Cookbook: Veganomicon
Author(s): Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
Result: I have been reading this book, and have really been enjoying it. It's a charming book of recipes and the stories of how they came about, written by the Molly Wizenberg, the person behind this lovely blog. Anyways, in the book, she describes in vivid and delicious detail a recipe for crystallized ginger and chocolate chip banana bread. I read this chapter on Monday, and have been obsessing about making this bread ever since. I had bananas, I had chocolate chips, I had crystallized ginger, it was only a matter of time.
So, tonight was the night. I couldn't really justify coming home and baking a loaf of old school banana bread loaded with sugar and fat, so I decided to give this recipe from Veganomicon a try. The resulting bread was not as moist as I had hoped for, but it did reveal that chocolate, banana and crystallized ginger are a surprisingly fabulous combination. I will be trying them together again, but probably in a different banana cake/bread recipe.
Cookbook: Veganomicon
Author(s): Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
Result: I think the relationship with my new ice cream maker could potentially be a dangerous one. To jump into the world of vegan ice cream making, I used the recipe for basic vanilla ice cream from Veganomicon, but used the option to add blackberries. This required letting the blackberries bubble away on the stove with a little water, cornstarch (it called for arrowroot powder but I didn't have any on hand), a pinch of ginger and agave (it called for sugar, I'm a rebel). The ice cream base was made of coconut milk, soy milk, silken tofu and vanilla extract.
The whole process was very messy but easier than I thought it would be. When the ice cream was done on the mixer, I put it in the freezer for a few hours.
After dinner, I scooped some out and topped it with some crystallized ginger to give it a little kick. I will be honest, it was a little on the too sweet side, and it wasn't quite as tart as I had hoped from the blackberries, but it was all in all FANTASTIC. I had feared it would taste tofu-ish, but it didn't, the result was some of the creamiest ice cream I have had since I went vegan four years ago. I will keep perfecting this and other recipes, but the ice cream making is off to a fabulous start, and a new obsession has begun.
Cookbook: Veganomicon
Author(s): Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
Result: This is another recipe I made a year or so ago with my Mom, and remembered fondly. Well, I remembered the flavors fondly, the mushy red lentils that dissolved during cooking, not so much. I decided to give it another go this evening, using some French green lentils I had in my pantry. These lentils held together much better, and there was no mush! The cloves, allspice and cinnamon added to the rice and lentils while they simmer makes the kitchen smell divine, as do the onions roasting in the oven. The whole meal takes over an hour to cook, and by that time after being stuck in my tasty smelling apartment, I was ready to eat!
The pita chips are perfect for scooping up the rice and lentils, and are so simple to make. If you have never made your own pita chips, do it now. Go to the store, buy some pita, cut it up, brush it with olive oil, shake your favorite spices on top, bake it, and enjoy. You won't be sorry. Trust me. We also threw some kale in the oven at the same time to make some kale chips, just for kicks.
I asked my taste tester for some concluding thoughts about this recipe. He deemed the meal "highly delicious," and commented, "I would eat it again." Works for me!
I've been giving the Veganomicon a lot of love. My other cookbooks might be getting jealous, but I can't help it, it truly is the Mother of all vegan cookbooks.
Last night I finally made a dinner that was super tasty- it's been a few weeks, I have either had no time to cook, or cooked things that were just kinda blah. Why I have not tried the Chickpea Cutlets from Veganomicon until yesterday, I will never know. Mashed chickpeas are combined with vital wheat gluten (my former enemy) veggie broth, bread crumbs, and a few other things and then baked until crispy perfection. They needed just a little umph, so I made a quick white wine/shallot/picada like sauce for the cutlets- PERFECT. YUM!!!!! I made herb scalloped potatoes (also from Veganomicon) and Phil's new favorite thing, kale chips, as well. I only wish I had the energy to make the same meal tonight- I'm hungry! 
