Vegan Diet Guy

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.

(more…)

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.

(more…)