A lot of omnivores, and even many vegetarians, think vegan cooking is hard, but in reality, it’s no more difficult than non-vegan cooking. Getting into the mindset where you are ready for a plants-based, vegan diet is the most challenging. If you’ve landed on this page, you are obviously headed in the right direction.
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is one of those old standby recipes that I hadn’t touched since becoming vegan, that is–until my sister served a delectable anchovy-less rendition for New Year’s dinner. And, like so many other dishes I couldn’t fathom eating again (due to the elimination of a supposedly “core ingredient”) , I am now rediscovering it. Read the rest of this entry →
Sushi was one of the hardest foods to give up after I resolved to adopt a vegan diet. After all, my passion for sushi was one of the things that brought me to live in Japan in the first place. And while Japan is infamous for exclusive sushi shops that charge $500 per person, even low-end sushi (such as kaiten, or “conveyor belt” style) is fresh and inexpensive compared to other countries, making it hard to resist.
For some time after I had bid sayonara to meat, eggs and dairy, I continued the Japanese institution of going out for sushi with friends and family. At first, I ate varieties consisting of mostly vegetables such as natto (fermented soybeans) and green onions, cucumber, takuon (pickled radish), kampyo (dried gourd), as well as inarizushi (fried bean curd filled with sushi rice and black sesame seeds). Read the rest of this entry →
On my last visit to the States, despite shopping for 2 weeks for vegan ingredients and kitchen gadgets not available in Japan, there was one thing I neglected to buy. As a frequent baker, I was excited to try out the innovative baking pans from Baker’s Edge, and was torn between whether to purchase their Edge brownie pan or the Simple lasagna pan.
For those who don’t know, the Edge brownie pan is designed so that every piece of brownie has at least two edges (since many people prefer eating the corners of conventional brownies), and the Simple lasagna pan is designed to make lasagna that is crispy around the edges, evenly cooked, and doesn’t lose its shape when sliced.
According to Baker’s Edge, besides being 50% larger than the brownie pan, their lasagna pan is designed especially for standard-size box noodles, and has a nonstick coating for foods high in protein (i.e. meat and cheese). On the other hand, the Edge brownie pan’s nonstick coating is made for foods high in sugar. Another big difference is the lasagna pan has “hard-anodization” for strength, and larger handles.
Veganomicon, simply the best cookbook to transform you from meat-eating to a 100% plant diet, has inspired my cooking for over 3 years. Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero’s earlier books, “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World” and “Vegan With A Vengeance” have amassed devoted followers, too, and I always wondered if I wasn’t missing out.
Actually, I never understood the hoopla over Vegan Cupcakes, because I gave up consuming animal products primarily for improving my health, and most vegan confectionaries–while better ethically and environmentally–are not necessarily healthier than non-vegan ones.
Generally speaking, vegan versions of non-vegan recipes merely substitute animal fat (butter, eggs) with equal amounts of plant-derived fat (oil) and vegan sweeteners for sugar. Many people don’t realize that some vegan dishes are even less healthy than the original because they are prepared with excess oil (often fried) and salt, artificial coloring and flavor enhancers.
Perhaps it’s because there are so few vegan-friendly restaurants to begin with, or maybe I’ve got a case of vegan selective attention, but it sure seems that restaurants catering to vegan/vegetarians fail more than traditional restaurants.
Recently, I was describing London’s critically acclaimed vegetarian diner “Eat and Two Veg” to a house guest. Ebullient with memories of discovering the restaurant during a business trip to the UK, I went online to retrieve their amazing menu of comfort foods including Rendang Curry, Moroccan Tagine, and my favorite, Crispy Aromatic Luck (a seitan version of Peking Duck).
Wishfully thinking a “Page Not Found” response from E&2V’s website was a temporary glitch, I did a search and learned the restaurant had closed down last December, after 6 years of operation. Although I live in Tokyo, and don’t know when I’d get to eat there again, E&2V was nonetheless an institution for vegans and omnivores alike. My 3 meals at E&2V were among the highlights of my London visit (see “London-Vegetarian Heaven“) and a must-go for my next visit.
Fortunately, now there’s hope even for those not willing to read The China Study, provided they’ll go to watch the movie instead.
