermarket in Croydon London (and a place I regularly shop at), and Tawana, a Thai grocery in Notting Hill, London. There’s a Resources section at the back of the book with more shopping information.
What I liked
- The authenticity. These are recipes from a chef who has cooked Thai food professionally for decades, made vegan, rather than Western dishes with a Thai twist. The sweet, sour, salty and spicy balance is still there.
- The passion. Philippa is obviously passionate about Thailand, Thai food and animal welfare.
- The Thai Tips. They take a lot of the fear out of Thai cooking, so it suits confident cooks and beginners alike.
- The range. From canapés and curry pastes to desserts and cocktails, there’s enough here to cook a full Thai feast.
My Verdict
With Christmas coming, it would make a lovely present for vegan foodies who don’t want to compromise on flavour, for Thai food lovers who want to cook restaurant favourites at home, and for anyone who likes a cookbook with a personal story. Fellow chef Terry Tan, author of 30 cookbooks on the food of China and Southeast Asia, calls it “the pure essence of a truly great cookbook”.
Book Details
Tastes of Love and Light: A Thai Vegan Cookbook
by Philippa Kingsley, foreword by Ken Hom CBE
Tastes of Love and Light is available in hardback (£35.00), paperback (£22.99) and e-book (£9.99) from Amazon and all major online book retailers
Other Things You Might Enjoy
Leave a Reply