Written by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, The China Study is THE book that triggered me and many others to begin a vegan diet. Legendary South African golfer Gary Player is the one who recommended The China Study to me, explaining that giving up eating animal products (from his early 70′s) had changed his life and made him feel 20 years younger. Read the rest of this entry →
Joe Stepaniak’s “Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook” was among the first cookbooks I bought after deciding to adopt a vegan diet 3 years ago. For those not familiar with the term “uncheese”, Stepaniak uses it to describe rich-tasting spreads, dips, sauces and blocks produced with dairy-free whole foods (primarily beans, nuts, or grains).
Cheese lovers be forewarned: you may be in for some disappointment if you’re expecting tofu to taste like Feta cheese or chickpeas like Havarti. The book’s introduction even acknowledges that “uncheeses are not going to be like dairy cheeses, so please adjust your expectations accordingly. ”
Unfortunately I skipped Stepaniak’s well-intentioned introduction and plowed in to the recipes, attempting Tofu Ricotta, Chick Cheez, Swizz Cheez, Buffalo Mostarella, Brie, Betta Feta, White Bean Boursin, Monterey Jack and Port Wine uncheeses. And while all were tasty (my favorite is the sharp Chick Cheez spread–made from Garbanzo Beans) they left me somewhat disillusioned and wondering whether I could actually live without real cheese.
Being away from home can make business travel and vacation challenging and stressful for anyone who’s trying to eat healthily. This is particularly so for new vegans who are still trying to adjust to a diet without animal products but may have fewer alternatives than usual.
However, given the fact that business travel is often necessary for our jobs, and most people enjoy going somewhere new for vacation–at least occasionally–how does the vegan or aspiring vegan deal with eating away from home?
Below are some tips for business and vacation situations:
1. Business travel–Eat as much healthy (whole-grain, low-fat and minimal refined sugar) vegan foods you can at those meals where you have the most control over the venue. For me that’s breakfast, because lunch and dinner are often spent with colleagues or clients, and you’re less likely to have a say over the restaurant chosen or the menu.
Breakfast buffets at hotels are quite vegan-friendly, and as a result they are probably the safest places to eat while away from home (provided you don’t give in to temptation to eat 80 percent of the food that is non-vegan!). Read the rest of this entry →
Isa Chandra Moskowitz has made a liar out of me. Not long ago, I wrote that Moskowitz’ “Veganomicon” was the last cookbook you needed to buy, and now she comes out with “Vegan Brunch”. Blame it on her vegan Italian Feast Sausage recipe.
You see, growing up in an Italian-American family, I was used to eating pasta with tomato-meat sauce for Sunday dinners and other special occasions. Meat usually included meatballs, spareribs, and sausages. Living on myown as an adult, special dinners had always consisted of meat of some sort, if not cheese, and more likely both! As a result, it seemed Sunday dinners would never be the same after becoming vegan. Now, 3 years later, I’ve discovered there are hundreds of other delectable and healthy meals worthy of Sunday and any other day. But when I’m feeling nostalgic, pasta with a “meaty” tomato sauce is the ultimate comfort food.
You may ask, why bother making your own vegan sausages, when there are already meatless sausages appearing on the shelves in major grocery stores? I think that’s great news, and without a doubt, vegan sausages are preferable to meat sausages, but reading the ingredients and the nutritional data, I’m not sure all meatless sausages are actually healthy, or good for your diet. If you like to know what’s in your food, like me, why not try making your own vegan sausages? Read the rest of this entry →
I’ve blogged numerous times about how The China Study was the single biggest motivating factor in my adopting a vegan diet. However, at least equally important is “Veganomicon,” the book that has sustained me through the transition and has become a fixture in my kitchen.
Veganomicon, which bills itself (rightly so) as the Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, is the product of Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, who also wrote “Vegan with a Vengeance” and “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World”. The pair also created the PostPunkKitchen (theppk.com) vegan recipe website, where you can find some teaser recipes from the Veganomicon book.
My partner and I have tried about 40 of the dishes in Veganomicon, some several times, and our copy of Veganomicon (covered with numerous post-it notes and splatters of various sauces) is never far from our sides or minds. Read the rest of this entry →
Janet Jackson Stan:RT @kathyIreland: Love animals and was vegetarian for years---but if we use cars with leather seats, belts, shoes, eggs... etc...hmmm.
Sherri Montgomery:@operatic Made the twice-cooked tofu - Yum!! Recipes remind me of a vegan bar here that does some Southern comfort food, only more dishes
